Written By: Patrick Orquia
TITLE: Metroid: Samus Returns
DEVELOPER: Nintendo, MercurySteam
PUBLISHER: Nintendo
GENRE: metroidvania, action-adventure
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1
RELEASE DATE: xv September 2017
PLATFORM: 3DS system
PRICE: $39.99
Last year, AM2R, or Another Metroid 2 Remake, was released. It was developed past times Milton Guasti aka DoctorM64. It was a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, every bit the championship suggests, amongst updated graphics, sounds, controls, in addition to other game elements. For years, many fans had been clamouring for a novel Metroid game from Nintendo. They wanted a new, proper 2D Metroid game. The final proper 2D Metroid game released on a Nintendo arrangement was Metroid: Zero Mission, inward 2004, which was itself likewise a remake of the start Metroid game released inward 1986. In 2007, the final Metroid game to characteristic Samus Aran, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, was released, in addition to since in addition to so Nintendo guide maintain non answered amongst a game to come across the demands of the fans. No, Metroid Prime: Federation Forces, released inward 2014, evidently doesn’t count, since it doesn’t characteristic Samus Aran.
AM2R was hailed past times fans every bit an fantabulous remake of Metroid II, in addition to who tin give notice blame them? Nintendo didn’t desire to deliver the goods, so when somebody genuinely did, the fans were of course of report delighted. As expected, Nintendo closed downward the project. It’s theirs, anyway, so if at that spot is anyone who should last releasing a Metroid game, it should last them.
Fast frontwards to this year’s E3 event. Nintendo announced that a novel Metroid game, Metroid Prime 4, is straight off currently inward development. I guide maintain yet to play the Metroid Prime games so I’m non genuinely that excited. Their adjacent annunciation was what genuinely captured my attention: a novel 2D Metroid game! Metroid: Samus Returns was announced and… it’s a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus… so that’s why they closed downward AM2R! But, this is Nintendo, it’s their IP, in addition to if some indie developer tin give notice create an awesome remake, so tin give notice they. And it is awesome.
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| What a departure of 26 years tin give notice do |
Metroid: Samus Returns is non merely a remake of Metroid II, it’s likewise a re-imagining of the game. For all intents in addition to purposes, this is a novel 2D Metroid game, since all aspect of the master game, aside from the story, guide maintain been overhauled from the reason up. The grapheme design, sounds, bird design, map layout, power-ups, enemies, in addition to musical score guide maintain been updated. I guide maintain played (and failed to finish) Metroid 2 in addition to I tin give notice consider really piffling semblance of that game on this novel one. AM2R is in all probability closer to the original, but I similar this novel game better.
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| So sexy inward 3D |
Same amongst the original, this game features Samus Aran, a bounty hunter, who is sent past times the Galactic Federation to become to SR388, the abode planet of the metroids. Her chore is to exterminate the species in i lawsuit in addition to for all. Like inward previous games, Samus has to traverse interconnected caverns in addition to struggle enemies along the way. Among these enemies are twoscore metroids, inward varying stages of evolution. The start few ones are the simple, jellyfish-like kind, amongst uncomplicated laid on in addition to motion patterns. As the game progresses in addition to Samus goes deeper into the planet, she encounters to a greater extent than complex metroids that are harder to kill in addition to tin give notice hitting harder. Samus needs to kill these metroids to instruct their deoxyribonucleic acid sample to activate Chozo Seals that deed every bit gates that closed off novel areas that she needs to attain inward gild to progress inward the game. Aside from the metroids, at that spot are likewise some mini-bosses that Samus needs to beat. To help her inward her quest, she needs to instruct upgrades in addition to abilities, either from the park Chozo statues or past times defeating mini-bosses. Some parts on the map are closed off to Samus at the start, either beingness unreachable or behind some blocks that require specific weapons to break, but every bit she gets novel upgrades in addition to abilities, she volition in addition to so last able to access these parts. Most of these closed off parts comprise weapon upgrades, similar upgrade to the issue of bombs that Samus tin give notice carry, additional unloosen energy tanks, or aeion unloosen energy bar upgrade.
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| Samus straight off has to a greater extent than ways to kicking alien asses! |
There a few additions inward the game that are novel to the series. One is the job of aeion abilities that Samus tin give notice perform. These abilities tin give notice allow Samus to scan the map to disclose novel areas (Scan Pulse), allow her to activate a protective shield (Lightning Armor), allow her to burn inward rapid succession (Beam Burst), in addition to allow her to irksome downward fourth dimension (Phase Drift). These abilities eat aeion unloosen energy in addition to are unlocked i past times i every bit she progresses through the game. Another novel add-on is the melee counter. With this, Samus tin give notice pre-emptively block an incoming laid on of an enemy, stun it, in addition to burn back. And to burn at enemies, Samus tin give notice straight off exercise 360-degree costless aiming for to a greater extent than accurate shooting, instead of the park up, down, in addition to diagonal aiming from the previous titles. Aside from these novel features, the Charge Beam, Grapple Beam, Super Missiles, Gravity Suit, in addition to Power Bombs which were absent from Metroid II, tin give notice last acquired inward the game. Energy in addition to Ammo stations are situated inward dissimilar locations inward the map to allow Samus to renew her unloosen energy in addition to ammo, respectively. Save stations are likewise acquaint inward the game, amongst additional checkpoints.
