RETRO BRUNCH QUICKIE: Metroid II: Return of Samus

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FOX DIE GAMING

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Published on March 16, 2018 3:00:03 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg0Dj1FtLEQ

Game:

Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991)

Duration: 2:15

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Metroid II: Return of Samus is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld game console. The second installment and the first handheld title in the Metroid series, it was released in North America in November 1991, and in Japan and Europe the following year. The story follows the protagonist and playable character Samus Aran, who is sent on a mission to exterminate the Metroid creatures from their home planet SR388 before the antagonistic Space Pirates obtain and use them. The gameplay involves killing a fixed number of Metroids before the player can advance deeper through the planet's tunnels.

The developer and producer of the original Metroid for the Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Research & Development 1 (Nintendo R&D1) and Gunpei Yokoi – returned to develop Metroid II. The developers of the game added round metal shoulders on Samus' Varia Suit to differentiate it from her Power Suit, since both looked similar on the Game Boy's limited greyscale display. The updated suit has since been a staple of the series, appearing in all subsequent games. A unique color palette for Metroid II was added to the Game Boy Color console, a successor to the original Game Boy with a color screen.

The game was given generally favorable reviews. Critics praised it for its story and settings, while other reviews criticized its graphics and audio. By late 2003, the game had shipped 1.72 million copies worldwide. A follow-up, Super Metroid, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Metroid II became available as a Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console title in 2011. An official remake, titled Metroid: Samus Returns, was released worldwide on the Nintendo 3DS in September 2017.