Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991)

It's a little shallow of me to say, but I love that Maddy Thorson put Metroid II: Return of Samus in the A tier, and put the remake in C.

As far as side-scrolling Metroid games go, this one was a lot of fun and not as difficult as the first one. As far as 2D side-scrolling shooters go, however, this game is absolutely frustrating and difficult to navigate. The final boss alone made me want to made me want to go to my local Home Depot, buy a John Deere riding mower, put a brick on the gas pedal, and lie down in front of it. Maybe it's not as difficult as I'm making it out to be since I was watching Lost basically the entire playthrough. Anyways, solid Metroid game, frustrating game in general (MAKING PLAYERS FIND THE SINGLE FREAKIN' BLOCK TO PLACE A BOMB ON TO PROGRESS THE GAME IS NOT GOOD GAME DESIGN. SERIOUSLY). I did love the ending though, when you're followed around by a baby metroid. I never thought I'd make a good mother until that baby came into my life.

EDIT: This game is definitely better than its predecessor in MANY aspects (except for visuals of course). But I also hold this game up to a higher standard, which is why I gave that game 4 stars and this one only 3.

AM2R Review

Note: Since there's no entry in Grouvee for AM2R (unofficial Metroid 2 remake), I thought I'd post my review of it here as an update for the time being.

While I haven't played the original version of Metroid II, I've spent enough time with Metroid and Super Metroid to have a pretty good feel for classic 2D Metroid gameplay. Based on gameplay footage I've seen of the original Gameboy version, this remake does a great job of updating the somewhat crude and clunky mechanics and presentation of the original to a Super Metroid-like level of quality. Not only are the graphics and music greatly improved, but there are other more significant upgrades such as the addition of an auto-map, improved UI, and a revised control scheme. The overall level of polish on this remake is so high that I had to repeatedly remind myself that I was playing a fan project rather than an official Nintendo-developed remake.

Quality of the package aside, my actual experience of playing the game was a somewhat mixed bag. For most of my play-through the basic cycle of exploring an area, eliminating the Metroids, getting a new ability, and unlocking the next area was a simple yet satisfying process. The remake's designers did a great job updating the design of each area such that what was once just a series of monochromatic hallways has become alien ruins, abandoned factories, mazes of vines, and other such varied settings. However, in each of these areas you will be doing pretty much the exact same thing. While there are over 50 Metroids to exterminate, there are only about 4 or so types of Metroid; so be prepared to fight the same handful of mini-bosses over and over again.Thankfully there are a few unique bosses spread throughout the game that do help to break up the monotony somewhat, but most of these bosses are bullet sponges so you'll be in for some long fights. Also, this game commits one of my biggest videogaming pet peeves: not having save points immediately before boss battles. Several of the late game bosses will require a 5+ minute hike from the last save point every time Samus gets killed in action. All this being said, most of these are structural issues from the original Metroid II that are preserved due to the faithfulness of the remake. While I certainly have my fair share of gripes, there was definitely some fun to be had here, so if you have fond memories of the Gameboy game, or have been craving classic 2D Metroid action, this well-made fan remake should more than fit the bill. In the event that you're not a Metroid hardliner and are just interested in this style of game in general, there are much more well-rounded "Metroidvania" games on PC that you could be playing. I would suggest giving Guacamelee or Shantae and the Pirate's Curse a look before you get around to AM2R.

Score: 3/5

So AM2R has been released for PC, for free. People are saying it's the best Metroid 2 remake ever, possibly even superior to the original SNES release. I've played it briefly and I would tend to agree.

Anyone who has never played Metroid II, you've got to stop what you're doing and download this immediately, especially because Nintendo is trying to destroy it.

It seems like all the website links are dead, so torrenting is probably the only option at this stage.

Metroid II: Return of Samus is a good game saddled on hardware that can't handle the experience. Samus' sprite is a little too large, and the environments are a tad too zoomed in. The diversity in the cave tunnels is minimal, and with some frequent repeated motifs for room design, it can make it difficult to navigate your way through the game. Enemy placement is mostly fair, but there are a couple of "gotcha!" moments. And the gameplay decision to restrict progress by necessitating Metroid slaughter runs a little against the usual Metroid principles of design.

However, despite those issues, Metroid II does have good points. Samus controls quite smoothly and her arsenal here is a good mix of traversing skills and practicality. The Metroids are a unique and engaging spin on boss battles, with the Queen herself making a splendid endgame. The music, while minimal, features some great tracks and some awesome ambiance. And the spritework is quite nice, although more tile variety would have been welcome.

So, the Game Boy may not have been the best choice for Metroid, but Nintendo gave it a very good effort and made a solid, if flawed, performance here.