AM2R: Return of Samus is 2D Metroid at its absolute finest. A familiar but beautifully distinct pixelated art style, buttery smooth controls that rival that of Dread's, some of the best music and remixes in the franchise, and perhaps most importantly, a keen understanding of what makes Metroid games - and Metroid II in particular - so special.
AM2R masterfully understands the original's intentions of being a mature, somber story. It has its bombastic moments, but knows how to use them well and sparingly. Its realistically crafted world is filled with mementos of a bygone, highly technologically advanced and civilized era, occasionally littered with the Federation troopers that arrived to try and tame the ancient threat the Chozo once created in the Metroid species. Somehow, it even still manages to feel alive, or at least having once been alive, as its environmental storytelling is some of the best a 2D pixel art game has managed to convey, putting Metroid: Samus Returns' palette-swapped cave hallways to shame.
As the only 2D Metroid game to date to ever include Prime-like logbook entries, AM2R elevates the original's story to new heights while weaving it around - and in the context of - the rest of the saga. This is the definitive way to experience Metroid II, and even a surprisingly good way to get into the franchise as a whole. I should know.
(Disclaimer: most pros and cons listed don’t take comparisons to Metroid Dread into account, because it’s such an inherently differently playing game)
Pros:
+ Best 2D Metroid in the original style
+ Great hybrid combination of realistic, modern lighting and retro graphics
+ Excellent movement and best Shinespark puzzles in the franchise alongside Zero Mission
+ Updates enormously on original Metroid II and is leagues better and more authentic as a remake than Samus Returns
+ Most cohesive worldbuilding and lore out of any 2D Metroid, including grippingly believable logbook entries that add to the already powerful story
+ Unbelievably good music
+ Adds multiple areas absent from the original and official remake
+ Fast travel system and hubworld-like level design is incredibly satisfying to utilize and explore
+ Added connections to almost every game in the series including Fusion and the Prime games
+ Similarly to Super, you can create different kinds of beams by switching them around in the menu
+ Gameplay is simply polished to perfection
+ Still being updated, including support for a launcher and mods!
+ Genuinely almost incomparable in its greatness in relation to previous 2D Metroid titles
Cons:
- Almost the only negatives the game has are strictly caused by the original game’s limitations
• Metroid evolutions can get a bit repetitive, especially at the end when they become more spongey
• Lots of vertical hallways (though they’re thankfully very differentiated)
• Lore explanation for the world progressively opening up is still a bit silly
• Item progression is insanely fast in the beginning and then slows down to an appropriate level, making the pacing feel off (you get ~4 major upgrades in the first area alone)
- Widescreen mode is currently a bit bugged out (will edit out this problem when it inevitably gets patched)
AM2R masterfully understands the original's intentions of being a mature, somber story. It has its bombastic moments, but knows how to use them well and sparingly. Its realistically crafted world is filled with mementos of a bygone, highly technologically advanced and civilized era, occasionally littered with the Federation troopers that arrived to try and tame the ancient threat the Chozo once created in the Metroid species. Somehow, it even still manages to feel alive, or at least having once been alive, as its environmental storytelling is some of the best a 2D pixel art game has managed to convey, putting Metroid: Samus Returns' palette-swapped cave hallways to shame.
As the only 2D Metroid game to date to ever include Prime-like logbook entries, AM2R elevates the original's story to new heights while weaving it around - and in the context of - the rest of the saga. This is the definitive way to experience Metroid II, and even a surprisingly good way to get into the franchise as a whole. I should know.
(Disclaimer: most pros and cons listed don’t take comparisons to Metroid Dread into account, because it’s such an inherently differently playing game)
Pros:
+ Best 2D Metroid in the original style
+ Great hybrid combination of realistic, modern lighting and retro graphics
+ Excellent movement and best Shinespark puzzles in the franchise alongside Zero Mission
+ Updates enormously on original Metroid II and is leagues better and more authentic as a remake than Samus Returns
+ Most cohesive worldbuilding and lore out of any 2D Metroid, including grippingly believable logbook entries that add to the already powerful story
+ Unbelievably good music
+ Adds multiple areas absent from the original and official remake
+ Fast travel system and hubworld-like level design is incredibly satisfying to utilize and explore
+ Added connections to almost every game in the series including Fusion and the Prime games
+ Similarly to Super, you can create different kinds of beams by switching them around in the menu
+ Gameplay is simply polished to perfection
+ Still being updated, including support for a launcher and mods!
+ Genuinely almost incomparable in its greatness in relation to previous 2D Metroid titles
Cons:
- Almost the only negatives the game has are strictly caused by the original game’s limitations
• Metroid evolutions can get a bit repetitive, especially at the end when they become more spongey
• Lots of vertical hallways (though they’re thankfully very differentiated)
• Lore explanation for the world progressively opening up is still a bit silly
• Item progression is insanely fast in the beginning and then slows down to an appropriate level, making the pacing feel off (you get ~4 major upgrades in the first area alone)
- Widescreen mode is currently a bit bugged out (will edit out this problem when it inevitably gets patched)