ROR: Metroid II Revisited | Samus Returns (3DS) - The OTHER Metroid II Remake

IF YOU CAN, CONSIDER WATCHING ON A BIG SCREEN IN 4K OR 1080p, 60 FRAMES PER SECOND.
Exo returns to close off a three part review of Metroid II.
In part 1, Exo discussed the Game Boy original.
In part 2, Exo gave a second look at AM2R, with a special focus on the post-release updates by the AM2R Community Developers.
In this part, Exo finally does something new and discusses Metroid: Samus Returns, the 2017 remake for Nintendo 3DS. Despite being vocally dissatisfied with the game in the past, will a second look turn Exo around on the game? How does the game attempt to recreate and improve the 1992 Game Boy original for modern sensibilities?
Finally, which of the three games does Exo consider the definitive version of Metroid II?
All these questions, and more, answered in the next 58 minutes of your life!
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 - Opening
00:00:31 - Intro
00:03:23 - Story
00:07:52 - Spoiler Section
00:10:15 - Graphics (Cons)
00:14:11 - Graphics (Pros)
00:17:11 - Music
00:23:53 - Core Gameplay
00:27:30 - The Melee Counter
00:29:32 - The Aeion Abilities
00:31:31 - Metroid Minibosses
00:32:57 - Other Bosses
00:35:32 - The Difficulty Design
00:37:41 - Other Difficulties
00:39:32 - Sequence Breaking
00:41:28 - Level Design (Cons)
00:44:23 - Level Design (Pros)
00:46:28 - 100% Completion
00:48:22 - Conclusion
00:54:01 - A Reimagining?
00:56:51 - Outro
00:57:28 - Credits
AM2R Boxart by PhazonZim.
Intro and Credits music composed and arranged by Noah Taublieb.
Remake or Rebreak Scores:
1- Rebreak: Demonstrably worse than the original due to incompetent design, technical failures, etc. A virtually worthless remake/port overall.
2- Reprise: A relatively competent recreation that is still playable enough, but worse than the original in a few substantial ways. Alternatively, a Reprise may fail to address the original's salient issues or neglect to add anything substantial. Formerly called the "Re-Meh" score.
3- Remaster: An improvement overall, but not necessarily worth playing if you already own the original. Typically adds some new content or fixes salient issues with the original. Rereleases with this score often don't reach their fullest potential or otherwise lack something meaningful you can only get in the original.
4- Remake: A strong rerelease that fixes salient issues, updates the visuals/music as applicable, and maybe adds new content. However, there may be a few blemishes left untouched or other neglected opportunities to improve.
5- Replace: A rerelease that changes, fixes, and adds so much that it stands heads and shoulders above the original version. A Replace not only faithfully recreates the original, but fixes most (if not all) of the original's issues and adds a sizable amount of worthwhile new content as applicable.

[@ExoParadigmGamer]

For those with trouble using the chapter system, Spoilers End at 10:16.

[@Thisisgood99]

My baby

[@blizzardforonline1954]

So, in other words, it's Hades saying "Gah, spoiler alert!" without the need of him doing so. Got it.

[@markdpane]

So, what's gonna be the next game you focus on for Remake or Rebreak? Are you gonna do Pokemon Red and Blue and all of their remakes (Yellow, FireRed and LeafGreen, and Let's Go, Pikachu and Eevee)? I know you were having some problems before, but perhaps the new format you've made for RoR will make it a little easier.

[@RPGFlare64]

This is crazy you sound so different and it is a good different, but why did you re-clued Mario 64 DS to a remaster?

[@kieranstark7213]

My best guess of what ExoParadigmGamer wants to do next for his 37th (34th if you count every version of Metroid 1 & 2 as one) Remake or Rebreak in 2024 would have to be the Original Trilogy of the Resident Evil games vs. their remakes or DuckTales (original vs Remastered).

[@AaronJLong]

At first I was wondering why the scan pulse was the only returning Aeion ability in Dread. Then, someone pointed out that the other 3 do appear in Dread, as the final boss uses them against you. I actually had to look up how to damage him when he has the lightning armor active.

[@animeking1357]

Wow I didn't realize he uses those exact abilities.

