GBA's Metroid Fusion Coming to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on March 8 - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 March 2023 / 2,778 Views
Nintendo announced the Game Boy Advance game, Metroid Fusion, is coming to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on Wednesday, March 8 as part of the Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Switch Online library.
Metroid Fusion released for the Game Boy Advance in North America and Europe in November 2002 and in Japan in February 2003.
Read details on the game below:
With its arrival, you’ll be able to experience Samus Aran’s full journey across the 2D Metroid series on Nintendo Switch, beginning with the original Metroid game on the NES – Nintendo Switch Online library through her most recent mission on Nintendo Switch in Metroid Dread!
In Metroid Fusion, interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran is attacked by an X parasite while exploring the mysterious planet SR388. This organism is not only deadly, but it can mimic the abilities of any creature it infects—including Samus herself! Saved from the brink thanks to an infusion of Metroid DNA, the X parasite’s only natural predator, she soon discovers that the parasite has spread to the research station orbiting SR388. Weakened and out of options, Samus must do whatever it takes to destroy the X threat before it’s too late.
Embark on this critical mission alongside Samus and experience classic Metroid gameplay while exploring a massive research station teeming with hostile life forms. Collect power-ups—including favorites like Morph Ball and Screw Attack—uncover a multitude of secrets and experience the adventure that links Super Metroid™ to Metroid Dread. But be wary, because the dreadful SA-X, an unstoppable X parasite mimicking Samus, is on the loose… and it’s coming for you.
Once Metroid Fusion arrives, if you want to enjoy the main Metroid series in order, you can play Metroid on the NES – Nintendo Switch Online library, Metroid II – Return of Samus on the Game Boy – Nintendo Switch Online library, Super Metroid on the Super NES – Nintendo Switch Online library, Metroid Fusion and then conclude with the latest installment on Nintendo Switch, Metroid Dread. Plus, if you’re an intrepid bounty hunter, you can branch out and play the Metroid Prime Remastered game, which is available now!
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
More Articles
Most Metroid games are amazing, not many sales. hope bringing these games back will let people see what they have missed. Here is to Metroid Prime 4!!!
First a shadow drop of Prime Remastered, then Fusion a month later! Nintendo's FINALLY giving us what we want!
Is anyone else starting to suspect there might be some foreshadowing going on here? Like maybe there actually will be some Prime 4 news announced this June or something? Between these two developments and the recent release of Metroid 2 on the Switch, I'm sensing what feels like an inordinate, conscious promotion of this particular franchise lately from the big N. Is it just me and my suspicious mind or could these be hints that there's something even bigger on the horizon we're being systematically prepared for?
There's a strong possibility of something being shown this year but don't get your hopes too high lol
An announcement that development is restarting again
Haha don't even joke about that! Restarting development again would be a nightmare!
Hopefully this is all building up to Prime 4. But I want Prime 2 and 3 on the system first. Even if they are just straight up HD bumped-up-resolution ports that's fine, if they release them say like this Spring and Summer, leading up to a Prime 4 holiday release that would be awesome. Or if they are gonna give 2 and 3 the full remastered treatment then hopefully they've already had Prime done for a while and are finishing up Prime 2 now.
Imagine if we get 6 Metroid games on the Switch all in one year, and just two years after the incredible Dread.
I want F-Zero GX ;,(
I think they'll eventually release it on Switch Online, assuming there aren't any music licensing issues lol
I wouldn't be so sure about that, honestly. While we've seen the lower-tech GBA make it to the Switch Online service recently, I've noticed, conversely, that many of the bigger GameCube titles (not only Metroid Prime, but also the original Baten Kaitos games and Tales of Symphonia, for instance) are being concurrently re-released as remastered stand-alone purchases. I suspect that pattern will continue. For example, Nintendo has been hyping Pikmin 4 lately. In terms of the timing -- happening right alongside the release of Metroid Prime Remastered -- I take the Pikmin 4 update as maybe also a hint that we can also expect to see the first two Pikmin games released as stand-alone purchases at some point this year. I mean based on the pattern I'm highlighting here that just happens to be running concurrent to the release of the GBA Online, I interpret that as probably Nintendo's answer to the demand there's been for a GameCube Online service. Could be wrong, but just would be my guess.
True. Most publishers are remastering 6th gen games instead of just rereleasing them.
