Metroid: Samus Returns is a both a shiny, brand new game for the Nintendo 3DS hardware and a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, a Game Boy title from 1991. In case anyone is unfamiliar with the Metroid series, it is an iconic Nintendo video game series that typically star Samus Aran, a space-traveling bounty hunter equipped with a mechanical Power Suit that sports a Power Beam cannon and various other weapons and gadgets. The Metroid series is comprised of several shooters and is known for large maps to explore. Samus Returns was developed by MercurySteam, a Spain-based company behind the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow series. The teams worked closely with Nintendo on this project, and it is easy to see their passion while playing this game. As a remake, Samus Returns eclipses the original and stands on its own, becoming more than a remake.
As a side note, this new design for the Gravity Suit is the coolest one yet
That said, I feel obligated to compare Samus Returns to the original, Metroid II and will continue to so. The second game in the Metroid series was an important one, especially for its story, but it is perhaps the most overlooked title of the franchise. The story is the same between the original and the remake. Fearing that the Metroids, creatures which absorb life energy, will be used as a weapon against them, the Galactic Federation send Samus to SR338, the Metroid home world, to wipe out the species. The impact of these events carries into the following games, making it a tale worth retelling.
While the plot may be unchanged, the way it is presented in Samus Returns is more cinematic, from the prologue’s beautiful artwork to the short cutscenes. Samus does not speak at all, but she is shown more expressively during certain moments, despite hiding her face with a helmet. I can now see how Samus, who ruthlessly gunned every enemy in her path, would bother to show mercy in the final hour of the game. It helps, too, that the fresh graphics give the whole experience new life; the visuals may not be the most cutting edge on the Nintendo 3DS, but that hardly matters given Samus Returns’ simple but effective diorama-like backdrops.
As a game, the original was decent, but it lacked conventions that became essential to Metroid games since, such as an in-game map, the ability to aim your shots diagonally, and stacking beam upgrades; simple things that we take for granted, but without them, Metroid II has not aged well. That said, Metroid II was step forward for the series. It offered several design and gameplay staples. Crouching to shoot lower. Save stations. The Spider Ball. Even with what Metroid II did right, Samus Return could have achieved superiority over it by adding updated graphics and modern conventions, as most remakes tend to do, but it does more than simply stand upon steady foundation.
Samus can now aim her shots in all 360 degrees
One of Metroid II’s greatest flaws is that the gameplay was rather slow at times. Many changes introduced in Samus Returns were made to facilitate faster exploration and action. Of course, it now has a map system; the touchscreen of the 3DS displays it prominently, making navigation easier at all times. Aiming shots is also improved in a way that has never been done before in a side-scrolling Metroid game. Holding the left shoulder button allows for more precise shooting in any direction. Samus Returns also brings a few familiar abilities from titles after Metroid II, such as the Grapple Beam and Power Bomb, that add a greater variety to how the environments in the game are explored. Samus also has a new Melee Strike ability the can be used to counter enemies that charge. It has a risk-reward factor that requires players to leave themselves open for an attack to strike back at just the right moment. Pulling off a counter can be very damaging to enemies, and it will lead battles to a more exciting and speedier conclusion.
Maybe most significant additions to the gameplay are the Aeion abilities, which are limited as using them consumes Aeion. There are four in all: Scan Pulse, Lightning Armor, Phase Drift, and Beam Burst. Samus Returns would be much less of a game without them. My favorite is the Scan Pulse, a move similar to the X-Ray Scope and Visors that have been used in other Metroid games. In Samus Returns, there are no map stations that will fill out the map for the player, but Scan Pulse removes the need for them by uncovering a portion of the map around Samus’ present location. I am a sucker for searching every nook and cranny, and this ability ensures that nowhere is left undiscovered. Lightning armor reduces Samus damage and enables her explore otherwise danger areas. Phase Drift simply slows down everything but Samus. Beam Burst is exactly what is sounds like and fun to use. In a game like this, there is not much that is more enjoyable than aggressively mowing down enemies with machine gun-like spread shots.
The Grapple Beam is a welcome and familiar addition to Samus’ inventory
Each of these gameplay elements, new and old, fit together in a satisfying package. In most respects, nothing feels tacked on or unneeded. Simple commands can quickly switch out weapons and abilities to be used in an instant when the situation demands it. The difficulty brings the kind of challenge expected from a Metroid game, and even when it feels like it can be a bit too hard, it is also forgiving. Most enemies attack in patterns that are easy enough to pick up on through trial-and-error methods. On that note, even when the player has a game over, Samus typically starts over just outside the room in which she had her mishap. The map is also noticeably similar to Metroid II’s, but exploring it is much more layered. There are fewer dead ends than before, and several paths are not nearly as straightforward. Players will typically have to find a way around a blocked off pathway and then bound back to create a shortcut; there is even a new teleportation system that will save time when backtracking. It feels as if everything is a discovery and therefore more fulfilling.
If I had any gripes with the game, it is that there was not very much variety in the boss fights. I expected that going into a remake of a game I already played, but it continues to be a sort of necessary flaw carried over from the original. Most of the bosses are Metroids; there are several types of Metroids, but Samus is expected to fight many of the same kind a few times. Facing them begins to feel less like intense boss battles and more like engaging common enemies. Arachnus is the one boss from the original that is not a Metroid. There are some new additions in Samus Returns, and they are mostly welcome. Diggernaut is a boss that shows up to antagonize Samus at a few turns, and fighting it was inevitable, and finally taking it down was therapeutic. There is one other new addition that I do not want to spoil, but I get the feeling that people familiar with Metroid will not be surprised; I wish I was. While the fight was rather enjoyable, it does come out of nowhere.
Well-timed Melee Strikes can stun enemies
The score and sound effects will inspire good feeling in new fans and nostalgia in the old. The only thing that feels truly ageless about Metroid II was the music. Even when it was 8-bit beeps, it was catchy; it was unique, even by the standards of the rest of the Metroid series. It does sound better than ever, but what is nice about retro songs redone with more contemporary sound is that it easy to detect what was pleasant about it in the first place. The themes of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda have proven this, no matter how many times they orchestrated into something new. Music aside, the sound effects are better than ever. I was happy to hear that classic chirp of the baby Metroid from Super Metroid come back. It is a sound I will never forget, and it is just better than everything else in Samus Returns.
There is amiibo functionality with all Metroid series amiibo, so that is cool, I guess. Using them gives players an edge by providing permanent reserve tanks for health, Aeion, and missiles for the entire course of a play through. Tapping the Metroid amiibo detects a Metroid in the area. If you prefer to have more of a challenge, you may be better off not using them, but beating the game and then tapping amiibo unlocks several art galleries and a Fusion mode, a hard mode in which Samus can wear the Fusion suit from Metroid Fusion.
Samus Returns does what it can preserve the spirit of the Game Boy title it is based on and succeeds in being the superior experience for anyone who enjoys shooters or exploration-based games. If you are someone who has been waiting for quite some time for a traditional or just a decent Metroid title, Samus Returns is one you must experience. Playing through such a quality experience as this one makes me rather frustrated that we, as Metroid fans, did not receive a game like this years ago. I would jump on the opportunity to play another game of its kind; let us hope our next Metroid adventure is just as great.
