#AM2R

[coldgoldlazarus]

Not that we need a third Metroid II remake, but given how disparate the existing versions are from each other, I kinda have to wonder sometimes what another go that tries to combine the best of each might look like.

AM2R is probably the strongest overall package and embraces the series' lore in a great way, but does feel sometimes (to me at least) like it's still going a little too far in trying to force Metroid II into Super/Zero Mission's mold, most noticeably with the cool but jarring geothermal plant sequence.

Samus Returns spectacularly misses the mark with the tone and ending, but there are also a whole heap of other things I really like the handling of in the first 95% of it. (I have a whole list, in fact, buried somewhere in my drafts.)

And the original Metroid II, for all its early installment weirdness and hardware-induced shortcomings can make for an awkward experience, it also used some of those same limitations very elegantly to create a thematic sense of darkness that neither remake really matches. (Even if AM2R does wind up closer, IMO it still falls short in some ways, in trying to solve problems that the original had turned into features.)

Realistically speaking, all three are kinda very different beasts despite their shared core, and hard to reconcile easily. Even so, I do find myself thinking about whether it would still be possible to create a marriage of the best traits of each, and if so, what exactly that would look like.

[olavored]

Metroid Larva Pixel Art

I got over my art block.

This is just a bit of practice in pixel art, it seems very interesting, and useful

[mudkirby]

Drawing on school work. Bah.

[alligator-with-a-top-hat]

I'm being hypocritical here but its very frustrating how any discussion of AM2R or Samus Returns always boils down to "AM2R is better" even when I want to talk about the games in isolation. Number one, they're different games that make different decisions about gameplay and how to reinterpret Metroid II. Number two, despite the differences, a lot of the decisions they make are basically the same, and a lot of the time I catch people clowning on Samus Returns for something AM2R does very similarly (for example, the approach to adapting the soundtrack). Number three, Samus Returns has lots of flaws, but AM2R is itself no golden child (looking at the boss fights, though that's not the only thing).

I'm a big fan of AM2R, and between the two remakes I think it probably is the better one. But the difference in quality is not nearly as stark as people make it out to be, and Samus Returns has the unfortunate distinction of being compared to the original Metroid II, AM2R, AND Dread when there is a lot going for it on its own merits.

In the end, Samus Returns, AM2R, and the original Metroid II are companion pieces. They all give valuable insight into an important part of Metroid's history and how the gaming landscape changed from the 90s to the 2010s.

[im-maverick]

[ferhog]

Getting into Metroid This Past Month:

I first learned about Metroid (as well as most Nintendo franchises that weren't Pokemon and Mario) through my friend's copy of Smash Bros Brawl at around the age of 9. Samus being a hot lady underneath the cool set of power armor left enough of an impression for me to try and draw her from memory, but I otherwise had no interest in actually playing her games for most of the following decade and a half. In that time I learned a bit of her lore from Smash Trophys, Game Theory videos, and watching the first few minutes of Other M cutscenes to hear the lady from Smash Bros talk, but it wasn't until shortly after the release of Metroid Dread when I watched some late game cutscenes from the game and GameXplain's Metroid movie pitch video that I became interested enough in the story of the games and Samus as a character that I decided to downlo- I mean obtain copies of Zero Mission and Fusion for my Visua- I mean Gameboy Advance, which I held off on starting until I worked through my gaming backlog more, and it was earlier this summer that I decided the time had come.