Well that would require GC being added to NSO. Not sure that's gonna happen. Definitely not this gen. Maybe in a few years on Switch 2, but I think more likely they'll just port more GC games to Switch and the next-gen. I mean it'd be awesome if we get GC on NSO in a few years but I'm not counting on it. I feel like they would increase the price of Expansion Pack though if they added GC, cuz its already such a great deal with NES, SNES, N64, GB, GBA, and Genesis along with online play of current games and online friend play on those retro games, especially once they get the libraries of all those systems built out. It's hard to imagine they would add another system and one as modern as the GC without upping the price. Anyway, more to the point, yea it'd be super awesome to get FzeroGX on Switch or next-gen either on NSO or as an HD port.
Yeah for sure. I was hoping that GC would be added next year but you're probably right.
How poetic that Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime get re-released in some way so close to each other like their original releases :)
Fusion is so good
Oh wow yes! Amazing time to be a Metroid fan. Hope we get Prime 2 and 3 this year too.
I may have to go on a quest to beat all the Metroid games now.
I'm on a kick playing all the many Zelda games I haven't beaten since I'd only ever actually beat the original and OoT . I beat Adventure of Link in December, beat Link's Awakening yesterday, and started Majora's Mask recently as well, with plenty more Zeldas to go. But I may now have to do the same with Metroid games since I've only beaten the original, Super, and Dread since I never actually beat Prime back in the day. I got Prime Remastered when it came out so I started on that, but with Fusion about to come out I might start up Metroid 2 and just knock out both Metroid 2 and then Fusion before getting back to Prime, that way I'll have beaten all the 2D games and then can just focus on the Primes when they each come to the Switch.
That's faster than I expected. Very nice.
Nintendo going on a Metroid Rampage. Still my favorite Metroid game.
Shame I can't buy it! Would love a digital copy so I don't need to subscribe to a service that will expire one day.
Buy it on Wii u. If the shop is still up.
Yeah it closes down sometime this month. It's also a bit of a complicated process. I believe the only way to buy games on your Wii U till the store is shutdown, is to link your Nintendo Network ID that your logged into on your Wii U, to your current Nintendo Account that's logged in on your Switch. You then have to add funds on the Switch eShop and those funds should show on your Wii U, and you can then buy whatever.
That's the only way to make purchases on the Wii U or 3DS till whenever the stores officially shutdown.
Actually not a bad idea. Shop is still up until the end of the month.
Will give my WiiU a reason to exist again I guess!
Just a shame it didn't have a 3DS release, got a decent collection on that console.
Just get the expansion pack. No reason not to unless you're more interested in collecting rather than playing. Not getting NSO because it is a subscription would be like refusing to get Netflix to watch movies because you don't own them. Expansion Pack is eassssilyyyyyy worth it at this point with all the systems and great games on there. And I don't think there is any worry that NSO will expire. It's clearly the retro games model Nintendo has decided to pursue because its just a much better model than the VC. And it's not like you are forced to have the subscription every year. Get it for a couple years and if you've played everything you want you can always drop it for a few years until you feel like going through all the old games again. Or just keep it cuz its only $30 more per year than the basic nintendo online play membership.
More interested in collecting than playing?
What is wrong with being both? Why only the binary perspective? What does Nintendo actually loose by offering both options? I can tell you what the consumer gets... Choice. - And that is always a good thing.
And an FYI, I don't have Netflix, you shouldn't make assumptions on other peoples living styles. - I like having a large disposable income and not living week to week/month to month like other people.
The expansion pack is not worth it to me. - I want to own my games long after Nintendo abandons the Switch and the online system has shut down. - Nintendo has a history of not supporting it's networks as long as Microsoft, Sony or what we see on PC.
The issue with "Just get the subscription it's only $30" is that... Once you add up every subscription...
I.E. Spotify, Netflix, Stan, Disney+, Paramount+, Xbox Live/Gamepass, PSN+, Switch Online, you are out of pocket hundreds every month. - It's just another subscription right?
Then you have other monthly expenses like Gym, Rent/House payments, Internet, Phone, Water, Electricity, Vehicle expenses and more.
It all adds up.
Consequently, most of the games on the Switch Online I am interested in... I already own on REAL hardware.
I modified my NES and SNES classics to greatly expand on their original games.
The few I don't? I would like to buy digitally. - If I don't have the option, then I will likely look at other avenues and Nintendo misses out on my coin.
I would say go on Ebay and buy the GBA version, but nevermind, a loose cart goes for $150+
