Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)

I've seen some lavish praise heaped on this game, and I don't understand it. Maybe we're so hungry for a 2D Metroid game that anything will do. But I found the game to be just so-so - I 100%'d it because that's how I play games, but unlike Super Metroid, which I've played through at least 10 times, I have no desire to ever play this game again.

My biggest gripes come down to a few things:

• The counter-attack system is everywhere, including in the fights with the metroids. Fighting them becomes so mechanical... dodge until the "magic flash", counterattack, and fire a bunch of missiles.
• The two shoe-horned-in bosses. The original Game Boy version of this game was about fighting metroids: the two additional bosses added were pointless and difficulty-curve breaking. Whereas the metroids were boring and mechanical, the other bosses were frustrating and cheap.
• The game is honestly too long. It had spent itself after about 5 hours, and yet still took me 13 hours to complete. I would have rather had a tight game than having it drag on.

I will say that the game is beautiful, with lush backgrounds in 2.5D. The aeion abilities added some additional depth. But overall, this was a miss for me.

“Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mindbogglingly big it is. I mean you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space.” -Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

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While Metroid has been a divisive series throughout its existence, the reaction following Nintendo’s E3 presentation in June was predominantly positive. With a cultish following, the series had enjoyed a long and successful life, despite a few shortcomings in recent years. 2010’s Metroid: Other M on the Wii received generally favorable reviews overall, but was far from what gamers were expecting following the success of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in 2007. Metroid Prime: Federation Force was the marketing nightmare of a lifetime, causing lifelong fans of the series to believe the series was dead to Nintendo.

After all, Metroid titles were never big sellers in Japan, so what would be the point of coming out with a followup to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption? Furthermore, there hadn’t been a 2D Metroid installation since 2004’s Zero Mission. The lack of future 2D title announcements became a tradition that fans expected would continue for many years to come. It had seemed to many like Samus’ adventures in 2D space were over. Until, of course, E3 2017 happened.

The announcement of Metroid: Samus Returns was a surprise to most, especially considering the previous announcement of a true sequel in the Prime series. The kicker here was that Samus Returns would be released on the 3DS, in September, and it would be primarily developed by MercurySteam, a Spain-based game firm who had previously worked on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Working in conjunction with Nintendo in roughly two years of development time, Metroid: Samus Returns promised to improve upon its predecessor with new controls, graphics, and gameplay.

Oh, right, Another Metroid 2 Remake – that debacle. While Nintendo’s announcement of an official Metroid II Remake did finally explain their lightning-fast DMCA termination of the AM2R project so quickly, could Metroid: Samus Returns possibly be better than AM2R, hailed as one of the best 2D Metroid games out there?

The story of Metroid: Samus Returns (or rather, the base game, Metroid II: Return of Samus) is as follows: you assume the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran, who has been tasked with the destruction of the Metroid species on the planet of SR388 before the Space Pirates can abduct them for their own nefarious means. In terms of story, nothing has changed there. It’s still as simple as ever to jump into, and it’s never more than it needs to be. Your primary goal is to find and kill all of the Metroids on the planet, although you’ll find much more than just plain ol’ Metroids on SR388…

Click here for the full review... https://thewellredmage.com/2017/11/24/metroid-samus-returns/

The “New Super Mario Bros” of Metroid. Also, the “The Force Awakens” of Metroid.

A few things I didn't like:

• The deeper you descend the deeper the dread should develop. That's how it happens in the original game, Return of Samus. Samus Returns, though — not so much. Each level is about equally as threatening as the last, relative to your increasing power level. Each floor has a similar feng shui. I want to feel I have to tiptoe out of an elevator to avoid shitting myself. I want to have second thoughts about entering a room with a metroid in. Nintendo doesn't even let you play on Hard mode to begin with, which might have helped.

• Return of Samus was a perfect game story as it was. The buildup through the metroid evolutions, to the climax of facing Metroid queen, and the sombre epilogue of the baby metroid... is somewhat undermined by a out-of-nowhere addition right at the end of Samus Returns. Bit of a story stumble.

• You're always getting abilities in this game, almost too quickly for you to notice you needed them. Some would call it good pacing, but to me it felt handholdy, overcaring, lacking in bite, rushed. If I remember correctly, in Metroid Fusion there is a pretty big underwater section before you get the gravity suit. You have to get to grips with the altered mechanics, feel the tension of being underwater, before you get the relief of owning the gravity suit. I think a really good Metroidvania takes the time to justify the abilities, making for them a story with a beginning, middle and end.

Other than that, had a great time with this. Standard Metroid, sure, but it's a pleasure to be back in Samus's boots. She has never controlled or animated so nicely! I'm already looking forward to an original game that uses the same engine. The counter, free-aiming and aeon abilities just add a little more to do and watch for in combat, making it a little more involved, a little more actiony.

The scan pulse reduces the excitement of discovering a secret entirely by yourself, but also takes away the tedium of aimless searching. It's still fun to use the scan pulse and realize that yes, your suspicions were correct, there is a powerup hidden here — now how exactly do you get it? Maybe there was a more balanced solution, but I found that I didn't mind it much.

I was meh on the look of the game from the trailer, but in playing it I realised it really is quite beautiful (some areas more than others, though — the vertical room where you are walking on big pink crystals stood out as a highlight). I especially like the background details, like the non-hostile lifeforms. It's subtly gorgeous — it actually made me wish the game had a "walk" button, so I could appreciate it better while moving, instead of rushing past it all.

My actual score is 9/10 (grouvee does not allow half starts :/).

The game is pretty neat, that alone is true for every Metroid fan.

Good things:

• Near perfect controls (the best for 2D)
• New mechanics (free aim, special abilities)
• Good maps
• Good boss fights
• Balanced difficulty (not hard but not easy either)
• Good fan service

Bad things:

• Too linear, as the original (AM2R is better in this regard)
• Few different bosses (you fight a lot of the same bosses again and again)
• It drags a bit at the end
• Exploration is just kinda there. You only need to explore to find powerups but if you just take the easy ones the game is pretty much beatable (as i did)

Anyway, from the relevant three versions of this game I think this is overall the best, but certainly, and surprisingly, AM2R is not far behind.

If you have a 3ds don't doubt, it is a great game.