[@noterespondi3343]

I don't remember him using the ability to slow down time

[@noterespondi3343]

@Nintendove oh I thought that was the flash shift

[@evanmackey190]

"more on that in a later video." hope you are doing good. miss your videos. really hope we get to see that metroid dread video someday

[@necro5363]

He does this a lot, he'll be back

[@Nova-uq9nw]

One thing I like about the Ridley fight in this game is that he's partially mechanized, which ties into Prime, and gives a transition from that into Super Metroid Ridley.

[@UmbreonMoonlight]

And gives a reason how he knew where Samus was at the beginning of fusion and htf was he alive after prime

[@dukemon6163]

​​@@UmbreonMoonlight Ridley was long dead in Fusion. And Prime was before this game.

[@UmbreonMoonlight]

@Dukemon before this game we didn't know how he was in super after prime 3 we still don't but it's a nice tie in lol I know he died in super and was dead dead

[@zachtwilightwindwaker596]

@@dukemon6163 I think Ridley can regenerate and sheds off his mechanical parts over time.

[@lpfan4491]

IIrc, Omega Ridley actually flees in Prime 3 instead of getting obliterated, but that is obscured due to how the cutscene is shown to the player. So that part of it is moreso a problem with the prime game than the Metroid 2 remake. Previously the Ridley in Super was presumed a clone by the fanbase, but this means it is the original revived because it would logically be the same between this game and Super. The transition between Super and Fusion according to the internet was originally of Ridley(Who just somehow exists despite being obliterated in Super) raiding BSL with leftover pirateforces and getting kicked into the freezer after somehow losing that battle.(For anyone who asks, the supposed source for that is lost media because it is related to ancient official websites and flash) It has since been retconned into being a connection to Other M and the Ridley we see in Fusion being the lifeless corpse of that clone. I know people hate Other M, but that just makes a lot more sense to me.

[@DarkLink1996.]

I'm glad the rooms are entirely new. It helps the game stand out against AM2R. If they were the same, then one would reign supreme. The way it ended up, you can go from AM2R directly to Samus Returns without feeling like you're just replaying the same game. In this case, it's for the best.

[@jessehcreative]

I feel like Nintendo took notes from AM2R and tried to be different

[@alondite215]

@@jessehcreative Mercury Steam developed the game, and most of it was likely designed long before they were even aware of AM2R.

[@jessehcreative]

@@alondite215 AM2R had a 10 year development time

[@alondite215]

@@jessehcreative And that somehow means that Nintendo would have been aware of it and that it even affected development of Samus Returns? You're out of your mind if you think Nintendo gave it any attention beyond the fact that it was using their property.

[@v1kt0us]

@@jessehcreative Yeah, but with 1/100 the budget/people ¬¬

[@RyansChannel0203]

Personally speaking, Samus Returns still remains by far one of my all-time favorite 3DS games on the system and easily the best Metroid game since Prime 3: Corruption. While not the most faithful to Return of Samus and despite the fact Mercury Steam completely outdid themselves with Dread, I still love Samus Returns to bits and am super thankful for how it revived the Metroid franchise.

[@darthbluecat0478]

AM2R is league better than this game, its not even a competition

[@RyansChannel0203]

If I ever get to AM2R, I’ll let you know if I share the same sentiment.

[@darthbluecat0478]

@@RyansChannel0203 Absolutely! The only thing that I can get onboard woth for samus returns is the fact that it's canonical

[@InkyBlitz]

Thankful for what? Making a mediocre remake that was significantly more casual to play? I suppose the bar was set extremely low and people really wanted something I guess.

[@RyansChannel0203]

@@InkyBlitz So because the game diverges so much from the original, that in turn makes it “mediocre”. Lol, the way people think never seizes to astound me.

[@8squared007]

This is an excellent review in all regards, in my opinion. It feels like you’ve produced the perfect blend of critical perspective and heavy research, and subtle lightheartedness and necessary subjectivity, to create one of the best reviews of a video game I’ve seen in a long time. Absolutely will be looking forward to anything you have planned for the future. (By the way, and I must stress I’m no Japanese expert, but I believe less emphasis is placed on “u” sounds, such that a name like “Matsuoka” is pronounced “MATsu-OKa”, though I could be wrong on this.)

[@live22morrow]

One thing I appreciated from the Ridley fight was how the music developed over the fight. It starts with an arrangement of the classic Ridley theme from Super. The next phase is a remix of the Meta Ridley theme from prime. Then the final phase sounds like an arrangement of the Neo Ridley theme from Fusion. It feels like you're going through the entire history of Ridley, making it a suitable final boss.

