whereas metroid 1 made my body ache and my bones feel brittle, this one just makes my teeth itchy

in terms of pure refinement, an incredible step up from metroid 1, though i do kind of miss having been able to play with colors. the extremely tiny aspect ratio you play this game in adds such a claustrophobic vibe that metroid always seems to aim for but ends up settling for an isolated feeling instead of going all the way. that said, this game's palette (or lack thereof) really makes the usage of a map feel like a necessity rather than a suggestion, which the game by itself doesn't have. you can draw your own like i attempted to, but good luck trying to make sense of the samey locations, lol

impressed at just how much from this game became a staple of the series later on, in terms of gamefeel, aesthetic, and especially movement. extremely excited for AM2R! not too excited for sammy returns based on what i've played.

This games is honestly pretty impressive, especially for the GameBoy, with his large and detailled sprite, the sheer amount of equipment you can unlock, a save feature THX FUCK, and just the fact that its a metroid games on GameBoy...the problem his that the level design is sometimes a big piece of shit, and its way to easy to be locked in the games because you dont have enough missile to kill the Metroid. but overall, a good game, i mean thats a metroid games we talk about.

The story with the baby is cute tho....BUT OTHER M DESTROYED IT...THE BABY!!!!

Return of Samus marks a fascinating and significant moment for Metroid. While the original NES title punches above its weight, Metroid II scales its ambitions to the limitations of its hardware. The open-endedness of the original is replaced with a segmented world design, a move resulting in a game that is playable without a map, something complemented with more distinctive level-design. This linear progression now builds greater tension, as you descend deeper with no "aha!" moment as you loop back on yourself.

Mechanically speaking, we're still far below the standard set in the next game, but it's a huge jump up regardless. Notably, the abilities to aim downwards in mid-air and to crouch are added. One-block-high enemies in the original were more of a pain than was reasonable, and these abilities make them the trivial foes they ought be.

While all the above is nice, it's the elements outside of the core gameplay that truly make Return of Samus a unique experience. The core task of culling Metroids from existence is morally dubious. While they are scary and possess properties which could be dangerous in the wrong hands, Metroids are not evil, just predators, and the game is keen to bring this to the player's attention in a key subversive moment. The general clunkiness of the gameplay arguably complements this through-line, as the Metroids are not particularly fun to engage with.

A lot has been said of the atmosphere and environmental storytelling, and while I generally agree, I think there's a recency bias at play, with most of the great stuff coming toward the end. The shed Metroid skins are a great touch throughout though.

Despite being held back by limitations, Metroid II also works within those limitations to deliver a minimalist piece of storytelling with surprising emotional and thematic complexity. In its uniqueness, it remains one of the most significant titles in the series, as well as one of the more interesting to discuss, even if it's not best in a normative sense.

death metal on a 3 inch screen

+ literally about descending into hell
+ makes great use of the game boy’s dimensions to create a claustrophobic world
- or +, depending on mood: feels a little like playing NES on cough syrup

Metroid 2 é uma evolução tão majestosa do primeiro que chega a da gosto de tão fodastico que esse jogo é em relação aquela porra.

O 1 é mais servido como objeto de estudo mesmo, tirando isso ele cheira a merda com tanta coisa desgraçada que ele tem. O 2 eu tinha a mesma expectativa, por 2 motivos:

1 - Ele é de gameboy
2 - Ele é de gameb--
mas serio, o fato dele ser de gameboy, um console que tem jogos muito ferrados se tu não souber trabalhar bem, e também por esse jogo não ser falado tão bem pela comunidade, eu tava com um pé atrás absurdo, mas foi a maior surpresa dessa franquia.

O jogo é uns 80% justo e divertido, a exploração é foda, os poderes, a progressão, o lance de caçar os metroids, tudo isso é incrível tendo um mapa em suas mãos (algo mais da limitação do console do que um ponto verdadeiramente terrivel)

Alguns blocos invisiveis classicos da franquia voltam aqui de forma melhor, apesar de dar suas escorregadas aqui e ali. Acho que a parte ruim do jogo mesmo são as 2 areas finais, pelos inimigos insuportaveis e pela grande subida na area final, além dos metroids que são um saco de lutar.

Esse jogo daria realmente um puta remake ou remaster, pela ideia de caçar metroids por um grande planeta, acho que só trazer ele de volta com cores e com um mapa... e uma dificuldade e progressão mais otimizada já seria perfeito, mas os caras fizeram um remake oficial pro 3ds, e um remake por fã, vou jogar os dois pra ver como recriaram esse belo jogo.

