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Metroid: Samus Returns |OT| What's past is prologue.

MoonFrog

Member
Haha, I do, it was the first Metroid game I ever beat. Back then I had already played Metroid 1 but it was so brutal that I never made it very far, I think I kinda hated the game lol, but loved the ideas behind it, so when II came out I bought it anyway and played it on my big sister's brick.

The game was goddamn terrifying to me haha, the weird music, the lack of color and the scary looking metroids gave it a very hostile feel, but ironically it was hostile in all but difficulty (thank god), so it kept me hooked all the way through. I liked the metroid hunting aspect a lot, and every time I triggered an earthquake I got excited to find out what changed. Crouching and the spider ball were very neat additions too, I remember enjoying exploring with the spider ball a lot.

And the ending was so cute! I'm glad SR sticked to the tone of the original.

Dammit, writing about it only makes me want ro replay it more, but anyway, for replays I actually recommend emulation so you can use one of the multiple color patches out there. I remember there was a particular one with a title screen with blue letters, that one had my favorite pallette.

Adding color kinda diminishes its alien feel, but it helps making it less disorienting too, which is a nice improvement for sure lol.

But yeah, the game is very dear to me and I always lamented how (understandably) overlooked it was. Then AM2R finally released and I was ecstatic that more people were experiencing it, even if it was in remake form, so you can imagine how happy SR makes me.

:).

The GameBoy was a good machine. I didn't tend to beat the games I played on it back then though. Hmmmm...perhaps that is unfinished business I have neglected :p.

Only came to Metroid II a bit more than a decade ago myself.
 

Doorman

Member
Is there any trick to taking down the spiders that drain aeon? They're really annoying to fight when I'm low on aeon, and they're not always easy to avoid.

Probably not the best news to hear when you say you're low on Aeion, but in my experience the best way to take on those and any of the other Chozo-tech weapons is using beam burst. Perhaps super missiles too but I have a bad habit of hoarding those for no real reason so I haven't really tried them on those guys yet. Otherwise burst is the way to go and for that reason it makes that probably the most overall useful Aeion ability.
 

Kangi

Member
So...
best final boss of a 2D Metroid? I sure think so
.

Great bosses, great depiction of Samus, great game. Downside is that I really want Prime 4 literally now.

That said, never have I turned down an additional hard mode as quickly as I did here. I have my limits, and the idea of
double damage Diggernaut
exceeds them.
 

Mugen08

Member
I have bought Samus Returns now, for my upcoming one-week vacation. It will take a lot for it to beat Hollow Knight for best in genre this year, but then I have craved new sidescrolling-Metroid-games for a very long time.
 
I have bought Samus Returns now, for my upcoming one-week vacation. It will take a lot for it to beat Hollow Knight for best in genre this year, but then I have craved new sidescrolling-Metroid-games for a very long time.

did you play AM2R? It's also reaaaaally good! I still prefer it to samus returns, but both are amazing!
 

Bronion

Member
Well this game is amazing. Just got 100%.
The bosses were shockingly good. I LOVE the 3d effect and how the environments look. 360 degree aiming, Aeon abilities, and the parry are all awesome.

It was easier than I expected after reading the responses in here. I'm gonna go through it again on Hard and then Fusion.

Probably my favorite Metroid.
 

Giolon

Member
Beat it this weekend, greatly enjoyed it. Beat it initially with 68% power ups in about 10 hours and went back to pick up everything I had missed which took another hour. I mostly loved the changes and additions. Melee Counter is better in practice than it looked in trailers (and worked great as a tool to create distance if enemies were on top of you even if they weren't lunging yet). I love how the Ice Beam was split out into a separate (rarely needed) platforming and Metroid only tool*.

Mild Ability spoilers below

I thought the Aeion abilities were really fun and hope to see something like that return, though I thought the Scan Pulse revealing hidden blocks was too powerful of an ability for the game to hand out so early in the game. It should've been a mid-late game upgrade to the Scan Pulse or something. Phase Drift felt like a poor man's substitute for Speed Booster, though I can see why they might want to avoid speeding up Samus on a small screen (I preferred Fusion and Zero Mission's approach of just adding sprite trails to indicate speed w/o actually speeding Samus up as a small screen compromise). Burst Fire is the definite winner in the suite of new abilities. God I love that thing and how it let you kill some enemies earlier than your standard weaponry would allow. Bring this one back again.

