A decade later, 2D Metroid rises from the ashes on Wii U.
2D Metroid has been absent from the gaming landscape for the past ten years. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the style of gameplay has been absent, as we can see tons of Metroid-inspired games littered across a variety of different platforms. Metroid: Zero Mission stands the test of time in all the right ways, even among all of the titles that pay homage to the series as a whole. Thanks to the Game Boy Advance Virtual Console on Wii U, the original experience along with some welcome additions can be had again in this current generation of gaming.
Gameplay is immediately familiar to fans of the series. The overall speed increase to Samus’s movement allows players to blaze through areas faster than they ever could in previous games in the series. The name of the game is still exploration, and there are a ton of power-ups to find and bosses to topple. Going hand-in-hand with exploration, the level design is incredible as it strikes a good balance between being challenging and yet rewarding enough to make you want to continue playing.
In terms of presentation, Zero Mission looks better than ever on the Wii U. Although the game’s default starts with the screen stretched, you can easily change to the original resolution and even opt to use the GBA screen smoothing on the big screen. With these two options combined, the visual presentation for the game is arguably the best it has ever been, offering an incredibly crisp and smooth look. The game also looks great on the GamePad because of the smaller screen, so Off-TV Play is a viable option if you can’t have Zero Mission blown up on the big screen.
Metroid: Zero Mission is the definitive game in the 2D Metroid series. With the addition of screen smoothing, save states for cautious gamers, the ability to play on the big and small screen, on top of the already stellar controls and awesome level design, Zero Mission is a must-have. Playing through the game on normal difficulty might be undemanding for experienced players, but this is a very small caveat. As soon as Zero Mission is available on the Wii U in your region, download it immediately.
Metroid: Zero Mission
Metroid: Zero Mission
