Metroid: Samus Returns Thoughts

This is just going to be a short (not short) write up for what I do and don't like about the NEW Metroid Samus Returns for the Nintendo 3DS. I really wanted to air out what I think of the game but didn't want to do a whole review for the game, so here goes.

Pros: Visuals: The new look for Samus Returns is sleek and futuristic. It's exactly what should be expected from the Metroid universe and art style. The recreation of old Metroid 2 enemies being brought up and given 3D models is worth so much praise. The animations and level of detail given to them and Samus is a great look for the 2D entries. Particular shout outs to the 3D implimentation which is probably some of the best 3D on the system. Not only does it give the backgrounds depth but it also brings them to life by giving areas an added layer with creatures jittering around doing whatever. It's a great level of detail that I think is worth experiencing even if you normally don't use the 3D on the 3DS. Controls: Initially a hurtle, the controls took some time to get adjusted to with 2D metroid now being on what is essentially a joystick. MercurySteam did a lot to make the joystick work well with 2D Metroid. The degree ratio that reads you either wanting to go forward or backwards has been drastically increased so you don't have to worry about it misreading an awkward upforward or downback motion as anything other than forward or back. Samus also does not have a standard walk speed, she's constantly running no matter how forward or back you press. Morph ball can now be transformed into by tapping the map screen as well as quick weapon selection. Initially I didn't like weapons being selectable by the touch screen due to my tendency to forget to switch to what I wanted but by the end of the game, it became second nature, especially in fights that required multiple types of weapons, to swap to the weapon needed. The new aeon items being tied to the d pad also adds to the idea of quickly selecting what I want and when I want. The Parry: I love the new parry. I think it's something that should've worried people but in practice I really do think it works. It's quick enough and adds a new layer to the combat that's been sorely missing from the more combat oriented entries like Metroid Fusion that I definitely feel like it was a worthwhile addition. Parrying becomes second nature like the rest of the controls and it just flows well into the rest of the games overall control scheme. The Difficulty: Samus Returns is kind of a hard game. Not a really hard game but like a game that demands you learn patterns and dodge them successful. It sort of stands in opposition of the rest of the series where if you had enough health and items, you could kind of tank hits and still make it out of boss fights. The game features a check pointing system now which I was wary of at first of but in the later levels where you're dying somewhat often due to the damage output of bosses, the quick retry nature of the check pointing system saves the games pacing from falling into Metroid Fusion levels of frustration. Exploration and Level Design: We're back to a Super Metroid style set up...sort of. You're contained to a "small" (some are gigantic and you'll spend whole hours in them) segmented areas. What differentiates this from something like Metroid Fusions' segmented levels though is there's multiple items and objectives for you to discover. There's a genuine sense of freedom about how you tackle each objective along with how you get each crucial item. A Metroid might be right next to where you're heading but if you explore you might find an item to help with the fight. It's stuff like this that makes the moment to moment exploration incredibly fullfilling and crucial to the core experience. Thank god these environments then are some of the most confusing but engaging to explore areas in the franchise. Even with the scanner showing how to get an item, there's a level of execution to obtaining most items. It makes for a rewarding kind of "YEAHHHH" feeling when you get a hard to get item.

Boss fights: Most of this game you'll be fighting different stages of the Metroid larva. It's a sort of blessing then that all four stages of the Metroid are INCREDIBLY challenging. Each has their own set of moves and you'll struggle with each fight until you learn the ins and outs of every form. This is what keeps the formula of Samus Returns fresh. For a game with 40 bosses, they all feel like threats due to how many ideas they put into these monsters. Along with the Metroid comes a unique set of bosses (most from the original game) that have all been reimagined and work well to be a breath of fresh air. Outside of one of these bosses, they all are great additions. All these bosses together also follow my favorite design mentality that the game kind of bleeds. There's a genuine sense of "however you want to tackle them" nature to these fights and plenty have exploits or secret ways to taking down each of them. While there's raw execution to each fight, there's also a level of knowledge that comes into play that'll either make a boss fight a living hell or something where you feel like you've actually outsmart the game itself. Added content from M2 to MSR: *SPOILERS* Similiar to Zero Mission, this remakes adds some new content to help differentiate it from it's original incarnation The added segments of control where the baby Metroid follows you around to assist in getting items is a GREAT way to build up the relationship between Samus and her squishy child. If you save a lot of the item collecting to the end, you'll have a significant portion of game spent with the baby Metroid just helping you do whatever. There's also a new added final boss (sorry Metroid queen) in the form of Ridley and I feel like it's the best boss in the entire game. It's such a specticle of a fight that really just shows how much Samus anf Ridley have it out for another. They want to kill the SHIT out of each other and this fight succeeds in showing that. Similiary, the Chozo Memories that display the story of how the chozo came to populate SR388 and create the Metroid is great and the twist from unlocking 100% of them is a nice way to hint at a potential new game plus maybe showing the chozo aren't everything they were made out to be. *END OF SPOILERS* Cons:

Music: It's a DANG shame that only like two songs were recreated from the original game. Most of the remixes are songs found in Super Metroid and while I don't dislike the OST outright, I do think just kind of going EHH the M2's soundtrack sucks some of the fun of what you can do with remixed OST.

Enemy Variety: There's like 6 enemy types and they get recolored and reused over and over again with every new area. It sometimes starts to feel samey at times and for a game that took me 13 hours to beat, it can make the experience drag.

Amiibo: Fusion Suit difficulty being locked behind a dumb plastic toy that's hard to get now sucks. End of story.

Tldr: It's a good game and if you've been wanting a new 2D Metroid, I'd say give this game your time cuz it's rad. MercurySteam have made a fantastic game and it feels like they poured a bunch of love into it.