Metroid II: Return of Samus
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| Metroid II: Return of Samus {{#if:{{{image|}}}|<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center;">{{{image|}}} | |
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| Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems {{#if:{{{publisher|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Publisher(s)<td>{{{publisher|}}} |
| Release date(s) | August 26, 1991 (NA) January 2, 1992 (JP) May 21, 1992 (EU) |
| Genre(s) | Action Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single player {{#if:{{{ratings|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Rating(s)<td>{{{ratings|}}} |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy {{#if:{{{media|}}}|<tr><th style="background-color: #ccccff;">Media<td>{{{media|}}} |
Metroid II: Return of Samus is the second title released in the Metroid series, the only one that appeared on the Nintendo Game Boy. Samus Aran returns in this sequel to the NES classic on a mission to exterminate the Metroids, now venturing to their home planet, SR-388.
Contents |
Story
Some time has passed since the bounty hunter Samus Aran put a stop to the Space Pirates on Zebes and their plans to use the newly discovered, stolen lifeform known as the Metroid for evil purposes. To ensure this cannot not happen a second time, the Galactic Federation sends a research ship to the Metroid homeworld, SR-388, to eradicate the species. When contact with the ship is lost, a rescue team and combat squad are sent, one after the other, to investigate. None survive.
Realizing the threat that the Metroids pose, the Federation appoints Samus Aran with the task of wiping them out, due to her previous experience with the creatures on planet Zebes. Promised a healthy bounty for her actions, Samus sets out for SR-388. After arriving, she lands her gunship at the base of an active volcano, near the only entrance where the Metroid lair can be found. She exits her ship and begins the difficult trek through the planet's dark network of caves and ruins.
One by one Samus hunts down each Metroid, destroying each on the planet. As she does so, she takes note of the steady mutation that each goes through, mutations which cause them to grow from little cuddly jellyfish-like creatures into massive hovering lizard-like beasts. As she traverses deeper and deeper, the volcano rumbles at intervals and the lava drains, revealing a massive complex of Chozo ruins and items. Finally, she uncovers the last enclave of Metroids, a small royal chamber with regular hatched pre-alphas floating in the breeze. With their destruction, only one remains- the massive and deadly Metroid Queen. Samus fights a fierce final battle before finally defeating the monster, and as it crumbles to dust the final volcanic eruption sputters out. As she returns to her gunship she happens upon a Metroid egg. The egg hatches and before her eyes a tiny lil' Metroid hatchling floats out of the broken shell. The Metroid has imprinted onto Samus as it's mother, and the bounty hunter, in a brief period of humanity in this genocidal mission to eradicate a species, spares its life. The two continue exiting the tunnels, and the Metroid hatchling helps Samus escape the caverns.
Back aboard her gunship, Samus places the Metroid in a container so that it doesn't chew the seats. Noting the immense scientific opportunity that the captured hatchling poses, she departes the planet and heads to Ceres Space Station to deliver her groundbreaking find - a domesticated, infant Metroid. Template:Endspoiler
Gameplay
Image:Metroid2 title.png
The layout of the game is similar to other 2D Metroid installments. However, Metroid II is more straightforward in the sense that advancement through the levels is not strictly controlled by item acquisition as in the other games, but by killing a fixed number of Metroids in the area. Once they are destroyed, SR-388's lava levels decrease, allowing Samus to travel deeper through its maze-like tunnels. Like the game's predecessor, Metroid II contains no in-game map. One aspect unique to the game is the Metroid detector, which displays the number of Metroids left on the planet. It is also the first in the series to utilize save modules, located in various points around the planet. Prior to Metroid II, saving was accomplished by dying- the player would then continue the game by putting in a password (US version), or could restart by choosing a slot (Famicom).
Items and abilities
Metroid II features all the items found in the original and introduces many new items and skills found in future games of the series.