[@SimplySnaps]

Hope you see this. I've loved your stuff since 2015. Thanks for being such an awesome creator! Literally cannot wait for your next video (but also it's fine if I have to wait, I'm an adult.)

[@Alanzice]

Masterfully made and edited as always. Great work, Exo.

[@adamnapolitano432]

This was only a year ago? Feels like you've been gone for at least 3 years.

[@branjackson2125]

Same

[@olympusgolemoflight7198]

Why would people think you were saying the names wrong on purpose? You've always come across as professional, so this is just nuts to hear. Good to see this video come up sooner rather than later.

[@RedBlueSpot]

It's tough to know how to pronunce a name. Either you say it as it sounds in your language or you say it how it sounds in their language. For example, my name is pronounced a little different in my language but my name is used in many countries. Now, what should you call me? Of course I wont be offended either way.

[@BBHood217]

I don't think even actual Japanese people pronounce them like Google does.

[@pokshimin]

I literally just finished watching the previous two parts after not watching this channel for years and im so lucky this dropped today

[@Nurah.S.S]

Do you know why he doesn’t make videos anymore?

[@pokshimin]

@@Nurah.S.S Beats me. My guess is that they simply take real long to make

[@C_Arson]

I really appreciate this review. You bring up a lot of good and interesting points not mentioned in other videos on Samus Returns I've seen, particularly on how some more annoying aspects can be worked around with certain methods (a lot of which I didn't realize), as well as how it fares as a remake versus how it fares as a game in general. This whole Metroid II series of videos has been very thoughtful and insightful.

[@DongKEKong]

Ridley in the ending of Samus Returns is a good addition because now we know why Ridley knew about the baby metroid.

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

Why do we need to know that? What does knowing that add? It's not a flaw that we don't know every minute detail of the story. If anything, new holes have now been created. Why was Saumus so willing to leave the metroid all on it's own if ridley found it? Did she just assume he diddnt have any space pirates who knew about his mission?

[@Fudgeoff6628]

@@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502 easy to make an assumption that Ceres colony is an off the books/unofficial GF research station. Or that the place would be under its protection.

[@luis-sophus-8227]

Let's just see how they tackle this crap in the SM remake

[@voltron77]

@@luis-sophus-8227Never, no ZM remake never.

[@azekeprofit]

I always found "parry in Samus Returns" arguments to be weird. When playing AM2R i found myself wanting to parry enemies because most of the monsters are charging you right away, as it is in original Metroid 2. This clearly shows that counter was MercurySteam's solution to already existing problem of original game's combat that AM2R then inherited. If anything, the problem is that parry is not used even more, some enemies and bosses lacking counter opportunities. Parry button also works as an instant "stand up out of morphball" button which can be very crucial for Diggernaut for example. You can tap on a touchpad to morphball/unmorph but that can be cumbersome on actual 3DS. Good thing it is a dedicated button in AM2R and Dread.

[@luis-sophus-8227]

It was never a problem. But parry is a welcome addition though

[@ZebitasMartinex]

I feel people overused the Counter Mechanic because it was new, rather for it being the best or only way. As you said, you can do a no-counter run and it still works perfectly fine and sometimes it's even better. But just like the default pistol in Doom 2016, because it's a default, people tend to over use it and of course it would turn the game slow, but could be useful and fun if used wisely. However, I admit it was miles better implemented in Dread And my biggets problem with this game... is the lack of variety of enemies, including the bosses as you said. I'm just surprised how a remake this big has less enemies than the original game. And more bosses wouldn't have hurt, I feel having bosses for each area would've helped to set the areas apart much better.

[@HunterForHire422]

Yeah the boss distribution is so weird. The big 3 non metroid bosses are all in the final stretch of the game back to back. It made me realize I only really like the latter half of the game and find the first half very dull with the lack of interesting encounters besides...aracnis? I guess

[@robertkenny1201]

I enjoyed Samus Returns and Dread equally.

[@metroidjones122]

This three part series is top tier KZbin. Thanks, EPG.

[@97dusk]

I adored Samus Returns! I played it with 100% completion on both Normal and Hard, and I was in the middle of a Fusion mode run before, unfortunately, my 3DS decided it didn't want to work anymore (light turns on, but screen stays black and no audio). I especially found myself to get particularly attached to the baby Metroid, the little fella was just so cute!

