The idea of hunting down the rest of the Metroids is certainly a fun one at least, and the fact they have so much impact on the environment that you actually change it by killing them is cool. It really brings a different sense of exploration to the Metroid series and honestly its really fun to hunt them all down, despite the ability to easily get lost in this game. Metroid II also gave Samus her more iconic look of today, and the handy dandy, spider ball, which is a really cool ability you get early on and makes exploring through the planet a lot more fun. The majority of the game is fairly linear though, but more often than not feels like the opposite with all the twists and turns the game gives. But perhaps what makes this game actually good is the semi-look at the Metroid cycle as we experience the same way Samus does. Despite the lack of any actual narrative, Metroid II is a bit of a nice experience to watch a species grow as you hunt it down through the depths of its home planet, only to find the final form defending itself from extinction. And that's what perhaps makes Metroid II so compelling, it tells its story through gameplay, and it gives us a look into what a Metroid actually is.
Despite this though, Metroid II does feel like it lacks a lot and a remake is what this game truly needs. Its still a good game though, but the majority of what could make it really stand out were elements that were barely being realized in the past. Metroid II has a lot of good qualities, but the majority of the bad ones could have easily be solved if it were from another time or simply had a remake. The two biggest complaints being the lack of map and the fact that the game uses templates to design areas, largely making a lot of the areas look the same. This however can be solved by a remake so that areas are designed differently, and the ability to check on a map is added. Metroid II is very much a small game, and simply on my first run where I kept getting lost constantly and had no idea where I was, I managed to beat it in under 6 hours. As well, the major enemy in this game is rather dull to fight after a while; after learning the patterns of the given Metroid forms it simply becomes routine to fight them and not at all challenging. The only interesting fight in this whole game is the Queen and honestly is what helps make it remember-able. Even that aside though, it never really feels like the planet is alive or mysterious till the very end. The majority of routes consistent mostly of obstacles getting in the way of your jumping and the very few enemies in this game are fairly spread out. And because everything looks nearly identical it often feels like you're exploring a void. All these problems honestly just keep coming to my head as this game needs a remake and honestly with its premise it make a good one.
Final Thoughts:
Metroid II is a compelling entry in the Metroid series for its ability to tell its narrative through gameplay only, while still making it a fun experience. However the game has aged incredibly, and the need for a remake feels dire. The ability to use a map and graphical enhancements to areas alone would make this game far better than what it is right now, but despite all that Metroid II still remains a fairly good game.