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Metroid II: Return of Samus 20 Years Later

It's been 20 years since Metroid II was first released on the Game Boy in November 1991. I have fond memories of exploring the depths of SR388, seeking out the Metroids in the mysterious underground cities of the Chozo, but after 20 years, Metroid II still feels like the ignored child of the series, often shunned over the limitations of the hardware and forgotten in the light of its successful sibling, Super Metroid. However, Metroid II is an incredibly important part of the series, setting the story for Super and the games that followed. In fact, Metroid II's story and setting are two reasons why I love the game so much, though most of this is communicated through a detailed instruction manual. To risk overstating it, without Metroid II, there would be no Super Metroid, and thus the series would be entirely different.

Though missing the bells and whistles of later titles, Metroid II is in many ways a realization of how the original was supposed to play. It was here Samus first discovered the Space Jump, Jump Ball, and Plasma Beam, not to mention the Spider Ball, which at the time required no magnetic tracks – just a wall. And while Samus can't shoot diagonally or Wall Jump, there ultimately doesn't seem to be much need for those abilities on SR388 (or enough buttons). The only real snag is the Spider Ball can be a little difficult.

The graphics to Metroid II still hold out pretty well today too, despite the color limitations. While the GameBoy has a bad reputation for its small, blurry screen, this was a result of the original GB's design, and Metroid II plays well on later models, looking particularly nice on the 3DS Virtual Console. Samus is very well-drawn, especially the new Varia design, which makes her feel like a killing machine. The Metroids are also impressive on the small screen, particularly the Queen herself. The tiles are especially detailed, reeking of age and time, but unfortunately SR388 lacks in visual variety, limited mostly to rocks and ruins.

The game is a mixed bag in terms of sound. There are plenty of fan favorites, such as The Tunnel, Omega, and the Ending, but the game is often criticized for silence. However, these ambient tracks contribute to the game's atmosphere, particularly the buzzing insects of the Sewer System. Metroid II also builds tension through silence, especially when you spot an empty Metroid shell and never know when the boss music will explode out of the speakers. But admittedly, dripping water does limit the sense of space felt when exploring giant subterranean ruins.

Metroid II is designed differently from any other game in the series. Your mission is to clear out the Metroids in each level of the caves, exploring a series of large ruins in the process. While there is little to no backtracking, each ruins area is a small maze in and of itself. However, since many rooms are repeated, and there is no map, the confusing passages of SR388 become a logistical nightmare, especially when you are searching for that one last Metroid. Items are also well-hidden, with some cleverly-constructed item rooms, but you don't need to collect them all, although even the Jump Ball will help tremendously.

Unfortunately, while other Metroids combine flying and crawling enemies, Metroid II tends to have only one type of enemy on screen at the same time, so is less exciting. What's more, many of the enemies are carbon copies. Considering the developers were changing the map as late as October, Metroid II ultimately feels as if it wasn't rushed to meet the holiday release schedule. Two or three more months of polish would have certainly made a difference.

If you've never played Metroid II, you really are doing yourself a disservice. While it has its sore spots, the game is a solid outing that still holds up after 20 years. And at about 6-8 hours your first time through, Metroid II is a small, but meaty adventure.

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