One aspect I really didn't like were the boss fights. Ok, the boss fights were cool. However, they leaned far too heavily on pattern memorization and each boss only had seemingly 1 correct maneuver for you to do at any given time, and it felt like trial and error until you figured out what it was and then memorized the patterns enough. This might not be so bad if the damage the bosses dealt wasn't so high as to always kill you after 3-4 hits at most. If we're counting Metroids, some it was just 2 hits to death! It all felt very un-Metroid, like it had fallen out of another game all of sudden into this one.

The approach to revamping the Metroid fights was fantastic. I loved it. I feel like the Omegas could've been a little bit more epic, but I never got tired of fighting any of them.

Not all power ups were put to good use. The grapple beam was hardly used for mobility, largely only used for pulling or destroying blocks. Even where it was used, the action of swinging felt bad in this game to me. Power Bombs jumps made for a decent replacement for shine spark, but I really missed the skill challenges in Zero Mission and would've liked to see something more like that return. Not a single power up in the game was "hard" to get nor felt particularly earned.

The ending and new ties into both the rest of the series and where the series may go in the future were fantastic. The way that it tied elements of all the various incarnations of the series together was almost perfect. Metroid 2's skeleton combined with the refined gameplay of Zero Mission, music from Super, graphical design touches from Prime all combined with the new 360 aiming and the melee counter -- brilliance!

It's biggest weakness in my opinion is the overall relative linearity. You never need to go back to previous areas. The only reason is for completionists or if you feel you need to go back and find a few more power ups to give you a little bit more of an edge (though missile power ups rain upon you frequently). A lot of this is inherited from its source material, but I would've liked to see them re-weave the areas together better. and more organically.

I'd have also liked to have heard more music in the game. Any time a remixed theme from Super or Metroid 2 came up it filled me with glee, but most of the game is just empty of musical background tracks. I get that Metroid 2 was this way, but we're trying to improve on a 26 year old game here. Give us some tunes! They could've contributed a whole new set of creepy subterranean music to set the mood.

Overall, it ranks in the middle of my list, at the bottom of the "modern" (SNES+) 2D games, but there's not a lot of distance between the individual titles except where noted.


  1. Super Metroid
  2. Metroid Prime
  3. Zero Mission
  4. Metroid Fusion
  5. Samus Returns
  6. Prime 2
  7. Prime 3**
  8. Other M**
  9. ------Gap here. Big Gap
  10. Metroid Prime Hunters
Metroid is my favorite Nintendo franchise, and I hope this does well so that we can see more 2D Metroid games in the future. The Prime subseries is fun, and I enjoy it, but nothing will compare to a great 2D Metroid adventure for me.

*As an aside, thinking about the design of the Ice Beam in other games, its primary combat utility is stopping enemies from moving towards you and hitting you. With the new melee counter, the ice beam isn't really needed for this purpose, and the counter is a skill based ability so more rewarding to use, thus ice beam isn't needed at all times for gameplay balance purposes as in older titles...NEAT! Clearly a lot of thought went into the change.

**I'm not sure how I'd rank Prime 3 and Other M against each other definitively. I've only played each of them once. I need to replay them again.
 
If you go back to the big statue where you turn in the Metroid DNA it should give you a clue as to where they are.

I go to the spot where it's hinting but there is nothing there and then a section that I can't access... I'm trying not to look up how to progress. Must resist cheating...
 

knkng

Member
Finished this game a couple days ago, 100%. Overall I really enjoyed the experience, despite throwing a couple tantrums during the giant robot fight, lol. It took me a while to figure out what the hell to do during stage 3 of that fight.
 

TheMoon

Member
I don't think (?) we're allowed to discuss it in this thread because of derails. I'd make a thread about it, personally.

a thread about what? wondering if these two amiibo will be rare?

that's a general-ass question that can easily be asked in the various amiibo-threads we have.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
At the start of area 4 and already at 6 hours ingame clock. I guess that's over average, but I had to double back for a few missed Metroids... There was one time I saw a lava pool and immediately noped out, but forgot I had the spider ball. Of course one was in that area.

