Product ReviewsMetroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy, 1991)

Better Than You've Heard

I'm in the minority, but I love Metroid II: Return of Samus. It was probably my favorite Metroid game until the excellent remake Metroid: Samus Returns released for Nintendo 3DS in 2017. Metroid II remains my favorite action-adventure game on Game Boy, and has a tense, dark atmosphere that surprises given its platform.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: kaslord

A Retro Classic

So happy to finally own a cart of this game after having rented it from a video store years ago. Works like a dream! AM2R and Samus Returns are far better gameplay-wise, but this is still worth an entire play through if you have not played it yet. I introduced so many details to the Metroid franchise for the first time and managed to look better than it's NES counterpart.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: ben31112012

Out of the ordinary Metroid

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.Read full review...

Another great Metroid game, now portable!

Metroid 2: Return of Samus for the Gameboy takes the original NES game and expands on almost every aspect. With new abilities, such as the spiderball, exploration is more important and you'll need every advantage to fully explore SR388.

New this time around, you have to eradicate every Metroid you come across and by doing so,you open up new pathways into the planet. Along the way, power ups will help build up your arsenal to get the job done. Another new feature is that you can 'swap out' beam upgrades as you find them, no longer locked into just one upgrade.

The bad of this game is that as you get further along, the possibility of getting turned around and lost is a threat, and can lead to some frustration, as there is no map, or way points to get you back on track.

Overall, this game is an excellent addition to your game collection.Read full review...

A classic

Though still rough around the edges, as Nintendo was still learning about how to make the best Metroid game, Return of Samus is leaps and bounds ahead of the first game and is still fun and challenging to this day, without being nearly as frustrating or confusing.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: buckeyewtp

Great Game!

I love the Metroid series. This one doesn't disappoint. The cartridge was in great condition too, despite being almost 30 years old!

Great now as it was when it came out

Had this game as a kid and it's still fantastic today. This particular cartridge was in great shape and i am very happy with everything.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: giuseppe-d

An Original Classic, &; An Infinite Replay Title: METROID II, "The Return Of Samus."

When you have a hole in your pocket from not spending your allowance on something long-term, or simply without much personal interest invested period; METROID II: The Return Of Samus, for GAMEBOY Original: is a serious pendulum of activity uncensored. Despite a required complement of an operating system console, (The GAMEBOY Original). There are hidden features of score receipt up completion of the full title from Beginning to Finish! A time-attack function puts the game on replay again and again at full debut/release value, like any other Original NINTENDO Experience. Not to mention 3 files for user friendly gameplay. Your friends and family might find themselves absorbed by the whole series from no more than a small amount of devoted play-time & one of three file save possibilities!

Thanks again for the opportunity to review this title, and I hope you take my review seriously! It's probably my all time favorite franchise from the NINTENDO Collection!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: highlander.86

Metroid 1 Portable

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.Read full review...

Metroid II made Metroid what it is today

Metroid II established the aesthetic solitary exploration that defines Metroid games. Metroid II was held back by the limited graphics capabilities of the Game Boy, but it was such a good game otherwise that it inspired *two* remakes (one official by Nintendo and another fan-remake called AM2R).Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: radicalgamer