Metroid Fusion (2002) (Game Boy Advance)
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Metroid Fusion is an action-adventure video game published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld game console. The fourth installment in the Metroid series, it was developed by the company's Research & Development 1 (R&D1) division—the same team that previously developed the 1994 game Super Metroid, to which Fusion bears heavy resemblance. It was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in November 2002, and in Japan in February 2003. The game's story follows bounty hunter Samus Aran, who is sent by the Galactic Federation to investigate the Biologic Space Laboratories space station, where it is swarming with organisms infected with virions known as the X Parasites. Like in previous Metroid games, Fusion is played from the side-scrolling perspective. It introduces mission-based gameplay that aids the player to explore areas. The game consists of objectives, which are flexible in how they can be accomplished. Fusion was released simultaneously with the GameCube game Metroid Prime in North America. The bonus features in Prime can be unlocked by linking between the game and Fusion via the Nintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. Metroid Fusion was praised by critics for its action-oriented gameplay. Fusion received several awards, including Handheld Game of the Year at the 2002 Interactive Achievement Awards, Best Game Boy Advance Adventure Game from IGN, and Best Action Game on Game Boy Advance from GameSpot. The game was released as a Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console title in December 2011, as part of the "3DS Ambassadors" program. The Wii U Virtual Console version was later released in April 2014.