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| The trouchscreen displays the map constantly, making getting lost a chore |
Another additional characteristic inward the game is the job of teleport station that allows Samus to see dissimilar areas on the map that she has previously reached. This alleviates the require for extensive backtracking done inward previous games. Elevators, absent inward the original, are likewise inward the game.
While purists may complain that the job of the Scan Pulse aeion mightiness (which doesn’t solely disclose parts of the map but likewise which blocks tin give notice last bombed to access hugger-mugger areas in addition to the place of power-ups) in addition to teleport stations brand the game much easier compared to previous Metroid games, I tin give notice tell personally that these are welcome additions. The game itself, fifty-fifty amongst these novel features, is non an tardily game to play. For one, the enemies are straight off to a greater extent than aggressive, every bit they volition laid on Samus when they consider her on start sight, in addition to hence the require for the melee counter. Another is the metroids are much harder to kill this fourth dimension around. They don’t merely hover some in addition to predictably laid on Samus similar inward the master game, they tin give notice straight off likewise shoot burn or electrical charges, speedily lunge at Samus, in addition to exercise other attacks that volition piece of work along whatever histrion on their toes. The map is likewise much, much bigger than the orginal. While the master tin give notice last finished inward 3-5 hours on normal playthrough, this game could accept 10-15 hours, in addition to to a greater extent than so if the histrion decides to collect everything. For me, the novel features makes this game a completionist’s dream game, every bit all locations of power-ups in addition to upgrades are marked inward the map, in addition to it is upwards to the histrion on how to instruct them. No require to smash or burn at random walls or blocks to observe hidden power-ups. Colored pins, similar inward The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, tin give notice last used to grade areas of interests on the map, which the histrion tin give notice facial expression upwards to subsequently in addition to instruct dorsum to in i lawsuit they instruct the needed mightiness to access them.
The Scan Pulse aeion mightiness is non required to last used, so if the histrion chooses to non job it, the game gets much to a greater extent than challenging, every bit at that spot is no other way to disclose portions of the map other than navigating through it. This should brand the purists happy every bit well.
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| Guess who's back, dorsum again? Samus is back, tell a friend! |
Overall, this game is i of the best Metroid games e'er made in addition to definitely i of the best games to come upwards to the 3DS system. The 3DS has been some for to a greater extent than than half dozen years in addition to a lot of people is straight off expecting Nintendo to halt publishing games for the console presently because the Switch, a hybrid console, is straight off making waves in addition to Nintendo is expected to laid all its attending gradually to developing in addition to publishing games for it. But piece nosotros nevertheless guide maintain games getting published for the 3DS, nosotros should last thankful that Nintendo, fifty-fifty if it is already this belatedly inward the console’s lifetime, nevertheless released this awesome game. This is i fine game that every 3DS owners should play, whether they are a fan of the Metroid franchise or not. Indeed, Samus has returned.
REPLAY VALUE: really high
PROS:
- Amazing reimagining of the GameBoy original, amongst so much added features that this is genuinely much to a greater extent than of a novel game than a remake
- The visuals looks great, in addition to the stereoscopic 3D is used really well
- Awesome soundtrack, composed of remixed music from dissimilar Metroid games inward the past, non merely those from Metroid II
- Good diversity of enemies in addition to bosses
- Very challenging fifty-fifty on normal difficulty
- Beating the game in i lawsuit unlocks the hard difficulty
- The game supports amiibo, in addition to the novel Samus Returns amiibo unlocks Fusion mode, which is an fifty-fifty harder difficulty
CONS:
- Starting a novel game on hard fashion or higher difficulty is solely allowed on the salve file where the game is beaten. It is non allowed on a novel split salve file. That agency if you lot desire to guide maintain split salve files for dissimilar difficulties (the game provides three split salve slots), you lot volition require to vanquish the game at to the lowest degree in i lawsuit per salve file. Which is genuinely non a bad thing, because that agency to a greater extent than play time! Though, it would guide maintain been improve if beating the game in i lawsuit on whatever salve file unlocks the hard fashion for skilful for all the other slots.
RATING: 5/5 Morph Balls
//Originally published on Cowntsikin
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