Putting a concept like Metroid onto something as limited as a Game Boy sounds like insanity, and to be honest...it is insanity unless the team working on the game is fully aware of the limitations and they have the creativity to work around those limitations. Thankfully, the team working on the sequel were also the people who created the Game Boy, so potential gameplay issues (that isn’t screen crunch) would not be due to the system limitations (I think).

Until I wrote this, I never actually played the original Metroid II (and I call myself a big Metroid fan smh); I usually stick to AM2R if I want to get my Metroid II fix. Now that I’ve actually played the game, it’s honestly not as bad as I was initially expecting.

Instead of going for a more open-world-esque design of the first game, Metroid II decides to take a more linear approach: You go to a new area, find power-ups, kill all metroids in the area, then move on to the next one with the giant vertical shaft in the middle being the pipe that connects all these areas (until endgame). While it is pretty linear and there are actual set-pieces to distinguish which areas you have and haven’t been in, you’re still not told where to go, which is something I like in a Metroid game. To note, I did use a map to see where I was going, but honestly, I don’t think you need a map at all for this game due to the more condensed world design. Navigation shouldn’t be too much of an issue if I’m being perfectly honest…

There are 2 (or 3) limitations of the Game Boy that are present throughout the game: Screen crunch (though that may be more on the developers’ part), monochrome screen and extremely lackluster music.

For the 2 of you that don’t know what screen crunch is, look at Sonic 1 on the Genesis, then look at Sonic 1 on the GBA. Still don’t know? Look at Megaman & Bass on the SNES vs GBA. Thankfully it’s not as atrocious in those games since the hazards that are hidden don’t take that much health away from you (though it’s still a problem). Screen crunch might also make the navigation more annoying than it really should since there is still some of the copy & paste design from the first game...though it’s not as bad. If you have experience with AM2R, then you shouldn’t have that hard of a time navigating through. If you don’t, then it wouldn’t hurt to whip out a map.

The monochrome screen and lackluster music, I think that needs no explanation.

On actual improvements they made between Metroid and Metroid II, you can crouch and shoot down while you’re jumping, so grounded enemies will no longer be an issue (thank god). Though the copy & paste thing is still here, the sprites and blocks used to craft the environments have seen an improvement, though that might be hard to see with the monochrome screen. The team realized this and decided to put a higher emphasis on sprites and environments rather than relying on color and I think it’s the most obvious with Samus herself along with her Varia suit (a design still used to this day).

I think this might be one of the first notable games to have some semblance of environmental storytelling (It’s probably not the first; I think Castlevania 1, 2, or 3 has it beat. Might be wrong about this). It’s all in the last area of the game where there are no living organisms outside of some odd creatures, metroids and the queen. That and one other thing that happens, but I won’t mention that. It was interesting to see it happen here on a hand-held with monochrome visuals.

On to more additions, the Spazer beam (or Wide beam for all you zoomers out there lol) and the Plasma beam make their debut here along with the Space Jump, Spring Ball and Spider Ball. With the beams, they still don’t stack, but the developers had the foresight to put a statue with the Ice beam right before the final area so you don’t have to make an arduous 5-10 minute backtrack just to swap beams. The Space Jump and Spider Ball...can be a bit awkward. With Space Jump, if you understand the rhythm of Super Metroid’s Space Jump, then you miiiiight be able to adapt. The Spider Ball…...uhhhh it works??? I swear I press up and it doesn’t move, then proceed to press down and all of a sudden it’s moving. Am I doing something wrong here??? Spring Ball is king. No need to do unnecessary bomb-jumping.

The metroids themselves can range from pathetic to wild. Alpha and (some) Gamma Metroids aren’t really too much to talk about. I say (some) Gamma Metroids because there were a few that gave me issues, but mainly due to the room layout rather than the actual metroid. Omega Metroids, despite being the final evolution, are just as easy to kill as Alpha Metroids. Zeta Metroids just do not give a damn about your well-being. Not only do they hit hard, but they can be hard to hit with their fast speed and aggressive A.I. There’s like...1 or 2 bosses that aren’t metroids, but they’re not worth mentioning either.

Even with a somewhat technically limited sequel, the spirit of Metroid is all here and can be seen through its environments and world design. I can see myself playing this game again, which is something I can’t say for the first game. I’d tell Metroid fans to at least try it if you want to see the evolution of the series for yourself. Other than that, you’re perfectly fine playing AM2R.

