AM2R: Return of Samus (2016)

Aside from the typical annoying Metroid "you need to bomb every inch of everything to proceed", this was a pretty good game. That is to say, I didn't bail on it after a few hours like Samus Returns.

After fighting the final boss for an hour, however, and not even getting past the first phase, I had to consult the internet (something I hate doing... I want to figure out games on my own). It turned out that I was missing an out-of-the-way beam upgrade that I needed to be able to kill the boss' "projectiles". So, that wasn't very intuitive....

AM2R is a fantastic remake of Metroid II. I definitely prefer it to the original: It maintains much of the same vibe, incorporates some new and really clever ideas, and punches way above its fan-game weight.

I did not prefer it to Nintendo's 2017 iteration, or really any of Nintendo's post-SNES entries. While I found the game much easier to control than I did Super Metroid, it still feels a tad off in that regard, and the boss battles never ascend to the same triumphant heights. But it's still a really great game, clearly made with a lot of love, and it deserves to be played if you're a fan of Metroid II and Zero Mission.

This game is AMAZING....for what it is. If you ever played Metroid 2 like myself you may recall that it doesn't exactly hold up spectacularly when compared to it's later ancestors. Unlike Metroid 1, Metroid 2 never got a remake, until now!...and then again in like 2 months.

The point is if you like 2d Metroid, you'll at least like this. It REALLY feels like an official authentic Metroid title. Most of it's limitations are based on the title it is adapting. But it took a novel-for-the-time game and turned into something truly wonderful.

Is it the best Metroid game ever? No. It might even be one of the weaker 2d Metroids (not counting 1 and 2) However it is bar none the best way to play Metroid 2 (as of now...we'll see how Samus returns 3ds pans out) and at the low cost of FREE you really owe it to yourself to give it a try.