User Rating: 9.3 | Metroid II: Return of Samus GB
Metroid 2 is one of the best games I’ve ever played, and probably the best GameBoy game I’ve ever played. The great thing about this game is how much they improved on the first game. The graphics look much better, the gameplay is better, everything is better. The game has the traditional Metroid style environments which are sub sections of a much larger area, new areas are opened as you defeat a certain number of metroids and earthquakes occur. While the first game had you battling the space pirates on planet Zebes, Metroid 2 brings it to planet SR388, the metroid home world. Bounty hunter extraordinaire Samus Aran has been charged with eradicating the remaining metroids on their home turf. The planet itself is home to some strange creatures and old technologies gone haywire. The game starts immediately with her arrival on planet SR388. As Samus explores the planet she sees that the metroids are at their full power on their home world as they undergo mutations in the form of Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and Omega. Alpha metroids aren’t too tough to handle, but the Gamma metroids can be tough as they are much larger and shoot lightning that can stop your missiles. The Zeta and Omega metroids look almost like dinosaurs and are very strong and the Zeta’s are very fast. Her only defense against the metroids is her arm cannon which turns into a missile launcher. All the awesome power ups in the Metroid series are of course present in this game. The ice, wave, spazer, and plasma beams, morph ball and bombs, varia suit, high jump boots, space jump, and screw attack are all here. Of all her moves, the combination of space jump and screw attack are the most deadly, they cause Samus to be invulnerable to almost every enemy attack and it kills any enemy, besides a metroid which it doesn‘t harm, in one hit. While the game isn’t very long if you know where everything is, it will take you awhile to find all the upgrades and missile expansion packs. In a way Metroid 2 kind of stands out from the other games in the series, not in terms of gameplay but in terms of story. Most of the other games are about the space pirates and what their plans are for the metroids, metroid 2 is really the only one where everything is 100% about the metroids. Out of great games in the Metroid series I’d say Metroid 2 is second only to Super Metroid. Metroid 2 is an amazing game, even after all these years, and it’s absolutely worth picking up if you can find it.
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