[@IanRulzU]

Its good to see a new episode from you. Hope youre doing well.

[@gageiannitelli6994]

i fucking love that you still make these videos man after all these years

[@Seth_Hezekiah]

He hasn't made one in almost a year tho

[@gageiannitelli6994]

@@Seth_Hezekiah he doesnt post often to begin with, he’ll be back I’m sure

[@jofficialchannel]

​@@gageiannitelli6994 I sure hope so 😔

[@jessehcreative]

The best way to play this game, for me, is minimal items. Skipping key items, too, and finding workarounds, is really fun. It turns into a tense Metroid Hunt and is really speedy and streamlined. I also gotta say that I wish Ridley was the 100% completion boss. This way, we could have the slow, thoughtful cave exit and the tense rain exit. Make the Baby Metroid sequence to the surface shorter, get rid of the items and enemies. Have a teleporter at the bottom of the final shaft. Make the outside starry night. After you teleport back with 100%, it’s the same as now. Basically, stalling to collect more items allows Ridley to arrive.

[@jaredhebert942]

Great to see another saga complete in fine style! I was actually watching the 3D Marry-On Retrospectives on Unversed Cast again this week (and a few other RoR's), so this is a pleasant surprise - would love to see more videos release in shorter time or length, but I wouldn't want Michael to rush things out the door either as he still cares more about integrity & quality than clicks or clout, so no qualms at the end of the dat

[@Cheatscape]

This was such an ambitious project, and I'm glad to see it turned out as well as it did. AM2R is so important to the modern discourse surrounding Metroid 2, but many reviewers would opt to not cover it due to it being a fan game. The commitment to being comprehensive is admirable, but even more impressive is the striving for objectivity. The bit at 48:54 is proof that games take a lot of time and effort to properly review. Really outstanding work!

[@michaelnahrilas4679]

Putting my own thoughts aside, I'm really happy you took the time to break down each game and comment about their quality, good points and bad points, instead of just doing a side-by comparison. This is exactly the kind of thing I like to see from people who review remasters/remakes, and you've always been the best example by far. Or so I feel anyway. Really hoping to see more in the future!!

[@collinherrin4596]

It is a reimagining. “Blast your way through the dangerous planet of sr388 it this full reimagining of the ‘Metroid II: Return of samus’ game.” Direct quote from the back of the box

[@seanmcbay]

Great series. I personally prefer Samus Returns overall to ASMR2 but I admit that ASMR2 is better as a more faithful remake to the original.

[@d0rban]

For me, Samus Returns is the return to form with a new developer. They were clearly just getting started. I didn’t expect it to be as good as AM2R, but it was a good sign of things to come.

[@Schwarzorn]

Return to form? It was clearly based on Other M...

[@robertkenny1201]

@Kæðr Yeah right.

[@d0rban]

@@Schwarzorn Other M diverges from the 2D Metroid formula (last used in Zero Mission) into a 3rd person 3D - Samus returns to the 2D formula, but uses 3D to present itself (like the New Soup games). I can see where Samus Returns takes cues from Other M, but they’re very different. Different development team, different goals.

[@d0rban]

On a side note, I’m sorely disappointed how Other M basically killed new potential 3D formula. I would’ve loved a middle ground between the 2D and the Prime series.

[@robertkenny1201]

AM2R is overrated.

[@areyou0serious]

Your video is the most genuine review on the internet. You definitely did your job and I hope more reviews can be this high quality. I feel if you can cut this to short for format it could help people buy games when they don’t know what to get

[@thrillhouse_vanhouten]

The years you spent working on this script was time well-spent! Thanks for convincing me to return to this one, post-Dread!

[@elecboy5126]

This was a fantastic episode, lots of insightful and thought-provoking analysis

[@VentA_7]

Cool video so far. I do agree the Ridley fight itself is cool. Tho I wish the lead up to the queen Metroid boss fight and the inbetween of that fight and Riley’s was devoid of enemies (keeping power ups would still be fine). That way you can both have the erriee suspense of no enemies cause the enemies were killed by the metorids in this area, then the moment of quiet for samus to reflect on her decisions in the game. And then you get the cool surprise Ridley fight which helps samus & the Metroid characters bond more. Also I wish they didn’t have samus walk alway from Ridley, do a prime and have him fall off a cliff and explode or something so she has reason to assume he got killed (when he didn’t)

[@Thebluedud]

I will never stop saying that from Playthrough 1, I always felt Samus Returns was an excellent game at heart held back by a few poor design decisions and spent years hoping for a follow up to see those mistakes addressed. I take Metroid Dread as proof my initial appraisal of the game holds up.

