Metroid Database.com

As you may know, there's a Famicom-styled edition of the Game Boy Advance SP available in Japan, similar in spirit to the recently-released NES edition GBASP in America. (Actually there were two different Famicom editions, but that's not the point.) Also, much like the US' NES Classic series, NCL has been releasing classic Famicom games on the GBA -- 20 of them so far. However, unlike our GBA game packages with resurrected artwork, the Famicom Mini series are actually bitchin' little GBA-cart-sized reproductions of the original boxes.

Anyway, now that you're up to speed on the concept, the news here is that Metroid will be included in the third wave of 10 Famicom Mini carts, to be released August 10. Series 3 is the Famicom Disk System Selection, complete with little FDS package reproductions. The list of 10 releases also includes, among others, Zelda II, Super Mario Bros. 2, two Famicom Tantei Club games, Akumajo Dracula (better known as Castlevania), and of particular interest to Metroid/Gunpei Yokoi/Hip Tanaka fans, Parthena's Mirror, aka Kid Icarus.

While the inclusion of Metroid is of course way cool and fairly essential when considering an all-star collection of FDS titles, one must sort of wonder why N would bother since the original Metroid is already playable on the GBA after unlocking it in Metroid Zero Mission. No word yet on whether or not any of this series of titles will be available in the US under the NES Classics banner, but seeing as how we didn't even get all 10 of the first wave of Famicom Mini titles (we missed out on Mappy and Star Soldier), it may be a while.

Meanwhile, one can only hope that Kid Icarus will be a strong seller and could prompt Nintendo to finally consider resurrecting the character in a new game.

For more, visit these links on nintendo.co.jp:
Famicom Mini Series 1
Famicom Mini Series 2
Famicom Mini FDS Selection
Famicom Mini Metroid

--TJ