AM2R - Another Metroid 2 Remake

[KillianHawkeye]

Well I just beat the game with nearly 100% of the items about an hour ago. I'm really surprised that there isn't a thread here about it.

For anyone who doesn't know, AM2R is an incredibly high-quality, fan-made remake of Metroid II: The Return of Samus which was finally finished and "released" a couple weeks ago after an incredibly long development. It incorporates a lot of the visual style and improved controls of the later 2D Metroid games, and there are a lot of little extras and bonus areas that make the game different but still a faithful heir to the Metroid II legacy. Actually, it reminded me a lot of how Metroid: Zero Mission compared as a remake of the original Metroid game.

Anyway, the game is free to download... if you can find it. Nintendo dropped the cease and desist and forced the official file hosts to remove it with lightning speed, but you should still be able to get it with some expert Googling.

The official site is here, although it seems there won't be any more updates due to the legal issues: http://metroid2remake.blogspot.com/



So has anybody else played this gem? What did you think? I've been a big Metroid fan since I was a little kid, but I never actually beat the original Metroid II back on the old Game Boy, so I was extremely pleased when I heard about this game and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Doesn't Nintendo understand that people want more 2D Metroid games?

[Knaight]

I've played it. It's an incredible game, and while I was unable to 100% it I came close.

[KillianHawkeye]

I've played it. It's an incredible game, and while I was unable to 100% it I came close.

Yeah, I finished with 97% on my first run through the game. After looking at a map online, I know where 2/3 of the ones I missed are and have a couple guesses where the last one might be, but I'm not sure it's really worth going back for them. Still, good to know about if I play again on hard or something.

[Knaight]

Yeah, I finished with 97% on my first run through the game. After looking at a map online, I know where 2/3 of the ones I missed are and have a couple guesses where the last one might be, but I'm not sure it's really worth going back for them. Still, good to know about if I play again on hard or something.

I finished with 95% after losing to the final boss while at a much lower percentage. The extra 5 energy tanks I picked up while searching really helped, and also do a pretty good job of explaining why I had as much trouble with the Omegas as I did (the extra 8 super missiles were also explanatory). Although one of them went down and did no damage in the process at the end, so it might just have been that it took a while to get used to their attacks.

[KillingAScarab]

Anyway, the game is free to download... if you can find it. Nintendo dropped the cease and desist and forced the official file hosts to remove it with lightning speed, but you should still be able to get it with some expert Googling.Another Metroid 2 Remake didn't receive a cease and desist. They received Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notices and now a takedown request to remove protected content. The difference is significant. As far as I know, Nintendo has been aware of the game as it has been shown at Nintendo fan game conventions for years, so it was hoped that there would be communication within the company to prevent this sort of mishap. There were multiple demos released, which never had a problem. Put the designation "1.0" on something and put out a release trailer, and suddenly copyright lawyers become incredibly defensive, it would seem.

DoctorM64 has suggested people purchase Metroid II through the Nintendo eShop to show that there is demand for the game. Personally, I think I would rather attempt to contact Nintendo to ask they officially work with the project. Its 1.0 release was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the first Metroid game. There's still time for Nintendo to do an officially sponsored release in time for the 25th anniversary of the release of Metroid II this November. Capcom did this for anniversaries for Mega Man and Street Fighter II when they worked with Street Fighter X Mega Man (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_X_Mega_Man).

[KillianHawkeye]

@KillingAScarab:

I knew I wasn't using the right terminology, but thanks for the clarification all the same.



And WOW, Knaight, you were missing 5 energy tanks? I'm sort of surprised you even made it to the final boss like that! You must have skillz. :smallbiggrin:

[Knaight]

And WOW, Knaight, you were missing 5 energy tanks? I'm sort of surprised you even made it to the final boss like that! You must have skillz. :smallbiggrin:

Sometimes my search patterns are less than thorough - I was missing a great deal of things, then went back and got them after being stomped by the final boss. As for skillz, there were a fair few game overs in there. On the other hand, there was also the Omega I beat without losing a single HP, and the actual win against the final boss once I'd got the patterns down only costing me three energy tanks. That's one of the things I really liked about the game, it rewards you for learning the tells of the enemies more than pure raw reflexes.

[KillingAScarab]

I am on a PC which doesn't meet the minimum requirements (shaders) for the time being, so I have begun to watch a "Let's Play" of the game. I think my favorite addition is the charge-beam-bomb-jump. I spent so much time in Super Metroid trying to find a way to utilize the spread of 5 bombs released when you morph after charging. I am also terrible at bomb jumping. I think I pulled off getting the Brinstar energy tank in Super Metroid only once before acquiring the hi-jump boots.

I had also played an older demo of the game and got up to the Hydro Station, but the final version is so much better. Industrial Complex looks similarly superb.

