History YMMV / MetroidIIReturnOfSamus

* GrowingTheBeard: While nowhere near the level of what ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' did for the series, ''Metroid II'' made some significant improvements over [[VideoGame/{{Metroid 1}} the original]] in gameplay. The environments aren't as confusing or repetitive in design as the original and are much less cryptic in hiding weapons, and you start off with full health and your basic upgrades (Long Beam, Missiles and Morph Ball) right off the bat. Convenient Save Stations and Recharge Stations have also been added, you can crouch and shoot down instead of just straight forward or up, and the enemies aren't nearly as merciless or frequent, alleviating the notorious FakeDifficulty of the original game. It even attempted to have mostly atmospheric music in lieu of standard video game tunes, which was a tall order for a UsefulNotes/GameBoy game, but it was a surprisingly ambitious move for a video game soundtrack of the time. The new power-ups started to get more creative around this game as well, such as the Spider-Ball and the Space Jump.

* OnceOriginalNowCommon: The game suffers a massive amount of this, especially after the game got [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns a 2017 remake]] (along with [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake the fan remake released in 2016]]). Despite the game introducing many things that would become series staples like the Varia Suit's design and save rooms, it also suffers from the NES game's clunky controls, locations that all tend to look the same with no in-game map, and various other design problems caused by the UsefulNotes/GameBoy's limitations. It doesn't help that, despite the game looking far better on a UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor and being marketed as one of the games for the UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy, the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console rerelease uses the monochrome palette of the standard Game Boy.

* VindicatedByHistory: Rather paradoxically, while the release of both a [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake fan-made]] and [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns official remake]] has caused most fans to [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny view the original game as outdated]], it has also sparked another fan movement that regards this game in a whole new light. For years, ''Return of Samus'' was viewed as a SophomoreSlump in the series, with narrow cramped level design, an emphasis on combat rather than exploration, a long endgame area devoid of any enemies that felt like mere {{padding}}, and a soundtrack that attempted to be atmospheric but instead largely ended up as unmemorable and ear-grating. Especially after the release of ''Samus Returns'', some ''Metroid'' fans have started to look back at this game and argue that it is an underappreciated masterpiece where every aspect of its game design (including those commonly regarded as flaws) were actually deliberately chosen to serve the greater purpose of atmospheric storytelling. Some more extreme critics even go so far as to say that neither remake was able to capture what made the original so brilliant, and any aspect that the remakes [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks changed]] only demonstrates the developers' inability to truly understand the source material. Examples include [[http://www.acriticalhit.com/am2r-depth-critical-review/ this AM2R review]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WkEoYvlUF0 this Game Maker's Toolkit video]].

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: The game suffers a massive amount of this, especially after the game got [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns a 2017 remake]] (along with [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake the fan remake released in 2016]]). Despite the game introducing many things that would become series staples like the Varia Suit's design and save rooms, it also suffers from the NES game's clunky controls, locations that all tend to look the same with no in-game map, and various other design problems caused by the UsefulNotes/GameBoy's limitations. It doesn't help that, despite the game looking far better on a UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor and being marketed as one of the games for the UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy, the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console rerelease uses the monochrome palette of the standard Game Boy.

* FridgeBrilliance: However, there's another side to it. The last part of the game is considered a slog by many players. You've been fighting highly evolved Metroids for hours and by the end, there's no recharge rooms or even enemies to farm for energy and missile drops. Most players have to detour ten or fifteen minutes out of their way to find a recharge room. From there on out, the only thing you fight is Metroids... and ''that's the whole point''. The last hour or so is such a lifeless, quiet, eerie grind because the game is telling you something. ''This'' is what happens to a planet overrun by Metroids. The indigenous life, the ecosystem... it all dies.

* UglyCute: The Metroid hatchling. One one hand it's a jellyfish-insectoid larva that looks no different from the standard Metroids. On the other hand, the way it considers Samus its mother and how helpful it is in escaping the final area has endeared it to many fans.

** Additionally, the oppressive atmosphere of this last part can be bothersome for players because that's the whole point. You are literally ''committing genocide'', which should ''not'' be misconstrued as a breezy walk in the park.

* CultClassic: Compared to its iconic [[VideoGame/Metroid1 predecessor]], absolutely revolutionary [[VideoGame/SuperMetroid successor]], and the game's own remakes (both [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake fanmade]] and [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns official]]), the original Metroid II tends to get overlooked quite a bit--that being said, fans of the game very much exist, and tend to be very devout in their love of the game, placing it firmly into the Cult Classic territory.
* DemonicSpiders: Omega Metroids, the nastiest stage of Metroid evolution. They hit hard and are very hard to dodge, and they take a whopping 40 missiles to kill. Not even the standard Metroids you encounter in the end are as tough!

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: The game suffers a massive amount of this, especially after the game got [[VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns a 2017 remake]] (along with [[VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake the fan remake released in 2016]]). Despite the game introducing many things that would become series staples like the Varia Suit's design and save rooms, it also suffers from clunky controls, locations that all tend to look the same, and various other design problems caused by the UsefulNotes/GameBoy's limitations. It doesn't help that, despite the game looking far better on a UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor and being marketed as one of the games for the UsefulNotes/SuperGameBoy, the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console rerelease uses the monochrome palette of the standard [=GameBoy=].

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The heart of this game rests upon the question of the morality of Metroids. Are they ravenous bioweapons that devour anything they see, or are they mere animals defending their home? Is the Queen Metroid a big boss frustrated by Samus' persistence, or is she a mother protecting the last of her children? The docile Baby finally paints them in a sympathetic light, but there is still considerable room for interpretation.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The heart of this game rests upon the question of the morality of Metroids. Are they ravenous bioweapons that devour anything they see, or are they mere animals defending their home? Is the Queen Metroid a big boss frustrated by Samus' persistence, or is she a mother protecting the last of her children?

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The heart of this game rests upon the question of the morality of Metroids. Are they ravenous bioweapons that devour anything they see, or are they mere animals defending their home? Is the Queen Metroid a big bad boss frustrated by Samus' persistence, or is she a mother protecting the last of her children?

* HarsherInHindsight: You can see the underground ecosystem of [=SR388=] gradually regain ground as Metroid numbers drop. [[VideoGame/MetroidFusion As it turns out, this isn't entirely a good thing]].

* NightmareFuel: Nowhere near as noticeable by itself on an actual handheld console, but playing the game with headphones or on an emulator highlights that most of the "music" is just eerie ambiance, and every Metroid encounter as well as the [[spoiler:surprise counter increase late in the game]] is punctuated with a ScareChord. As cool and memorable as the theme of SR-388's surface is, there's almost nothing like it for the entire rest of the game until the credits. Even the FinalBoss's theme isn't even really a song but more like chaos as you try to survive the onslaught.

* HarsherInHindsight: You can see the underground ecosystem of [=SR388=] gradually regain ground as metroid numbers drop. [[VideoGame/MetroidFusion As it turns out, this isn't entirely a good thing]].