Metroid Zero Mission on GBA, improved remake of NES Metroid. Better than the original in every way, accessible without betraying the essence. A perfect introduction to the Metroidvania genre.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
Action-adventure game developed by Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo in the United States in April 2004. Samus Aran relives her first adventures on planet Zebes to destroy the Metroids at the origin of her legendary mission. Non-linear exploration, new areas compared to the NES original, return to classic abilities and access to a secret version of the original NES Metroid. Remake of Samus's origins.
Metroid - Zero Mission review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Zebes is reborn in detailed sprites and polished moods, between organic caverns and technological bases. The readability of the exploration and the oppressive atmosphere coexist with a rare balance. This graphic remake, elegant and immersive, elevates a foundational classic.
Re-orchestrating the mythic themes of planet Zebes, the music blends anxious atmospheric pads and Samus's heroic flights. Between oppressive solitude and triumph, each track embraces the exploration with rare precision. This immersive sonic atmosphere, faithful to the origins, elevates this return to the roots.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Exploring Zebes while unlocking abilities and shortcuts grips you from the start, carried by handling of impeccable precision. The loop-heavy level design rewards memory and curiosity without ever losing the player. Brisk, elegant and ideally paced, this remake remains one of the finest gateways into the series.
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Difficult"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾5 MB📅09/02/2004
Published by Nintendo
Metroid - Zero Mission (GBA) price, value & rarity
European PAL edition of the GBA remake of the original Metroid, which rewrites the Zebes scenario to fill the NES ellipses and adds a brand new section with Samus stripped of her armour. That reworking became the canonical reading of the Zero chapter for 2D Metroid enthusiasts, and the relatively broad Nintendo Europe distribution is offset by the regularly damaged state of the cardboard box, which clearly raises the value of clean complete PAL copies.
Memorable bosses
A dazzling retelling of the very first Metroid, this mission reconnects with guardians turned mythic: the spike-clad reptilian Kraid, the dragon Ridley and the unsettling Mother Brain. Spotting weak points while dodging in vertical arenas stays the key. A tense finale, hunted and disarmed, opens onto Mecha Ridley and crowns a finely tuned exploration adventure.
A cult cover
Standing in her orange suit, arm cannon ready, Samus Aran commands a dark composition shot through with the metallic chill of Zebes. The contrast between the gleaming suit and the surrounding shadows sums up the whole game: solitude, exploration and muffled danger. Spare and iconic, the image asserts the bounty hunter's legend at once.
Is Metroid - Zero Mission still worth playing in 2026?
Metroid Zero Mission is a full remake of the NES Metroid, and one of the most effective entry points into Nintendo's metroidvania formula. The Zebes map gains real clarity, the powers chain together with exemplary pacing and a new stealth segment extends the original adventure with a thematically rich layer. The pixel art and the soundtrack rank with the finest 2D Metroid entries, and the difficulty stays accessible without betraying the essence. Still a very solid recommendation for newcomers to the series.
