3.5/5 ★ – Speady9's review of Metroid: Samus Returns.

Continuing my slow walk through the Metroid series, Samus Returns is my 2nd game, and a follow-up to Zero Mission. Much like how Zero Mission was a remake of the original NES game in need of polishing, Samus Returns is a remake of the Gameboy follow-up that needed even more of a clean-up. While a visual and modernized remake of a Gameboy game, the design here is still intact...and just as odd. Unlike the open set of objectives discovered in Zero Mission, Samus Returns tasks the player with a single objective: killing 47 metroids on planet SR388. This, in turn, makes this sequel feel more like a linear boss rush, with your numerous boss encounters acting as keys to progress into newer areas. I'm personally not too big on this design revision, but I can understand its appeal for a Gameboy game. (Plus, I love when Nintendo experimented with their sequels to NES games. You guys ever play Zelda II? Maybe even Super Mario Bros. 2?) Truly, my big gripe about this game is the platform of choice, which is unfortunate considering many preferred to have this on the Nintendo Switch from the start. It's not a technical hold-back or anything, but rather an ergonomic nightmare. Controlling Samus and her range of abilities feels very stiff on the Nintendo 3DS. Using free-aim and simply moving around isn't suited for the fragile circle pad. I even had to buy myself a hand grip for my handheld just so my hands don't cramp up as often. It would've been nice for Mercury Steam to at least implement support for the circle pad pro or C-stick, especially since this release came very late in the Nintendo 3DS's lifetime. Some smaller issues I have with Samus Returns involves its overall length and difficulty spikes. There are 47 metroid fights that you encounter, most of which are the exact same, which dragged my playthrough much longer than I was expecting. It took me only 4 hours to finish Zero Mission, while Samus Returns took me 11 hours! This is also an issue when taking into account the few non-metroid boss encounters, which cast a brutal difficulty spike to those used to the smaller fights (albeit I do appreciate the way those encounters have you think of different ways to use your abilities). Aside from its handful of flaws, Samus Returns is still a great remake! The range of color palettes filling each area, the cinematic production that compliments the stereoscopic 3D very well, and the re-orchestrated soundtrack all make this a trip worth taking. It also offers a unique and challenging take on the traditional formula. (And don't worry, the field of view is much better than its Gameboy predecessor.) For the unitiated to 2D Metroid titles however, you probably shouldn't be visiting SR388 just yet.