The Metroid Manga: Before starting Zero Mission as my first game I read the manga so I'd get a good sense of Samus' backstory before starting. Now I knew what to roughly expect thanks to the Gamexplain movie pitch adapting much of the story, but overall I enjoyed it more than I was expecting. I probably don't need to tell you that Ridley was the absolute highlight. His pure evil is matched only by Louie from Pikmin in terms of Nintendo villains and it got me very invested in his rivalry with Samus throughout the games. Aside from that, my favourite part of the manga was Samus' characterization and her relationship with her bird dads. I have a real soft spot for all adoption related tropes so I really like the idea that Samus was taken in by what was once the most important race in the galaxy and inherited their legacy of keeping the peace, which she basically turned into a job via bounty hunting. However a lot of what the manga does is better in concept than in execution, as the art is hard to follow a lot of the time and much of the story is sped through quite quickly, no thanks to how much time is spent with the extensive cast of side characters. When Samus started her zero mission I held off on finishing the story until I played the game, and while I'm glad that they went with adapting the game at the end because we got to see a climactic fight against Ridley it is super bizarre that they didn't commit to the idea and just stopped when Samus reached Mother Brain. The manga is absolutely worth reading but best thought of as a companion to Zero Mission, probably best read afterwards.

Metroid Zero Mission: My experience with Metroidvanias was basically just Hollow Knight, the first Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, and while I was excited to experience the same sense of adventure I also feared getting lost as per this franchise's reputation. However I surprisingly managed to make my way though the whole game with only one thing I had to look up, which embarrassingly was the same mistake David Jaffe infamously made in Dread, as I failed to realize I could shoot a ceiling open even with enemies there to hint that I could. I think the game has the perfect balance between freedom and guidance as someone's first Metroid game through the chozo statues that mark your next destination without telling you how exactly to get there. Combine that with it being a remake of the first game and I think it was just the perfect game for me and anyone else to start with. My biggest issue gameplay-wise was just the fights against Mother Brain and the two black Space Pirates were very frustrating, the latter because the combat just didn't feel designed for a fight that reflex based, at least not for a newcomer. After finishing the game I felt compelled to earn the Zero Suit Samus ending, which I accomplished by constantly scouting out the optimal routes and resetting so I could get through them as fast as possible.

AM2R: I wanted to play these games in story order so I knew I had to play some version of Metroid 2 next. After trying out the original Metroid that you unlock after beating Zero Mission I figured the pre-NES games weren't going to be fun for me so I wanted to play either AM2R or Samus Returns, and I went with the former as it would be easier to find and would be closer to the game I just finished. The game is a very impressive feat for a fan-made project, though I think it was the one I had the least fun with overall. A few hours into the game I listened to the Some Call Me Johnny review which mentioned it being very hard, and that made sense considering it was a fan project by big Metroid fans for big Metroid fans, but it did result in a few of the bosses being quite frustrating with how much skill they demanded, particularly with the space jump which I struggled to understand the timing of. I didn't feel like instantly replaying it as I did with Zero Mission but I really loved how they adapted the ending.

Super Metroid: "This SNES game probably won't hold up that well right?" Thought the guy whose first console was the PS2.

Super Metroid is one of the greatest games of all time.

Metroid Fusion: I was real intrigued going into this game given what I'd heard about its linearity and extra story focus compared to the prior games but it was still a shock going straight from 2 playthroughs of Super Metroid to this. It didn't even really feel like Metroid, especially with how you were essentially playing through levels via Adam sending you through specific locations with specific tasks. Eventually I got used to it and fully accepted it as a Metroid game as I was increasingly required to be more explorative, though I think of all Metroid games I've played it has the most needlessly abstract methods for mandatory progression. The example which I eventually gave up on and looked up was the yellow Space Pirate X which which could only be damaged with a shot to the back apparently? There was seemingly no visual hints for that and the doors didn't even open if you absorbed the X before they formed the Space Pirates. While I figured out the other examples on my own I just felt I had to blow up way more seemingly random walls than normal. The bosses were generally very fun except for everything about Yakuza. A super long lead up to a boss that kept killing me super easily before I figured out how to avoid its grab attack, followed by a struggle to regain health for the ensuing SA-X encounter with how little health you get from enemies that could fly in out of nowhere and do more damage to you than you were regaining. Speaking of the SA-X, it wasn't in the game as much as I was expecting, but each encounter was quite memorable, especially when I was hiding behind power bomb blocks and it dropped a power bomb. Overall I didn't like most of this game's choices, but I like it when franchises try new things so I wouldn't say anything should have been changed except for how much health you get from enemies. This was the 2nd game I didn't feel like instantly replaying.

