To say that there’s been a Metroid drought since the release of Other M in 2010 is putting
it mildly.
It seemed as if that title put a blight on the entire series, but that wasn’t the case
at all.
Fans wanted more Metroid, just not like that.
And this was proven with Metroid Prime: Federation Force, a fun multiplayer experience set in
the universe but not with the gameplay that everyone wanted.
It was just the wrong timing.
But now we have Metroid: Samus Returns, a remake of Metroid II in the same vein as Zero
Mission.
The question though is whether this remake is enough to satiate fans.
The game, much like the original, focuses on the Galactic Federation’s decision that
the Metroid threat is too great after the initial incident with the Space Pirates on
Planet Zebes.
They’ve tasked Samus with the mission of eradicating every last Metroid on their home
planet of SR388.
But as Samus explores the cavernous depths of the planet, she realizes that the Metroids
have a life cycle that make them far more deadly than she first thought.
It’s a straightforward plot with little room for additions since the Game Boy original.
There are a few instances here and there, but the main gameplay is unburdened by any
heavy storytelling.
Cutscenes are often used to establish a new threat or slightly expand upon what came before.
The most exciting examples are those that create a better connection to what comes after
this game.
And honestly, that’s how it should be.
Samus, on her own, against impossible odds.
It’s great stuff.
And it’s bolstered by the excellent gameplay.
The original Metroid II suffers from many of same issues that plagued Metroid on the
NES.
Fun could be had, but it was easy to get lost without creating your own map, and it feels
incredibly slow.
That’s not the case here.
Samus is fast, fluid, and feels great to control.
Every movement feels perfect with the exception of kneeling to go into the Morph Ball.
Since Samus can only be controlled with the Circle Pad, it feels like it doesn’t quite
register every time.
However, a quick tap of the bottom screen instantly puts her into the Morph Ball and
out making it a non-issue.
That’s just movement though as Samus can use various other techniques both new and
old.
First of all, Samus can now aim in all directions.
She can’t move while doing this, but the added accuracy does help and the laser sight
will glow red when an enemy is targeted.
It adds versatility to the combat as I was often able to clear enemies before they even
became a problem, at least when I got the proper beam upgrades.
There’s also the new Aieon powers.
These allow you to chart out the map and see breakable objects, protect you from damage
at the cost of draining your Aieon energy, supercharge the beam cannon to send out a
fast and consistent attack, and even slow down time.
At first, I didn’t think that they’d be necessary to the adventure, more like they
were bonuses for newcomers to help make the experience easier.
And while that could be said for the Scan Pulse, the others all had their uses that
were needed to progress.
It helped make them feel more essential than they seemed at first glance.
They were necessary in exploration and gathering all of the item expansions and for defeating
certain enemies earlier on.
Each was an excellent tool that helped make the game feel different as all of the other
upgrades Samus can discover are taken from other games in the series.
But the biggest change is the Melee Counter.
Almost every enemy in the game can attempt a physical attack and just before this, they’ll
glow white.
If you perform the counter at just the right time, Samus will knock them out of the attack
and leave them wide open for a doubly powerful counter.
It’s one of the quickest ways to take down enemies and even leaves those with hard shells
wide open.
The Melee Counter proved to be quite tricky to get down at first, but once you have the
hang of it, it’s incredibly potent and will save you more often than not.
It is a wonderful addition to the series and something I really want to see come back in
the future.
While I was worried it would make the game too easy, that never became an issue.
Samus Returns can be surprisingly challenging at times, at least on your first attempt.
I died way more than I ever expected, but there is a checkpoint system that helps make
the deaths not quite as punishing as they’ve been in the past.
The big problem though is that cutscenes aren’t skippable.
So there might be a big introduction for a new kind of Metroid that proves to be too
challenging and you die.
You’ll be brought back just before the fight occurred, but that same scene will play out.
And if you get really stuck there as I did with a certain boss, you’ll quickly grow
tired of seeing it over and over again.
But that’s a rare misstep in a game that is simply a joy to play.
Returning to the exploration of past games and using new abilities to find more items
never gets old, but the structure of Samus Returns might turn off some Metroid fans.
It’s not a purely open game and is structured more like Metroid Fusion where each area was
its own section to explore.
It makes the game feel more guided, especially since you must hunt down every Metroid in
that area in order to continue on.
Thankfully, a new teleport system is implemented making backtracking a breeze.
And fighting the Metroids themselves is fun.
Each one is like a mini-boss and they’ve been expanded to be much more of a challenge.
They also have a way to prevent you from constantly using the Melee Counter to wear them down
as some will be charged with electrical or fire energy.
And the first time I fought each new type of Metroid really felt like I was figuring
out a new puzzle.
And that’s the same for all the bosses and even common enemies.
Standard encounters have new attack patterns that make them feel recognizable to the original
but decidedly different.
And the new bosses can be tough, but I had so much fun figuring out what I needed to
do to win.
Really the only major issue I came across was in gathering certain items.
Each one was hidden behind a set of red spikes with no clear way of getting past.
It took a collective of other reviewers pooling the info they discovered to finally figure
out what it took.
That’s not a problem in and of itself, but there was no clear indication of what needed
to be done.
Of course in retrospect it seems obvious, but it was a pain to decipher before that
point.
It’s also quite the meaty experience.
It took around 12 hours for me to beat the game my first time, while exploring as much
as possible, but experienced players could easily cut that first playthrough down to
six.
Collecting everything also unlocks Chozo Lore which offers pictures showing what the Chozo
race did on SR388 before the events of Samus Returns.
Add in an unlockable Hard difficulty, and it feels like there’s plenty to do for Metroid
fans.
But I am worried that the higher difficulty of even a normal playthrough might be too
much for newcomers.
Practice would help them get through it, but some could still end up frustrated.
Still, I think the gameplay would win most of them over.
Beyond the gameplay, Samus Returns looks incredible on the 3DS.
Samus’s animations are fluid and fast and the backgrounds really help in making SR388
feel like a real place.
I also highly recommend playing in 3D if you’re able as it enhanced not only the action, but
the places you visit along the way.
And even on the original 3DS, there never a hint of slowdown or the game struggling
to keep up.
It’s incredibly impressive how the developers at MercurySteam managed to make the 3D models
work in a 2D game.
The sound design is just as good with classic songs being remade and keeping the minimalist
tone of many of the areas.
But when things pick up, it’s just as exciting as ever.
The sound effects are punchy as well, really showing the power of Samus’s arsenal.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Metroid: Samus Returns will be held up in the same
regard as Zero Mission.
It is an excellent example of how to expand upon what came before while also adding both
elements from later games and gameplay unique to itself.
While it has some minor issues here and there, I still love this game.
It is the best version of Metroid II by far and an excellent way to bring back the Metroid
series.
I’m totally ready for a new 2D Metroid adventure in this style and can only hope it happens
soon.
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things gaming.