[KillianHawkeye]

That's one of the things I really liked about the game, it rewards you for learning the tells of the enemies more than pure raw reflexes.

I totally agree with this. That's also why I consider Super Punch Out to be by far the best game in the Punch Out series.

[KillingAScarab]

I finally watched that Let's Play video series up through the Distribution Center. I now consider AM2R to be the best Metroid game, period. If you can wait until you reach the Distribution Center before you backtrack, it is worth it.

That elevator segment for GFS Thoth is kinda silly, though. Admittedly, I don't want anyone associated with the Galactic Federation to have access to teleportation, but it seemed a little like the Mega Man 10 final Wily Castle map screen.

[Knaight]

I finally watched that Let's Play video series up through the Distribution Center. I now consider AM2R to be the best Metroid game, period. If you can wait until you reach the Distribution Center before you backtrack, it is worth it.

That elevator segment for GFS Thoth is kinda silly, though. Admittedly, I don't want anyone associated with the Galactic Federation to have access to teleportation, but it seemed a little like the Mega Man 10 final Wily Castle map screen.

I'm not sure I'd got that far, but it's definitely better than some of the games in the series. I don't just mean the low points either (Other M, spinoffs like the pinball game), I'd put it at least on par with Fusion. Super Metroid and Metroid Prime 1 are just so good though.

[KillingAScarab]

I'm not sure I'd got that far, but it's definitely better than some of the games in the series. I don't just mean the low points either (Other M, spinoffs like the pinball game), I'd put it at least on par with Fusion. Super Metroid and Metroid Prime 1 are just so good though.To each their own, although I do wonder if the difference in opinion is because of the absences of the X-Ray Scope/Visors and the Grapple Beam.

[Knaight]

To each their own, although I do wonder if the difference in opinion is because of the absences of the X-Ray Scope/Visors and the Grapple Beam.

I'm not big on the X-Ray Scope, but the visors in Prime are excellent. As for the Grapple Beam, it was missed.

[KillianHawkeye]

To each their own, although I do wonder if the difference in opinion is because of the absences of the X-Ray Scope/Visors and the Grapple Beam.


I'm not big on the X-Ray Scope, but the visors in Prime are excellent. As for the Grapple Beam, it was missed.

Personally, I didn't miss the Grapple Beam in the slightest.

Between the early Spring Ball and Spider Ball upgrades and getting the Space Jump around the middle of the game rather than nearer to the end, AM2R's incarnation of Samus has plenty of mobility. This was also the reason why the Ice Beam was put last in the line-up and redesigned to remove the classic "frozen enemies as jumping platforms" functionality; it just wasn't necessary.

The Grapple Beam was amazing in Super Metroid, where you get it a quarter of the way through the game (and don't get the Space Jump until three quarters of the way through), and it was pretty sweet in the Prime series where the Space Jump only let you jump once in mid-air instead of as much as you wanted, but I can't think of a single part of AM2R that would have been improved by swinging around like Spider-Man. After all, Samus' mission on SR388 isn't to infiltrate and explore, it's a one woman commando-charge to cut a swathe of destruction and exterminate every single metroid on the planet! That's why Metroid II is the only Metroid game I can think of in which you begin play with missile tanks.


As for the X-Ray Scope or Metroid Prime style visor modes, the use of environmental clues and a very informative map made finding secrets easy enough without slowing down the game with unnecessary scanning.

[thracian]

I haven't played this particular game, but the scanning in Metroid Prime certain served a purpose regarding game pacing, if nothing else.

[Professor Chimp]

Played it and loved it. A major improvement over the original GB game and a really impressive piece of fan work.

It's definitely a game for the more experienced Metroid fan though. It assumes you're already familiar with the mechanics and offers a level of challenge to match. In other words: a must play, but not the first Metroid you should play.

[huttj509]

Solid game. Movement feels a bit floaty to me, especially after the high jump boots, but it's been years since I played metroid 2, so I'm not sure how it compares.

[Rakaydos]

I picked up the spider ball, but I'm not sure how to activate it. I ended up walljumping out to get to a save point.

[huttj509]

I picked up the spider ball, but I'm not sure how to activate it. I ended up walljumping out to get to a save point.

On the controller it's L1 or L2, IIRC.

Check the controls on the menu? I don't recall how clear the game is on that listing.

[KillianHawkeye]

I picked up the spider ball, but I'm not sure how to activate it. I ended up walljumping out to get to a save point.

I think it depends on your control scheme. The classic setting is to press down again after you're already in Morph Ball mode. I tried doing it that way, but it really hinders your ability to jump and Spider onto ceilings. Otherwise, what huttj509 said.

[fizzmaister]

This game is amazing. I managed to beat it 100%. This certainly feels like the pinnacle of Metroid games.