Gameplay and design
The core gameplay of Metroid II: Return of Samus builds on the exploration and combat of the original, but with a clearer objective: players must eliminate every Metroid on planet SR388. At the start, Samus receives a detector that shows the remaining Metroid count. This number begins at 47 and decreases with each kill until it reaches zero. When the last Metroid is destroyed, an earthquake shakes the game world, lowering the lava levels and opening the path to the final area. This design keeps players constantly aware of their progress and divides the game into distinct phases.
The Metroid evolution mechanic is a standout feature. On SR388, players encounter Metroids in various stages: from the most primitive form, through Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and finally Omega. Each stage has a different appearance and attack pattern, with more mature forms being tougher to defeat. Early Metroids move slowly and attack simply, while later forms boast stronger attacks and more complex behaviors. This design adds depth to combat and makes players feel the escalating threat during exploration, heightening the game's tension.
This installment introduces several new abilities that expand Samus's movement and combat options. The Spazer Beam and Plasma Beam are two new beam weapons: the former fires multiple spread shots, while the latter can pierce through enemies. The Space Jump allows Samus to jump repeatedly in mid-air, the Spider Ball lets her move while clinging to walls and ceilings in ball form, and the Spring Ball enables jumping in ball form. These abilities are not only useful in battle but are also key to exploration, as many areas require specific powers to reach, encouraging players to revisit previously inaccessible places.
As a Game Boy game, this title adapts its save system to suit the handheld's characteristics. It uses battery-backed memory to save progress, allowing players to record their game at save points scattered throughout. This feature was uncommon at the time and, for a lengthy handheld game, it let players play in segments without worrying about losing progress due to power loss or shutdown. Save points are also carefully placed, often before important areas, so players can save before challenging sections.
The map design continues the series' non-linear exploration style but with more guidance. Players move freely across SR388, but the number of Metroids eliminated gradually unlocks new areas. This design offers freedom while preventing players from getting completely lost. Additionally, environmental details are worth noting, such as background and terrain changes in different regions, which hint at the distribution and evolution stages of Metroids. Overall, the gameplay retains the series' essence while making sensible adjustments for the handheld platform.
Background and release
Metroid II: Return of Samus was first released in North America in November 1991, followed by Japan on January 21, 1992, and Europe on May 21 of the same year. As the second game in the series, it was a bold decision to release it on the Game Boy handheld. The original Metroid had been successful on the NES, and while the handheld's performance was far inferior to home consoles, Nintendo still chose to continue Samus's adventures on the portable, making this the first handheld entry in the series.
The game was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1, with producer Gunpei Yokoi, the creator of the Game Boy, who had unique insights into handheld game design. Directors Hiroji Kiyotake and Hiroyuki Kimura, along with designer Makoto Kanoh and lead programmer Takahiro Harada, formed the core team. This team overlapped with the developers of the original Metroid, so the game shares stylistic and philosophical continuity with its predecessor while also experimenting on the handheld.
The game performed well commercially, selling 1.72 million copies worldwide by the end of 2003. This was impressive for a handheld game, and it led to the game being included in the Player's Choice series in North America, with a re-release in 1993. Additionally, the game was reissued multiple times through different channels: on March 1, 2000, in Japan via the Nintendo Power service, and on September 28, 2011, in Japan and November 24, 2011, in North America and Europe via the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.
The story is set after the original Metroid, with Samus tasked to travel to planet SR388 and eliminate all Metroids to prevent Space Pirates from using them. This mission directly drives the core gameplay of eliminating Metroids. Furthermore, the game's ending, where the baby Metroid hatches and interacts with Samus, plants an important seed for the series' future, directly leading to the 1994 sequel Super Metroid.
In the game market of the time, handheld games were mostly casual and simple, but Metroid II offered deep exploration and tense combat. This differentiation gave the game a unique status among handheld players. Although limited by hardware, with graphics and sound not as expressive as home consoles, the game still earned player recognition through its solid gameplay and atmosphere, becoming a classic on the Game Boy platform.