[@lapis1737]

Miss your content, I’ve been rewatching old videos

[@vulpinitemplar5036]

Something I really like about Metroid 2 is seeing all the different ways people try to recreate it, in my experience they're all pretty neato with their different approaches and although several are direct upgrades from the original none of them can capture the feel of the original in that same way that makes it special.

[@gamingwithahandicapreviews]

Come back! Would love a remake or rebreak on Wind Waker and Wind Waker HD! Please return!

[@lincolnstone2229]

I really enjoyed Samus Returns and wasn't really planning on playing the original Metroid 2. However, after watching this video along with it coming to switch I'm definitely going to try the Game Boy version!

[@PatrickGilland]

43:40 I distinctly remember when Samus Returns was announced and shown off at E3, they specifically called it a reimagining.

[@Seth_Hezekiah]

It's been 18 months or so. Where'd you go man? I wish youtubers would at least let us know it's over.

[@tonym3697]

What a great series, so much detail and dedication. After playing them two (sadly the DS one was on Citra, but taking out the control being kinda hard to configure, the upscaling is great, and it has no flaws) I came to the same conclusion too. A great remake and a great replace. Not everyone has that kind of luck on their favorite games! And, ohhh boy, we have an almost as good situation with Prime now! Primehack was my way to go, an absolute blast from the community and one of the best "replacement" for an original game. The remastered? Incredible too, I still can't believe how good it looks and feels. If Nintendo treats the other 2 like this, we are absolutely blessed. I don't have my hopes high (what Metroid fan has them at this point 😂) but I'm sure I'm hyped as F now. Have a great one, cheers from Argentina!

[@Whacintosh]

Dude your videos are so high quality and well thought out. I’ve been enjoying your Metroid deep dives. Thanks for the hard work!

[@ChildOvAtom]

I really miss the “Grrrrreatings, welcome back gentles and ladiesmen” 😢

[@SolidSpartanX]

Samus Returns was a game I think is better judged on it's own merits rather than a remake of Metroid II. Still, the game is more solidly designed than the original and I'd rather revisit both this game and AM2R over the original for various reasons. This series of videos has been has been a good ride. I was afraid that after Metroid II's revisit on ROR, this video would take longer to produce. So I was excited to see the AM2R episode launch last month and to see this one pop in my notifications today as well. Whatever game you decide to cover next, I know it'll be a good one. Take care, Exo.

[@generalcjg]

Very good review Exo. With this, we get a great trilogy of videos cataloging your Metroid II Journey and Retrospective, and now you can go and do whatever you want. If you still wanna do more Metroid content, I say why not do Remake or Rebreak on Metroid Prime 1 and all its versions (GameCube original, Prime Trilogy on Wii, and Prime Remastered)? But if you wanna branch out to other franchises, I say do RoR on another franchise you'd wanna tackle (Crash Bandicoot 1-3 maybe). Or why not bring back Xross Platform? I'd like to see that come back (maybe do it with GEX 1-3, or Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex). Either way, looking forward to what review video you do next.

[@warriorofthegrandline2y618]

When the world needed him most HE RETURNED VICTORY MUSIC INTENSIFIES

[@HohnerSG1]

I was so excited when I saw this video came out. I even bought and played through Samus Returns a long time ago just so that I could be fairly knowledgeable about it before he made this. Love you Exo!

[@LizziShift]

Literally just started replaying this game as I see you upload this

[@kariminyt]

Same. i just started replaying it at morning just to find this vid in my feed at night. after i watched the vid i got supersized when i noticed every comment is less then a day, then i found out the vid it self is released today. i hope i finish it this time. i only finished fusion.

[@TheBanishedWind]

Hope you're doing OK

[@RobotGuy405]

One thing about the Ridley fight is that it finally ties the Prime games to the 2D games, which is just really cool.

