Meanwhile, Metroid features its own ecosystem of different monsters for players to interact with, except series protagonist Samus Aran is usually tasked with killing or evading them instead of capturing them in little capsules. The choice of which critter to start a player's journey into the Kanto region served as a sort of difficulty setting, as the fiery Charmander, plant-like Bulbasaur, and water-based Squirtle varied in effectiveness against Pokémon FireRed’s initial bosses. Just like in the original Pokémon Red and Blue, 2004’s FireRed and LeafGreen for the Nintendo Gameboy Advance offered players a choice between three adorable starter Pokémon, each with various abilities and evolutionary stages that allow them to grow stronger over time. Aspiring Pokémon trainers might want to watch out, as a fan’s ROM hack replaces Pokémon FireRed’s starter Pokémon with the dreaded Ridley, Omega Metroid, and Barrier X from the Metroid series.
