Metroid: Zero Mission & Metroid Fusion on R36S: Complete 2D Play Order, Shoulder-Button Aiming & Prime Hardware Guide

Quick Answer: Play Samus Aran's 2D saga in this order: Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA), Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB), Super Metroid (SNES), then Metroid Fusion (GBA). All four are light work for the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99). 3D Metroid Prime (GameCube) needs the 2Bluebox Portable HDD 500GB ($64.99) on a Windows PC.

Here is how to play the complete 2D Metroid timeline on the R36S, handle the shoulder-button chords and Shinespark chains, and pick the right PC setup for the 3D Metroid Prime games.

1. 2D Metroid Chronological Play Order on R36S: From Zero Mission to Fusion

The four classic 2D Metroid games tell one continuous story across Zebes and SR388, and all four sit on GB, SNES, and GBA hardware the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) emulates comfortably. Skip the R36S only if you also want GameCube Prime.

Most people assume the marathon should start with the 1986 NES original. Unless you want a museum piece, save it for last. It uses 24-character passwords, puts Samus back at 30 energy every time you resume, and gives you no map at all.

As laid out in the WhatOrder.Games complete Metroid in-universe timeline and play order guide, Metroid: Zero Mission (2004, Game Boy Advance) retells that first mission and works as Chapter 1 of the canon:

1. Chapter 1: Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA, 2004)

   Samus infiltrates Planet Zebes to stop Mother Brain and the Space Pirates from weaponizing Metroids, followed by a new epilogue on the Pirate mothership.

2. Interlude (3D Sub-Series): Metroid Prime & Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GameCube, 2002–2004)

   Set between Zero Mission and Metroid II, Samus tracks Phazon to Tallon IV and Aether. These need our 500GB Batocera PC drive, not the handheld.

3. Chapter 2: Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy, 1991)

   The Galactic Federation sends Samus to the Metroid homeworld SR388, and the mission ends when she spares a newly hatched larva. AM2R is an unofficial 2016 fan remake that Nintendo hit with takedown notices; its PortMaster port asks you to supply the game files yourself.

4. Chapter 3: Super Metroid (SNES, 1994)

   Ridley steals the last Metroid larva from Ceres Station, pulling Samus back to a rebuilt Zebes.

5. Chapter 4: Metroid Fusion (GBA, 2002)

   The X-Parasite infects Samus on SR388. A vaccine made from the baby Metroid's cells saves her, and she investigates the Biologic Space Laboratories (BSL) station while a parasite copy of her old suit, the SA-X, hunts her.

Our 2Bluebox R36S hardware review covers the 640x480 3.5-inch IPS screen, which divides cleanly for GBA and SNES pixel art. You can also see how Samus ranks against other portable classics in our 40 best Game Boy Advance, GBC, and Game Boy Pocket games list.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on our own 2Bluebox unit; "Manufacturer spec" means the published hardware spec; "Community reports" means widely reported by owners and emulator documentation.

2. Metroid: Zero Mission vs. Metroid Fusion on GBA: Physics, SA-X Tension & mGBA Setup

Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion share one GBA engine but play very differently on the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99): Zero Mission rewards fast sequence breaking across Zebes, while Fusion turns the BSL station into a tense hunt by the SA-X.

Nintendo R&D1 released Metroid Fusion first, in November 2002, then built Metroid: Zero Mission on an upgraded version of that engine for February 2004. That shared base explains why fans still argue about which one is better:

• Gravity & Air Physics: Super Metroid has a floaty jump arc. Both GBA games switch to heavier, snappier gravity. Samus falls faster, grabs ledges with the Power Grip in Zero Mission (and by default in Fusion), and fires at a quicker cadence.
• Structure (Sandbox vs. Thriller): Zero Mission places Chozo statues on your map to point new players toward the next upgrade, while hiding bomb tunnels that let veterans break the intended order. Fusion gates sectors behind briefings from your ship's computer and builds suspense every time the heavy footsteps of the SA-X echo through a room.
• The Zero Suit Epilogue: As covered in the Indie Gamer Chick retrospective of Metroid: Zero Mission, Zero Mission keeps going after Mother Brain falls. Samus's gunship is shot down near the Space Pirate mothership, leaving her in the Zero Suit with only a Paralyzer pistol until she earns the Fully Powered Suit in the Chozo Ruins.

R36S Shoulder-Button & Emulator Cheat-Sheet for 2D Metroid

GBA Metroid combat relies on holding shoulder buttons while you move and shoot. This is the layout inside mGBA and Snes9x on the R36S with default ArkOS hotkeys:

The handheld itself is only half the decision. The same R36S shell is sold under many names, so here is how the 2Bluebox version compares on the points buyers actually check.

"Tested on our unit" means we checked it on our own 2Bluebox unit; "Manufacturer spec" means the published hardware spec; "Community reports" means widely reported by owners and emulator documentation.