Area 3 was huge, I can't imagine upcoming areas being bigger than this.

I only got the amiibo because they look great, but... I do appreciate those reserve tanks :p
 

GeekyDad

Member
Fought my first Zeta. That was fun. Died a few times, but then accidentally figured out what to do
with that red shiny on his back
. :D
 
Just beat
that giant robot motherfucker that's been hounding me for hours
. What a magnificent bossfight. Bloody hard, but perfectly manageable with the awesome controls in this game. Samus feels amazing under my thumbs in this goddamn game, umf I love it.

I assume I must be getting close to the end, but I'm not ready to let this game go. I'm definitely going to try and get 100% item completion.
 

Gartooth

Member
I picked this up on Monday and have been binging it the last couple days. I'm at Area 4 right now and surprised how good the game is and how much I'm enjoying it! My biggest gripes is that the game can feel a little repetitive with the Metroid encounters, but it is a Metroid II remake after all. Also it might just be my imagination, but I have been dying way more often than in past Metroids. I need to start refilling my Energy Tanks before bosses I suppose.
 

KayMote

Member
Just finished it for the second time - this time on hard with 100 %. Took me around 8 hours this time around. I died a lot because of bad health management, but interestingly enough more because of smaller enemies and some later Metroid forms, but not because of the later big bosses. I've mostly took them down on my first attempt, now that I knew how to dodge most of their attacks. It was still a very fun and challenging second playthrough!

Not gonna put this game down now though. Now, I will try to finish my first speedruns and beat it under 4 hours. I feel that this will be actually harder than finishing the GBA games under 2 hours for the best ending!
 

Hylian7

Member
Going back through to 100%, I really like that each area tells you your current % complete. Is there a way to see your percentage for the entire game?

Also another question, that goes into spoiler territory:
What about the surface?
Since I have the babby Metroid, do I just have to go to one of the warp points to the right of the ship, and then go to one to the left of the ship just so I don't go near the ship?
Otherwise that ends up triggering the Ridley battle.
 
The game is fun except for every time this fucking
robot
shows up

First that annoying ass side-scrolling section and now with this claustrophobic boss fight
 

emb

Member
Going back through to 100%, I really like that each area tells you your current % complete. Is there a way to see your percentage for the entire game?

Also another question, that goes into spoiler territory:
What about the surface?
Since I have the babby Metroid, do I just have to go to one of the warp points to the right of the ship, and then go to one to the left of the ship just so I don't go near the ship?
Otherwise that ends up triggering the Ridley battle.
File select tells you your overall percentage I think. Not sure there's a way to do it while playing.

Always nice to have those area specific metrics. The map in this game was so thorough (plus the bits filled out by scan pulsing through the game), going back for cleanup never left me feeling lost or unsure where to look. Though
I do wish there were some more involved puzzles. There were a couple tricky ones, but most power ups were just like "do you have [item]? Ok, here, have another upgrade."
 

MattyG

Banned
Can't get past phase 3 of the boss in area 6
I can get past the first two phases without taking damage now, but the lasers always kill me and I cant figure out how to damage it. I read to drop morphball bombs into the vacuum but that didn't seem to work.
 

Hylian7

Member
Can't get past phase 3 of the boss in area 6
I can get past the first two phases without taking damage now, but the lasers always kill me and I cant figure out how to damage it. I read to drop morphball bombs into the vacuum but that didn't seem to work.

If you really want the answer:
When it vacuums, Spider Ball and let it's vacuum come to you and just spam bombs and it will suck them up. When I got to this part I didn't think of using Spider Ball, so I just rolled right in front of the vacuum leaving bombs and that still worked.
 

MattyG

Banned
If you really want the answer:
When it vacuums, Spider Ball and let it's vacuum come to you and just spam bombs and it will suck them up. When I got to this part I didn't think of using Spider Ball, so I just rolled right in front of the vacuum leaving bombs and that still worked.
Didn't even think of that, thanks.
 
Can't get past phase 3 of the boss in area 6
I can get past the first two phases without taking damage now, but the lasers always kill me and I cant figure out how to damage it. I read to drop morphball bombs into the vacuum but that didn't seem to work.

