Metroid: Zero Mission

Metroid: Zero Mission is a thrilling action-adventure game released by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance console in February 2004. The game is an improved version of the original Metroid (1986), with the story being preserved but the gameplay. There have been many changes to make it more attractive. At the same time, new visuals, graphics, and features have been updated, taking fans on a thrilling new journey.

Inheriting the plot of its predecessors, Zero Mission tells the story of notorious female bounty hunter Samus Aran, the only one who can afford to be given a near-impossible mission by the Galactic Federation. Learning of the Space Pirates' plot to test the Metroids, a parasitic organism that can kill its host, on the planet Zebes, Samus Aran is sent to this planet to destroy the Space Pirates and foil their plans to abuse their Metroids for evil purposes.

The Plot

The game opens with a surprise attack by the Space Pirates on a Galactic Federation space research ship. The attack allowed the Space Pirates to capture important Federation experiments called Metroids. They are dangerous floating creatures that can attach to any creature and drain its life force to kill it. The Space Pirates' actual plot in stealing the Metroids is to recreate them by exposing them to beta rays to create a biological weapon with tremendous destructive power to help them destroy all the forces against them.

The Galactic Federation tracked the Space Pirates' movements from the attack and discovered that the Space Pirates were testing Metroids on the planet Zebes. Despite this, all of the Federation's attacks on Zebes were ineffective as they were confronted by the Mother Brain, the mechanical lifeform with transcendent intelligence that controlled the Space Pirates' fortress and its defense system. The Federation decides to use the last resort, which is to send their best bounty hunter, Samus Aran, to infiltrate the planet Zebes alone to destroy the Mother Brain and stop the spread of the Metroids.

Gameplay

The entire setting of Zero Mission takes place on Planet Zebes, a large open world and home to the Space Pirates. As Samus Aran, you'll explore the planet's caves and environments in turn as you go through doors and elevators while remaining focused on your quest to hunt down and destroy the Space Pirates. You need to pay attention to collecting power-ups on your journey to enhance Samus' armor and weapons. Additionally, some items can grant Samus Aran special abilities, helping her access areas that were previously inaccessible. The game retains most of the items and powers from previous franchise installments while adding new items, areas, bosses, and a brand-new region called Chozodia to increase the entertainment for the game.

More specifically, Zero Mission allows the player to control Samus without her Power Suit for the first time, unlike its predecessors. That increases the game's difficulty, as it makes Samus more vulnerable, especially in challenges where Samus has to crawl through pipes with her hands and knees without the Morph Ball mode's help. The weak pistol that can stun enemies for a short time, a weapon that Samus often uses, has also been removed to increase the excitement of the game. Despite this, Samus still retains all of the energy pots she has as in the previous games.