If you want Zero Mission, Metroid II, Super Metroid, and Metroid Fusion on one pocket device with real shoulder buttons instead of touch overlays, our pre-configured R36S is ready out of the box:

3. Mastering L1/R1 Diagonal Aiming, Wall Jumps & Shinespark Chains on the R36S Controls

The GBA Metroid games drop Super Metroid's run button, so the Speed Booster kicks in after a long straight sprint. Chaining Shinesparks then comes down to clean timing between the R36S D-Pad, A, and L1.

The main reason to play GBA Metroid on dedicated hardware instead of a phone emulator is chord stability. In boss fights like Ridley, Kraid, Serris, Yakuza, or Nightmare, your hands are doing four things at once:

• Your left index finger holds L1 to lock the arm cannon at 45 degrees.
• Your right index finger holds R1 to swap from your beam to Missiles or Super Missiles.
• Your left thumb steers Samus on the D-Pad.
• Your right thumb alternates between A (jump) and B (fire).

On a glass touchscreen, holding two virtual shoulder zones while rolling your thumb from A to B is where inputs get dropped. On the R36S, L1 and R1 are physical buttons under your index fingers, so aiming and missile arming stay separate from your thumbs.

How to Execute Slope & Morph Ball Shinespark Chains in 5 Steps

Many of the hardest Energy Tanks and Missile Tanks in Zero Mission and Fusion sit behind Shinespark puzzles. Here is the sequence on the R36S:

1. Trigger the Speed Booster

   Find a long flat runway and hold LEFT or RIGHT until Samus starts glowing and breaks speed blocks on contact.

2. Store the Charge

   Before you run out of room, press DOWN. Samus crouches and flashes, holding the charge for a few seconds.

3. Launch the Shinespark

   While she flashes, press A to rocket straight up. Hold LEFT or RIGHT as you launch to fly sideways, or hold L1 to launch at 45 degrees.

4. Chain Across Slopes

   When a diagonal Shinespark meets a matching sloped floor, keep holding the D-Pad toward the slope. Samus lands running at full Speed Booster velocity instead of stopping, so you can press DOWN to store a fresh charge.

5. Ball Spark (Zero Mission Only)

   With the Hi-Jump Boots collected, store a charge, press DOWN again to curl into the Morph Ball while still flashing, then press A to launch a Shinespark in ball form through narrow passages.

If you love interconnected 2D maps, pair your Samus marathon with the other half of the Metroidvania genre in our Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow R36S guide. If you would rather play Super Metroid on the living-room TV, see our breakdown of the SNES Classic Mini vs. Retro Game Stick 4K Pro.

4. Can R36S Run Metroid Prime 1 & 2? 2D Handheld vs. 500GB Batocera GameCube Hardware

No RK3326 handheld, the 2Bluebox R36S included, can emulate the GameCube. To play Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, boot the 2Bluebox Portable HDD Super Console 500GB ($64.99) on a Windows PC. Skip it if you only use an Apple Silicon Mac.

A common question is whether Metroid Prime (2002) and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004) disc images will run from the R36S microSD card. They will not, and we would rather say so up front:

• What the 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) Handles: The quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 (RK3326) with 1GB DDR3L RAM is built for 8-bit through 32-bit systems, which covers Metroid (NES), Metroid II (GB), Super Metroid (SNES), Metroid Fusion (GBA), and Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA). The DS spin-off Metroid Prime Hunters is a poor fit because it was designed around touchscreen aiming, and the R36S has no touchscreen.
• Why GameCube Needs a PC: Retro Studios built the Prime games around the GameCube's 485 MHz IBM PowerPC "Gekko" CPU and ATI "Flipper" GPU, with visor effects (Scan, Thermal, X-Ray, and Echo) drawn in real time. The Dolphin emulator needs far more CPU and GPU headroom than the RK3326 offers, which is why it runs on x86-64 desktops and laptops.

That is the job of the 2Bluebox Portable HDD Super Console 500GB ($64.99). The transparent drive with the blue cassette label plugs into a Windows PC or laptop over USB 3.0 and boots straight into Batocera Linux, with a list of 110,686 games at /pages/hdd-super-console-game-list. Batocera borrows your computer's CPU and GPU without touching your Windows install, so GameCube, PS2, Wii, and Dreamcast titles can run at HD resolutions on a reasonably modern PC.

You can compare which systems belong on the handheld versus the PC drive in our R36S PSP and 3D performance guide, or search the full 15,768-game R36S directory to confirm which Metroid files are on the handheld card.

Ready to pair your 2D handheld marathon with Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes on the PC you already own? Grab our plug-and-play Batocera drive below:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Conclusion

Whether you are sneaking through Chozodia in Metroid: Zero Mission, descending into Lower Norfair in Super Metroid, or hiding from the SA-X in Metroid Fusion, Samus Aran's 2D games remain a masterclass in interconnected level design. The 2Bluebox R36S ($79.99) gives you real L1/R1 shoulder buttons for the portable 2D chapters, and the 2Bluebox Portable HDD 500GB ($64.99) covers 3D Metroid Prime on the PC you already own.

Lock your L1 diagonal aim, charge your Speed Booster, and Press Start.

Further Reading & Resources