Metroid Prime: As of writing this I am currently a few hours into the first Metroid Prime, specifically having just gotten the boost ball. The Metroid formula was very well translated into 3D and the visuals have aged amazingly. I may be playing a remaster but most remasters still don't look this modern. But curiously this has been the Metroid game I've spent the most time away from during a playthrough, going several days without picking it up again. It's not that I dislike playing it, I just don't feel as much of a strong desire to keep coming back to it. Maybe I just feel the need to catch up on other stuff after playing so much Metroid. I do think I'll get around to playing the rest soon enough.

One of my biggest impressions overall is that Metroid is actually quite underrated despite how iconic it is. Samus seems mostly remembered as a Smash Bros character and her iconic twist as one of gaming's first female protagonists, but it doesn't seem like that many people actually play the games. It's also funny that while Samus is famous as a sex symbol in the Smash Bros and general gaming fandoms, it seems that the actual Metroid fandom prefers their Samus cooler than sexy. Anyway I'm looking forward to eventually picking up Dread, the game which first hooked my interest into this franchise, and the other 2 Prime games. Maybe I'll even pick up Other M if I see it around.

[it-seemo]

@yamcans00's Skulltober Day 27 - "Peaceful"

"The Last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace."

<- Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 ->

[gravebeetle]

This has to be the most specific thing I've ever made. This is a model of a Septogg, a creature found in Metroid 2: Return of Samus as well as the unofficial remake AM2R. It is also a functional cup, though it's rather inconvenient trying to store anything in there. AM2R really made me love these things despite the small role they play, and I wanted to make something showing this fondness. They're just funny little critters.

[the-starry-lycan]

AM2R, anyone?

[possessedscholar]

Quiz time!

Samus Returns was not the only remake of Return of Samus. Milton Guasti made the unofficial remake Another Metroid 2 Remake (often shortened to AM2R), notable for its unusual title.

[who-is-riley]

AM2R

The scientists constructed a small mobile research site within the cave system. The access tunnel leading to their research vessel has collapsed, and all of their equipment is non-operational.

Vital signs of all exo-suits are flatlined.

There are no survivors in this site.

[coldgoldlazarus]

It is kinda funny how AM2R and Samus Returns, in trying to give each section of SR388 a unique aesthetic identity, actually lined up on that a fair bit for the most part. Area 1's a temple, Area 2's a hydroelectric plant, Area 4's a crystal mine. Area 3 is a robotics facility in both as well, even if the aesthetic interpretation of that concept differs more than some of the other overlaps.

Area 5, the Tower, is the biggest divergence, with AM2R making it a techy weapons facility with a lava moat, where SR makes it all jungley/swampy.

Area 6 is also subtly different, with AM2R treating it as an extension of the main tunnel route with some extra lava pools, while Samus Returns recasts it as a dusty underground desert. (Also, I'm disregarding the Distribution Center here, since that's a completely new section with no analogues in the other two versions, but if we take that as AM2R's Area 6, the divergence becomes just as strong as with the Tower.)

Most amusingly to me is at the end, with the Omega gauntlet and the Queen's lair. They both have a Chozo lab tied to the creation of the Metroids, and they both have an area where it's more of an organic nest... but the order is swapped. Organic bubbley area to abandoned lab in AM2R; abandoned lab to organic eggy area in Samus Returns.

Just kinda interesting parallels of mostly-convergent evolution between the two projects. Makes me wonder how much was influence by Metroid II itself, or if someone at Mercurysteam was aware of AM2R and taking notes, and how much was just lucky coincidence.

[gloriousvermin]

I'm streaming soon

Chat doesn't work because I'm stupid and refuse to do research or hard things. That said pop in if you want, just don't expect much

I'm playing an ar2r randomizer

[olavored]

A lil' Metroid art I did a few days ago

never tried drawing the metroid queen before, I think it came out quite nicely :>

[lunaxio]

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[fm-synthesizer]