Found a YouTube video where someone explores the evolution of MercurySteam's work in the Metroidvania genre: from the game that made Sakamoto take their Metroid Fusion remake pitch seriously (Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate), to the return of Samus in Metroid: Samus Returns, to the most recent game in the series, Metroid Dread.
A new Did You Know Gaming? This one is focused on Game Boy Advance stuff. As to Metroid content, Metroid Fusion and Metroid Zero Mission were the best selling games for the Wii U eshops, but apparently they only achieved this status after Metroid Dread was announced. The Metroid part tarts at about 9:49.
Edited by WillKeaton on Jan 28th 2023 at 3:14:16 AM
Hello, I'm a bit new to Metroid, so far I've only played Metroid: Zero Mission, but I loved that game. I want to continue in chronological order, but I don't have the funds and resources to get Samus Returns for 3DS, so do you recommend playing the original sequel for Game Boy, or the fan-made AM2R?
Just a simple man, making my way through the Tropes.It's more similar to Zero Mission than the OG GB version.
"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"I personally like the original Metroid II and don't think it's rendered obsolete by either the fan or official remake in the same manner Zero Mission did the original NES game... but the remakes are still the better experience, so I'd go with Another Metroid 2 Remake if you can't get Samus Returns. It does quite a bit differently from the later — SR is far more action-focused, while AM2R takes more cues from Zero Mission — but AM2R functioning like Zero Mission just means you'll have an easier transition into it, honestly.
Edited by RacattackForce on Jan 31st 2023 at 10:27:32 AM
Yeah, the more I think about it, part of me would have recommended you play AM2R even if you did have access to Samus Returns. If you're playing the games in series' chronological order, then AM2R is the smoothest transition between Zero Mission and Super Metroid. Samus Returns is very much a rough blueprint for what Dread would do with its combat and mechanics, so playing that would be getting a weirdly action-heavy game in the middle of two more exploration-based ones (if you care about that sort of thing).
I honestly prefer AM 2 R to Samus Returns as a game and a remake of Metroid 2, to be honest.
Samus Returns isn't bad, but I feel AM 2 R gets the spirit of the original much better then Samus Returns does. Not to mention all the shit added in by fanmade patches...
Edited by ultimate_life_form on Jan 31st 2023 at 8:39:34 AM
I think both of them miss the mark in matching the original somber atmosphere of the original game, where by the end of the adventure, you find yourself walking to your ship with no enemies. Just Samus heading back with a fellow orphan in tow, making you wonder if killing all the Metroids was a good thing. (Fusion makes it clear that no, it wasn't, but Metroid II's ending works on its own even without that retconned knowledge.)
Fantastic games all around, no doubt. I love replaying them. But the changed tones in both AM2R and Samus Returns are the major reason why I don't feel Metroid II has been superannuated in the same way that Metroid 1 was basically made irrelevant thanks to Zero Mission.
Edited by RacattackForce on Jan 31st 2023 at 12:02:31 PM
So much love-hate for that ending. Like, replacing the ending with a big, extravagant Ridley fight completely shits on what Metroid II was trying to do with its final moments. But at the same time... I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't still find it to be a super cool moment, or appreciate that it firmly showcases Samus and the Baby developing a bond while hinting towards the beginning and ending of Super. "Bad remake, great game" really is the best way to put it.
I mean, an entire species was totally wiped out.
There's a bit of melancholy to that.
And this is before it's revealed that Metroids were kinda important to the universe in keeping the X Parasites at bay.
One Strip! One Strip!Thanks for the responses, everyone! I actually intend to play all of the 3 versions at some point, but I wanted to know what would be the most logical and consistent experience with what I've played so far. Judging from what I've read, the AM 2 R would be the best choice, so I'm going with that one.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=12931698580A16861700&page=736#comment-18384
To my understanding, the Prime series is more of a side adventure than a main part of the series, besides being in first-person; not that I dislike the idea, but I want to try the main 2D side-scrolling games first.

Yeah the visuals are actually pretty impressive for the hardware.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!