The second entry in the Metroid franchise is one of the more interesting game to come out of Nintendo in the early 90s. Typically speaking, the best Gameboy games were scaled back significantly from their counterparts, yet Metroid II takes an opposite approach, refining a lot of the significant flaws present in the original and converting most of it's best ideas into better ones. The largest barriers to enjoying this game are still the same as prior; that being the lack of a map feature and the sparse visual differentiation. Metroid II fights the further complications of lacking a color pallet and having Samus lord over a much higher percentage of screen real estate. It's efforts to combat this are to make a far more linear experience with much clearer goals toward progression. Areas rarely branch off in confusing ways and significant portions of the map are blocked off by a deadly acid to ensure you stay on track. More than anything, Metroid II is a game which relishes in the concept of depth. You fight some of the weaker Metroids closer to the surface, but as you go deeper into the core of the planet, the Metroids become more confined and more powerful. It all culminates in a relatively empty final area where the true dangers of this species are laid bare right before you eliminate the Metroid Queen and the younger Metroids surrounding her. A lot can be said about how well Metroid II presents it's story and it's atmosphere, and it is especially impressive given that this is, in fact, a Gameboy game from 1991. I don't know that many games had taken such an artistic approach at this point, but Metroid II was an honest effort at creating something far more engaging than what initially appears on the surface. The final sequence of guiding the hatched baby Metroid to your ship as a somber tune plays in the background will forever be etched into my brain. It's a shame the game's flaws make it a chore to play, but this game would eventually receive an upgrade deserving of celebration, despite Nintendo's desires for it to be erased. 3/6

While nearing the bottom of this list, Metroid II was where I really found my place with this series. I went into Metroid expecting to not like either of the first two games. I was surprised by how much I liked the first game but I was floored by how much I loved the second. It isn't the most mind-blowing or inventive game, not then or now, but I admire what it was able to accomplish on the Game Boy. Samus looks less cartoony and feels a lot better to play. After Super Mario Land, it's a nice refresher to see a Game Boy game actually one-up its NES counterpart in those regards. I'll gladly sacrifice color if it means Samus has this much of an upgrade.

Also, this was the moment that I noticed I don't mind linear design in Metroid. This would later be more relevant when I played Fusion, but Metroid II offers a similar idea: Take the player down a path but let them explore it as they like. You can still find secrets throughout the entire map, even if that map is often linear. This is helped by the size of the rooms which, in comparison to the first game, are structured less like hallways and more like open caverns. It isn't as if they are neverending, but they are more engaging to explore than any single area of the first game.

I also was surprised by the story of the game. While simple, it effectively makes the player question why they or Samus would wipe out a species on the merits that another species could take advantage of them. It doesn't feel right killing the queen or her children, but it suggests that it must be done. The ending is poetically beautiful and sets the tone for Super Metroid, where the story becomes fully realized. The first game may be more important to the series in design but this game is more important for the story going forward.

Ultimately, this game is limited by its devices but not overly flawed. It was surpassed many times over by its sequels, but that doesn't mean this wasn't a good step in the right direction. In fact, this game paved the way forward.

*This review was originally written as a note for my Metroid: Best to Worst list.

Held up better than I expected for an early Game Boy game. Definitely holds up more than the original Metroid 1 on NES. Controls decently most of the time, although I was never able to get used to the timing of the Space Jump which can be annoying in the numerous areas where you need to go to the top of a giant pit, and if you mess up your timing you'll fall all the way down to the bottom. Other than that I had a pretty good time! The atmosphere this game is able to summon is very impressive, it feels quite spooky and it can be pretty scary when a Metroid shows up suddenly and breaks the silence, which this game uses very well. It has a similar issue with Metroid 1 where it frequently and noticeable reuses chunks of level, but it's less of a problem in this game due to the linear structure preventing you from getting lost as easily. I still might recommend keeping a map handy though, since it can be easy to forget or lose track of where you've been and where you might need to go. Still, I'm glad I tried it out, it's a cool little piece of the Metroid franchise that often gets skipped despite how vital it is to the overall story. I'll be interested to compare it with the 2 remakes once I replay them.

This game sure does exist. I definitely tried to play this as authentically as possible, no maps or guides. But eventually with one Metroid left in an area and finding myself entering the same rooms 5 times and it's just exhausting. Then check online maps and just the thought of going back and forth for just probably missing a Metroid? I think I've seen all it really has to offer.

For as linear as Metroid II is, it still makes a feeling of wasting time and that's kind of unfortunate. The upgrades are cool, but recharge stations are in hellish places, and areas sometimes uses the constantly same looking locations or just annoying enemies or respawning obstacles. Also really testing the definition of what it takes to be "music," the first area's song is good but often it finds itself with beeps and boops. Some rooms have another proper track but it doesn't really fit with the tone of this adventure. People talk about atmosphere but I think that's definitely just for Metroid having a jumpscare sting and actually tense music. Everything outside of that doesn't inspire much.

Both remakes make it easier to keep track of things, so I'll probably finish those properly. I'm not happy that I got so bored, but maybe I'll give it another shot sometime later.