Metroid: Zero Mission - Reception

Reception

Metroid: Zero Mission was released by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in North America on February 9, 2004, in Australia on March 19, 2004, in Europe on April 8, 2004, and in Japan on May 27, 2004. It was given generally favorable reviews, receiving an aggregated score of 89 out of 100 from Metacritic based on 50 reviews. Praise focused on the new content added to the remake, while criticism targeted the game's short length. The game was praised by a number of reviews, several which called it one of the best games available for the Game Boy Advance. X-Play and GamePro enjoyed the game; X-Play said the game was "perfect for blasting space pirates on the go", and GamePro was "constantly surprised" with what the game offered. GameZone found it "hard to imagine a Game Boy Advance game that could match the style and addictive action of 'Metroid Fusion'", but admitted that Metroid: Zero Mission surpasses the game quite easily. Agreeing with GameZone, Nintendo World Report called the game a masterpiece and the perfect example of how a Metroid game should be done: "The designers carefully mix all the best elements from the other games and layer them on top of the already brilliant level design and concepts of the original Metroid." Eurogamer appreciated every minute of the game, affirming that Metroid: Zero Mission should be considered one of the best games available for the Game Boy Advance.

A number of reviews were pleased with the new content added to Metroid: Zero Mission. Game Informer appreciated the new material, and believed that fans of the Metroid series would "absolutely adore" Metroid: Zero Mission, which they considered one of the greatest video games in the history of gaming. 1UP.com considered Metroid: Zero Mission to be one of the "most ambitious, comprehensive and successful" remakes for a game such as Metroid, noting that " expands on its source material with refined control, gameplay ideas retrofitted from its sequels, new plot hooks for subsequent chapters of the saga, and some jaw-droppingly cool innovations which add new layers of complexity to the series."

Criticism of the game stemmed from its short length. Regarded as a "weak one-shot experience", IGN felt that players would enjoy the game only after they had completed it and played it again Eurogamer stated simply: "We can't help but wish that it had been longer." Even though GamesRadar liked the game's quality, they said that Nintendo should have " the experience last longer." GameSpot was disappointed with the "short-lived experience", but blamed the game's captivating quality that compelled them to complete the game in a few sittings. Calling Metroid: Zero Mission stale, GameSpy asserted that players less familiar with Metroid games would get more enjoyment out of it because of its similarities to previous Metroid games.

Metroid: Zero Mission was ranked the best-selling Game Boy Advance game in the United States in its debut month of February 2004, selling 151,807 units, and it was the 3rd best-selling game across all video game systems in that month. In May 2004, the game's sales dropped to 7th among Game Boy Advance games, with 31,619 copies sold and $938,681 in revenue. By February 2005, the game had sold over 439,000 units in the United States and 69,000 in Japan. The game was ranked the 46th-best game for any Nintendo system in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list. In their March 2010 issue, the magazine also ranked Metroid: Zero Mission as the eighth-best game to be released on a Nintendo console in the 2000 decade, in their "Best of the Decade" feature. Metroid: Zero Mission was voted IGN's Game Boy Advance Game of the Month for February 2004, and the website's staff picked the game as both the Best Game Boy Adventure Game of 2004, and the 9th Best Game Boy Advance Game. Electronic Gaming Monthly also picked it as the Best Handheld Game of 2004. Official Nintendo Magazine ranked the game 94th in a list of the best Nintendo games. Nintendo Power also ranked it the best Game Boy Advance game of all-time in its August 2011 issue.