Here's how I did it:
You'll get better at dodging the lasers. I found that part fairly easy.
When he does the vacuum, tap the screen to become morph ball, get directly in front of the vacuum (yes it's dangerous), and drop 4 bombs, then run away, tap the screen to be big again, and space jump over the top of the vaccuum. Repeat. . He breaks down after he sucks up 12 bombs, so 3 passes and you're good. Then when the circle thing shows up, you have to latch onto it with spider ball and bomb the 3 nodes.
 
Here's how I did it:
You'll get better at dodging the lasers. I found that part fairly easy.
When he does the vacuum, tap the screen to become morph ball, get directly in front of the vacuum (yes it's dangerous), and drop 4 bombs, then run away, tap the screen to be big again, and space jump over the top of the vaccuum. Repeat. . He breaks down after he sucks up 12 bombs, so 3 passes and you're good. Then when the circle thing shows up, you have to latch onto it with spider ball and bomb the 3 nodes.

It's not dangerous to get right into the vacuum, just use the Spider Ball.
 

Berordn

Member
Can you swap the functions of the stick and d-pad? It feels really weird playing a sidescroller with a stick.

No, and you have free aiming to thank for that.

Though by the end of the game all I was really having trouble with was morph ball. That probably should've had its own activation since the down tap is annoying to do on the fly.
 

Anteo

Member
No, and you have free aiming to thank for that.

Though by the end of the game all I was really having trouble with was morph ball. That probably should've had its own activation since the down tap is annoying to do on the fly.

I never had a problem with the double tap
The devs added a second way to go into morphball mode anyways, just tap the touch screen
 

Toxi

Banned
No, and you have free aiming to thank for that.

Though by the end of the game all I was really having trouble with was morph ball. That probably should've had its own activation since the down tap is annoying to do on the fly.
I just use the touch screen. The down tap is ridiculously obnoxious.
 
It's not dangerous to get right into the vacuum, just use the Spider Ball.

Oh man, I never even thought of that. I got really good at
staying right ahead of the vacuum and dropping my four bombs into it, then space jumping over the top and waiting for the vacuum to go the other way. Spider Balling sounds so much easier, but I'm kind of proud of myself for doing it the hard way :p
 
Double tapping to morph ball didn't bother me after almost two decades of playing Metroid games (Fusion was my first), but playing 2D Metroid with a joystick took a long time to adjust.

By the end of the game I was doing fine, but I think I still prefer a d-pad for 2D Metroid.
 

LeonSPBR

Member
Just got the
baby metroid
and now I'll go get everything for the 100% completion. This game is really great, far better than I expected.

One thing that I wish was that Ridley was in the game. 13 years for a 2d Metroid and no Ridley... :(.
 

Toxi

Banned
Just got the
baby metroid
and now I'll go get everything for the 100% completion. This game is really great, far better than I expected.

One thing that I wish was that Ridley was in the game. 13 years for a 2d Metroid and no Ridley... :(.
Ridley can't be in every Metroid game. It would get old fast. Plus, Ridley wasn't in the original Metroid 2, so it'd feel weird if he were in Samus Returns.
 

Berordn

Member
Ridley can't be in every Metroid game. It would get old fast. Plus, Ridley wasn't in the original Metroid 2, so it'd feel weird if he were in Samus Returns.

Plus he'd be far too big to fit on a screen with the resolution of the 3DS's. He'd just be a blurry mess of pixels at that IQ.
 

MoonFrog

Member
The baby is really cute and I was excited when it solved the mystery of the
spikes
.

I didn't go back through places until that point, so it did cheese some puzzles, but I made sure to also do them the non-cheesy way :p
 

Aldric

Member
Just beat the game, l loved it. l think it's my second favorite 2D Metroid after Super. My perception might be colored by the joy of playing an actually good Metroid game after a decade of waiting, but l really enjoyed it. The focus on combat that managed to avoid all of Other M's pitfalls, the tough as nails oldschool bosses, the art direction... They really hit it out of the park.

Now l really hope Mercury Steam makes Metroid 5 for Switch. They showed they understood the essence of the series and hopefully sales are decent enough another 2D installment is greenlit by Nintendo.
 
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