Metroid Amiibo Figures Unlock Fusion Suit, More In 3DS's Samus Returns

One of the biggest surprises to come out of Nintendo's E3 2017 showing was Metroid: Samus Returns, the first side-scrolling installment in the series since 2004's Zero Mission for Game Boy Advance. The game is slated to arrive for 3DS this September, and alongside it, Nintendo is releasing a brand-new pair of Amiibo figures. Today, the company finally revealed what these and the existing figures unlock in the game.

On Nintendo UK's official website, Nintendo detailed the different extras players can unlock using the various Metroid figures. Tapping the new Samus Amiibo during the game unlocks a reserve Aeion tank, which will automatically restore a certain amount of Aeion energy after players run out. After the game has been completed, the Samus figure unlocks a Metroid II art gallery. Similarly, the Samus Amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. line unlocks a reserve Missile tank, as well as a concept art gallery once the game has been beaten. The Zero Suit Samus figure, meanwhile, unlocks a reserve Energy tank and a music gallery.

The neatest bonus, however, comes from the new, squishy Metroid Amiibo. Tapping the figure reveals the location of nearby Metroids on your map--a handy feature to have as the entire plot revolves around Samus's mission to eradicate every last Metroid. Once players have completed the game, it also unlocks a new difficulty setting called Fusion mode. In addition to being more challenging, the new mode decks the bounty hunter out in the blue-and-yellow Fusion suit from the series' first Game Boy Advance installment, Metroid Fusion.

Metroid: Samus Returns releases for 3DS on September 15. We got to try a behind-closed-doors demo of the game at E3 last month. You can read our hands-on impressions of it here. We also got to speak with Metroid producer Yoshio Sakamoto about the game's genesis and MercurySteam's involvement.