Metroid II: Return of Samus (Nintendo Game Boy, 1992)

Samus Returns:
The original Metroid dropped you off in the middle of nowhere. No map, no hints and no clear objective. For many it was the ultimate game of exploration. For others, the action was a bit sparse & the implicit backtracking, frustrating.

Metroid II addressed this by putting "a dangerous liquid" between you and the next area. Once the indicated number of metroids were found & eliminated, the liquid dropped opening up a new section. This let players get their footing before the entire labyrinth-like planet opened up.

For others, this more linear style was an unwelcome addition that distanced the game from it's predecessor. Though it may be more directed, Metroid II is an awesome Game Boy adventure!

There are a variety of weapons & upgrades to discover. You'll be freezing enemies solid with the ice beam, or shooting right through walls with the plasma. You can crawl along walls & ceilings with the spider ball, and blast open secret passages with bombs. These and many others are just waiting to be found on planet SR388.


The Graphics:
Graphics are top-notch for original Game Boy here. Samus is well-sized, enemies are distinct and backgrounds have a nice textured look. All of this is fluidly animated with no (or very few) cases of slow-down.

The Sound:
Again, top-notch. In many places all you'll hear are some light atmospheric effects which create the perfect open, lonely mood. Beam blasts sound effective, getting hit makes a startling "eh!-eh!" sound and less intense areas have a cool laid-back tune.


Pro(+)/Con(-) Breakdown:
+ Excellent Graphics & Sound
+ A blast to play!
+ Save system & more intuitive mission are welcome enhancements

+/- More linear play style may, or may not be for you


Other thoughts:
The spider ball was introduced here and can be used on virtually any surface (in the "Prime" series it was a magnetic devise that required special rails). I'd love to see a future Metroid bring back the free-roaming spider ball!

I like the game for the fact that I now own every Metroid game in one way or another. You can look at many aspects of this game and say that it is horrible, but then again, when compared to Metroid 1 for NES, there are many similarities. No map, no sense of direction, no given storyline. If you dont know where youre going, youre going to get lost and randomly run into powerups and Metroids until you eventually get them all.

I know the storyline from playing the rest of the games, and it takes place on SR388, the Metroid homeworld, where Samus is on another lone mission to exterminate the last Metroid. You start the game with morphball and 10 missles, as well as a Metroid counter set to 39. At the end, the last baby Metroid hatches in front of you, except sees Samus as its mother. She collects it, and the story leads into Super Metroid on SNES ("The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace...") when she returns to SR388. For more on the Metroid storyline, wikipedia/google it(Metroid Database is awesome too), but I will list the chonological order of games.

Metroid
Metroid Zero Mission
Metroid Prime series
Metroid 2
Super Metroid
Metroid Fusion

So if you liked the old Metroid on NES, this will be an awesome addition to your collection, though the first one is still better. However, if you dont want to consult a guide for a map to beat it (like I am) or wander aimlessly, you should pick up Zero Mission or Fusion that have maps and clearly defined objectives.

My first visit to planet SR388 was a unforgettable one. The whole story focused fully on the Metroid Species and introduced a huge cast of enemy and surprisingly good graphics for a handheld in 1991. The Spider Ball of Metroid Prime fame was originally introduced in this game and also made the concept of enemies dropping items. Though a map would help immensely the game is fun to play especially towards the end when Zetas and Omegas are the Metroids you need to beat. Also the ending says that there will be a sequel and drags you into it. Once again the control scheme is simple and easy to learn but the game is not for the impatient and is hard to navigate and health is hard to acquire often ending in death and needing to start from the last save point which are pretty scarce themselves. If you really like Metroid you'll really like this game. Newcomers should start with Super Metroid or Metroid Prime as a test run first.

I had played all the Metroid titles in the series before playing Metroid II, so I had some expectations. After reading about the game, and its premise, I wondered how it would play out. As I discovered, it was the most different and out of the ordinary Metroid game in the series.

You start on planet SR388, homeworld of the Metroids. The Galactic Federation has given Samus (the player) the task to essentially commit genocide of the Metroid species, deeming them "too dangerous to exist." Of course, the game itself never explains this, you'd have to look at an instruction manual for the story. The game consists of one objective: kill every Metroid on the planet. This task takes away from the exploration aspect of the other Metroid titles, somewhat. While you're hunting Metroids, it's really the only thing keeping the game going. To progress further into the caverns of SR388, you must find Metroids and wipe them out. This can be a bit difficult for the inexperienced player, especially considering that you're also looking for powerups along the way (some of which are far off from the Metroids' locations). While this may sound really confusing, it's not particularly that difficult once you actually get into the game. In fact, the game itself is challenging, and barely ever dull. Like most games, it can be frustrating, especially with the sometimes-wonky controls of the Space Jump and Spider Ball, but all-in-all, Metroid II is a decent game. Any fans of the series would be most likely to fall in love with it. New players, beware.

I'm a big nintendo fan...in particular zelda and metroid. I've made it my business to have every game in both series, and I have to say Metroid II: return of Samus is an amazing game. It's difficult enough that you can't finish in one sitting, but not difficult enough that you'd need a gameshark or cheat guide. And although it came out when the Super Gameboy did, believe it or not, it has some color features on the Gameboy Color. I'd definitely invest in a map of metroid II though. Easy to get lost. I'm sure someone on the web has it, because I found one.

The only complaint I have is that Nintendo never re-released this game. I mean, come on, if you follow the storeyline, it takes place AFTER the Metroid Prime series. I mean, come on. Metroid Prime has a re-release of the Original Metroid, not to mention the Classic NES Series...Aside from that, I only have three words left: Get This Game.