Recurring Items from the Original
- Rather than being the first items she finds as in other games, Samus begins this mission with the Morph Ball, the Long Beam, and a small number of missiles. The Ice Beam and Wave Beam return as upgrades, as well as the Varia Suit and the Screw Attack.
New Items in the Series
- Metroid II significantly expands Samus' arsenal, both in functionality and in power. The game featurs two new weapons: the tri-splitting Spazer Beam, and the powerful Plasma Beam that passes through walls. Like in the original game, only one beam can be equipped at a time, but Samus can switch between them by going back to where they are originally found.
- Metroid II features a bevy of new suit enhancements as well. Making its debut in this game, the Space Jump allows Samus to spin-jump infinitely in the air, and can be used to access otherwise unreachable areas. When combined with the Screw Attack, Samus can shred almost any enemy by flying into them.
- When it comes to the Morph Ball, Metroid II introduces a number of new features to the series as well. This game is the first in the series to feature the Spider Ball and the Spring Ball, all of which have become Metroid series staples, in later titles. The Spring Ball gives Samus the ability to jump while in the Morph Ball form. Before its introduction, the only way to jump while in Morph Ball form was with bombs. The Spider Ball in this game allows Samus to climb any wall or ceiling, giving her immense freedom to explore. To date, Metroid II remains the only sidescrolling game in the series to feature the Spider Ball, although it does appear (in a far more limited capacity) in both Metroid Prime games.
Metroid lifecycles
Template:Main Image:Metroid II gameplay.png This is the only Metroid game that shows the transformations of the Metroids in order: Metroid (the original type that appears in all the games), Alpha Metroid, Gamma Metroid, Zeta Metroid, and Omega Metroid. As can be expected, the more powerful Metroids are found further into the game, with the Queen Metroid (sometimes incorrectly referred to as The Dragon) being last.
Reception
Metroid II was more linear than the first game since its objective was destroying Metroids to progress rather than finding new pathways through exploration (although it is necessary to find new paths to find the Metroids). It received good reviews upon its initial launch — Nintendo Power gave it a 4.5/5 and most gaming magazines and websites have a similar opinion. In spite of this, some critics and gamers, looking back after the release of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, consider it the weakest title of the series. In retrospect, it is often viewed merely as a connection between the first and third released titles and as an expansion on Metroid morphology. Like many Nintendo-licensed games, Metroid II did manage to sell over one million copies in a number of years. It was repackaged in a gold-colored box along with the official Player's Choice emblem.
Color version
Image:M21.JPG There was also a color version titled Metroid II: Return of Samus DX announced in 1999 shortly after the release of the Game Boy Color. Dan Owsen of Nintendo claimed its color-palette needs were even taken into account in the design of the Game Boy Color hardware. [1] Some pictures were shown but the game never saw daylight despite the release of the colorized version of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
Since then, an unofficial pair has taken the time to "colorize" the game, and the IPS patch to add colorized graphics to the game is now floating around the internet. This unofficial Metroid II DX completely revamps the graphics- it adds to the game full Game Boy Color palette color. The method used, however, results in the distortion the end boss and the "fade" graphics of the game (it inserts a color pallete into the game code at the end of the cartridge and adds the colorization during each V-Blank).
Like all original Game Boy games, the original monochrome Metroid II cartridge is also compatible with the Super Game Boy accessory for the Super NES (although it is not an enhanced title), allowing the player to manually remap the color scheme to a maximum of four different colors. Additionally, the Game Boy Player accessory for the Nintendo GameCube automatically colorizes the game (but unfortunately, not true full color-it still utilizes the same four-color shading techniques of the GBC and SGB).
External links
- Metroid II at the Metroid Database
- GameFAQs entry for Metroid II: Return of Samus
- Metroid 2002 - contains speed breaking tips for all Metroid games.
- {{{2|{{{title|Metroid II: Return of Samus}}}}}} at The Internet Movie Database
- Knowledge and Fear in Metroid II - a game design article
- The Music of Metroid II
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