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Metroid: Samus Returns is a Metroidvania game in the Metroid series released for the Nintendo 3DS, developed by Mercury Steam. It is a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus (originally released on the Game Boy in 1991) with added 3D graphics.
Gameplay
The game includes new features like a melee attack to counter rushing foes and new Aeon abilities like a Lightning Shield and Samus has a scanner.
The game uses the lower screen as a map with several icons representing various things. The player can also add their own marks. The game features a long list of what the icons mean.
amiibo Support
The new amiibo from the Metroid series (Samus and Metroid) will be released alongside the game. The Samus and Zero Suit Samus amiibo figurines from the Super Smash Bros. series is also compatible.
- Samus (Super Smash Bros.) - Unlocks a reserve missile tank and after completing the game, an additional in-game art gallery appears.
- Zero Suit Samus (Super Smash Bros.) - Unlocks a reserve energy tank, and after completing the game, a selection of music will appear.
- Samus (Metroid) - Unlocks an Aeion reserve tank allowing you to recharge your Aeion energy. In addition, it will unlock a unique Metroid II Art Gallery once the game has been completed at least once.
- Metroid (Metroid) - Unlocks a Metroid Marker which helps you find nearby Metroids on the map. It will also unlock Fusion Mode, a new mode that offers increased difficulty and features Samus in her Fusion suit. Note that Fusion Mode will only be available after finishing the game at least once.
Plot
This game has a similar plot to the original Metroid II with the main objective to exterminate all the Metroids. There is an structure that controls the level of lava which lowers.
Reception
Final Release
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| Metacritic | 88/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Destructoid | 8/10 |
| Famitsu | 32/40 |
| Game Informer | 9.75/10 |
| GameSpot | 9/10 |
| IGN | 8.5/10 |
| Nintendo Life | 10/10 |
| Polygon | 9/10 |
| USgamer | 5/5 |
Metroid: Samus Returns received "generally favorable" reception, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Andrew Webster at The Verge viewed Samus Returns as a return to the series' roots. Peter Brown of GameSpot believed that it represented a look at the potential future for 2D Metroid games. Russ Frushtick of Polygon thought that the game's visuals were "remarkable", while Webster thought that the game's 3D visuals made it easier and more playable than Metroid II.
Webster also praised its use of the handheld's glasses-free 3D effect, stating that it added a "wonderful" sense of depth. The game's soundtrack by Daisuke Matsuoka also received praise, with Chris Carter of Destructoid calling the melodies "hauntingly beautiful".
Chris Scullion at Nintendo Life wrote that the "Scan Pulse" ability was a useful feature and made the game "far more entertaining" as a result, although Brown felt that it removed some of the thrill of discovery. Webster called the game's combat "fast and fluid", while Brown wrote that it was more aggressive and satisfying than expected. Conversely, Martin Robinson of Eurogamer criticised the effect of the counterattack system, writing that it led "to a staccato rhythm to the action as you're constantly stopped in your tracks for such one-note encounters".
IGN's Samuel Claiborn complained about the controls, stating the Samus's complicated weapon options have players "working the 3DS shoulder buttons, slider, and face buttons in a downright painful way". During its first week in the United Kingdom, Samus Returns was ranked eighth in an all-format chart. It was also the third best-selling game in Japan in its debut week, with 30,855 copies sold. An additional 6,206 copies were sold the following week. It was also the eighth best-selling game in the United States during September 2017.
Merchandise
For a limited time, a Special Edition for Metroid: Samus Returns is available containing the following:
- A physical version of the game.
- A Samus Archives Sound Selection CD featuring 25 tracks from across the Metroid franchise.
- A reversible title-sheet insert for the game case featuring box art from the Metroid II: Return of Samus Game Boy game.
A "Samus Edition" of the New Nintendo 3DS XL console was made available on the game's official release.
External links
| Metroid series | |
|---|---|
| Metroid series | Metroid (NES Classics) • II: Return of Samus • Super Metroid • Fusion • Zero Mission Other M • Samus Returns • Dread |
| Metroid Prime series | Metroid Prime (New Play Control! • Remastered) • 2: Echoes (New Play Control!) • Prime Hunters • Prime 3: Corruption • Prime 4 Prime Pinball • Prime: Trilogy • Federation Force |
| Related | Nintendo • Retro Studios • Samus Aran • Super Smash Bros. • Nintendo Land Gunpei Yokoi • Kensuke Tanabe • Yoshio Sakamoto |