#it’s hard to translate adam into my artstyle

[bookofmark]

Do we think Adam is a dad who watches football whilst he drinks beer instead of his kids. Where the hell is Caine and Abel?

[beevean]

Try to give ratings to Fusion's individual aspects! :)

Story: 9/10. This game commits the cardinal sin of not letting you skip cutscenes, much like SM, but there are dozens of them now. But that being said, I really appreciate how plot heavy this game is, because the linearity allows for some iconic scripted moments, like when the power runs out and suddenly, you're alone like you probably wanted to. Plus, the whole idea that now, you're the victim of the immense power you reached at the end of SM. It's also a generally good plot, although there seem to be some translation problems...

Graphics: 7.5/10. I have not much to say? Fusion is pretty middle of the road when it comes to graphics and artstyle: it's not ugly, at all, but it lacks that charm that other games have. It's probably because it's set in an artificial station so the environments deliberately look fake. I also don't like Samus' look here, both her suit and her sprites, but I guess that was also deliberate. Oh, and if you're playing on mGBA, use the GBA Colors shader :P

Music: 8/10. Fusion goes for a more atmospheric approach which means it has less memorable tracks than SM (and the instrument quality isn't the best the GBA can do), but when you're playing you really feel the effect. You hear Environmental Shock, and you can feel your muscles clenching. You hear Environmental Mystery, and you feel intimidated. You hear Escape from the SA-X, and... well, let's not do that, shall we? :) And let's not forget the catchier bangers, like Facing a Huge Reaction, Sector 1, Serris/Yakuza's theme or the underwater parts of Sector 4!

Controls: 8.5/10. I don't like the nerfed Wall Jump and Bomb Jump :( but that's my only problem. Samus' snappier controls are easier to get into, and they finally fixed the missile selecting problem. Also, ledge grabbing! No wonder this became the standard.

Difficulty: 9/10. This game is hard, mostly due to how weak Samus is at first, and due to a couple of bullshit bosses. It's not however cheap hard, it strikes that good spot where you're pushed to keep playing until you overcome that one obstacle.

Navigation: 7.5/10. When it comes to progression, there's zero brain activity most of the time due to ADAM literally telling you where to go. Getting to the room you need to go, however, is another story, and some sectors are more labyrinthine than they look, especially as there are a lot of secret areas that aren't represented on the maps.

Backtracking: 5/10. What backtracking? You're not allowed to backtrack until you start a New Game+ because the game physically blocks you from going on an item run. All the backtracking you do, it's because the game wants you to do it. Disappointing.

Length: 9/10. I honestly never felt like this game could have been a little longer or shorter? It sucks you in and doesn't drag on, but it's not rushed like you would expect from a handheld title.

Bosses: 9/10. A stark improvement over SM, the bosses here are fresh, fun and intimidating. From Serris that swims at high speed, to Yakuza the suplexing spider, to Nightmare and oh god what happened to your face. Not all bosses are great (that one that gives you the Hi-Jump Boots... exists), but there clearly was put a lot of care here.

Replayability value: 8/10. This game is fun to speedrun not in the same way SM is. With SM, it's all about learning where to cut corners and plan the most optimal route; with Fusion, it's simply a matter of gitting gud, much like a Sonic game. The high amount of unskippable cutscenes are a big pain to go through, and the more you replay, the more SA-X loses its charm, but the fun level design and controls make it worth it.

Neo Ridley: OW MY FCKING EARS/10

[bookofmark]

Uhhh