Development
The development team for Metroid II: Return of Samus had close ties to the original Metroid. Producer Gunpei Yokoi, the father of the Game Boy hardware, had a deep understanding of handheld game characteristics. Directors Hiroji Kiyotake and Hiroyuki Kimura, along with designer Makoto Kanoh, were all core members of the original team. The biggest challenge they faced was presenting the series' signature exploration and atmosphere on the Game Boy's limited hardware.
Since the Game Boy had a monochrome screen, developers needed to solve a visual identification problem: Samus's Varia Suit was hard to distinguish from her regular armor in black and white. To address this, they added rounded shoulder pads to the Varia Suit, which not only solved the recognition issue but also unexpectedly became an iconic visual element of the series. This detail reflects the developers' creativity under hardware constraints and their attention to the game's visual language.
The name of planet SR388 comes from the Yamaha SR400 motorcycle, as revealed by director Hiroji Kiyotake in a 2004 interview. This naming convention follows the inspiration for some names in the series, such as certain locations in the original. Drawing inspiration from real-world objects adds an interesting layer of backstory to the game world and gives players a sense of familiarity once they learn about it.
The game utilized the Game Boy's battery-backed memory for saving, which was an important technical feature at the time. Compared to password saves, battery saves were more convenient, allowing players to save progress at any time without having to write down complex passwords. This design was especially important for a handheld game, as players might need to interrupt their session at any moment. The developers also carefully placed save points to ensure players wouldn't lose too much progress due to unexpected power loss.
During development, the team also focused on pacing. Since handheld games are typically suited for short play sessions, the game's objective was broken down into stage-based tasks of eliminating Metroids, each with a clear endpoint. This design allowed players to complete a stage in a short time, providing a sense of accomplishment while maintaining overall flow. These development decisions collectively shaped the game's unique experience, allowing it to convey the series' core appeal on a handheld platform.
Reception and legacy
Metroid II: Return of Samus received positive reviews upon release, though not without controversy. Many critics praised the gameplay and atmosphere, noting that it successfully recreated the series' sense of exploration on a handheld. Entertainment Weekly even commented that the game gave players the feeling of being trapped in someone else's nightmare and considered it an improvement over the original. However, some reviews pointed out that the graphics and audio were lacking, particularly the music in the first three caverns, which was deemed unable to fully convey the game's dark atmosphere on the Game Boy hardware.
Famitsu's reviewers felt the game retained the original's dark atmosphere but was a step back from its predecessor. Video Games' reviewer thought the atmosphere didn't come across well on the Game Boy and that navigation was confusing. These criticisms reflect the limitations of handheld hardware in terms of expressiveness, but they also indicate that players had high expectations for the game. Despite this, the core gameplay was widely recognized, and many players and critics considered it a worthwhile title.
In long-term retrospectives, the game's exploration design is often discussed. The various abilities it introduced, such as Space Jump and Spider Ball, became recurring elements in later series entries, influencing the design of Super Metroid and others. The game's ending, with the baby Metroid hatching and interacting with Samus, is a key turning point in the series' story, directly leading to Super Metroid. Super Metroid director Yoshio Sakamoto has stated that he was deeply moved by this game's ending, which speaks to its significance in the series.
The game has also been recognized in various game rankings. Nintendo Power listed it as 34th in its September 1997 top 100 games and 85th in its 2006 top 200 games. Game Informer included it in its 1998 list of the top 25 Game Boy games and ranked it 9th in 2011. These accolades demonstrate the game's standing among players and media, cementing its status as a classic on the Game Boy platform.
The game's influence is also evident in later remakes. In 2016, an unofficial remake, AM2R, appeared, and in 2017, an official remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, was released for the 3DS. Both are based on this game, but the official remake introduced new designs, while AM2R stayed closer to the original. Although the original's graphics and controls have aged, its core design and narrative importance remain memorable to players, making it an indispensable part of the series' history.
