Many years had passed since Samus escaped Zebes a second time and seemingly defeated the Space Pirates and Metroids for good. The Galactic Federation hired Biologic Space Labs (B.S.L.) to monitor SR388’s ecology for any adaptions and restructuring after the Metroids were gone. As the one person to have come back from SR388 alive, Samus Aran was on the job to provide security for the field teams.
On a routine sample extraction mission, Samus came in contact with an unknown parasite, later referred to simply as “X.” Back on her ship, she began feeling sick and eventually blacked out. A rescue shuttle picked her up and she was rushed to the med-bay. The X-parasite had infected Samus and multiplied, even her Power Suit was infected. Although the contaminated parts of her suit could be removed, the infection continued to spread. In a lucky twist of fate, the Federation scientists had saved a sample from the Metroid hatchling and developed a vaccine that managed to cure Samus. The remaining samples of the X-parasite were sent to Biologic Space Labs along with the cut-off parts of Samus’ old Power Suit. The Metroid hatchling had saved her again.
Mere moments after Samus regained consciousness in her new Fusion Suit, a distress signal from the B.S.L. station was received. There had been an explosion in the Quarantine Bay. Samus was on her way to the station instantly. The Federation provided her with a new ship under one condition: follow the directives of the ship’s on-board AI.
METROID FUSION greatly expands on the narrative elements and introduces several playability improvements to the core fundamentals from SUPER METROID. Namely, Samus can now grab ledges, and Wall Jumps are easier to execute. The mission, this time, unfolds in a more linear fashion, with several sectors of the station being locked off until access is granted by the AI.
Samus has to explore the B.S.L. space station and uncover the mysterious research that has been conducted on it. Not long after her arrival, she discovers that the X-parasite can clone DNA and soon finds herself on the run from the one hunter that can match her abilities: herself.
METROID FUSION was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and again written and directed by Yoshio Sakamoto. The game design was handled by Tomoyoshi Yamane and Takehiko Hosokawa. Minako Hamano returned to compose the soundtrack along with first-time Metroid composer Akira Fujiwara. Kenji Yamamoto served as sound director.