[@ahumanbeingfromtheearth1502]

They could have done that in numerous completely different ways though. Like it's nice that it did it, but i wish they'd found a better way to make that connection.

[@HunterForHire422]

​@a human being from the earth yeah I'm glad but also this particular way they did it raised many questions just to answer if prime was cannon sadly

[@AlphaOblivion7]

This is quite the changed perspective from what you said in the other vids, really cool to see that development! Glad you enjoyed the game

[@glizzygaryglizzyross9109]

Thank you EPG. Always look forward to your content.

[@SQGReviewShow]

Glad someone has joined the SR bandwagon, although I appreciate you pointing out how it throws the original game's layout out the window. It definitely doesn't feel like a remake. More like a complete reimagining of the Metroid 2 concept. To me, AM2R feels like a true followup to Zero Mission more than Samus Returns, while Samus Returns feels more like a prequel to Dread in terms of gameplay and even story alterations like with the Mawkin tribe in the unlockable art. Fantastic conclusion to the Metroid 2 ROR. I do wonder, have you considered releasing compilations of your split RORs?

[@kingnewcomer2029]

I've only played Samus Returns like once, I think, and haven't gotten back to it since mainly due to laziness. :P Regardless, I do appreciate Sakamoto, and MercurySteam doing their best attempt at recreating the original Metroid II as much as possible! The fact that the Ridley boss fight is the best in the whole franchise so far goes to show the amount of love, and attention did indeed go into this project. It's just a shame that it's changed so much to the point where it's nearly unrecognizable, along with other issues, and missed opportunities, and was released pretty late into the 3DS line. I do wish that the Fusion Mode wasn't unlocked via Metorid: Samus Returns Metroid amiibo, but at least there's ways to work around it. Also, yes, Exo, you are indeed officially pronouncing the Japanese names correctly as a's are pronounced "ah", u's are pronounced "ooh", i's are pronounced "E", and e's are pronounced "A", with o's being the only exception of being pronounced the same in the English language that being "oh". ;) I'm very proud of you, and I look forward to seeing how far you'll improve over time!

[@kokorikopi]

I remember enjoying AM2R and SR for different reasons, but I think I appreciated SR more on a replay, while AM2R really gave me its all on its first playthrough. Whether that's good or bad is up to interpretation. That said, my SR replay was before Dread, and... I think it really exacerbated my problems with Dread, honestly. But I know I'm in the vast minority on that.

[@diandrarizvi]

I will stand my ground here Almost everything that's great in Metroid Dread, originated and or started in Metroid Samus Returns. This game is, and will always be one of my most favorite games of ALL TIME

[@CntrazZombie4]

I'm not sure if it's because of the DMCA, but people sure love to shit on the Samus Returns remake. Idk if it's a genuine dislike of the game, but AM2R being taken down seems like lynchpin in its community-wide disgust. I prefer Samus Returns because it's a fresh new take on the gameplay, while AM2R, despite all it's good, tries to emulate the style of Super Metroid, warts included.

[@JustJohn43]

Your words on Re-imaginings and the tight rope are very interesting. I love your analysis of video games Unrelated, but do you ever plan on looking at Sonic Triple Trouble 16 Bit?

[@Coaltergeist]

Let's go. Been waiting for this one

[@Lumenbell]

Good effort on the Sakamoto pronunciation! Japanese pitch accent can be hard to grasp as a non-native speaker but I think you did a pretty good job.

[@ArmaBiologica35]

How can you complain that there are barely any new bosses when pretty much any boss that was in the original game was improved in a very significant way? These ARE new bosses with interesting mechanics.

[@justenbenally522]

I actually liked this game alot more than am2r. It has that signature nintendo quality of prioritizing innovation

[@Antokyo]

This was a good review for your own thoughts on the series for Metroid 2. Although I have to say that Samus Returns was more faithful to the original more than AM2R to me. I would say AM2R goes too far from the continuity and layout from the OG and Samus Returns was. Even so I see your reasoning behind it. I enjoyed a lot of what Mercury Steam has brought out to the Metroid series and I’m curious to see what the future of the franchise will turn out to be. Metroid is a franchise I hold close to my heart and I’m glad to see it’s return.

[@alextheex]

This is the fastest you’ve put out a new video since Spyro. I’m impressed

[@Carlet_S]

what makes SR over AM2R for me is definitely the metroid fights they're basically the focus of the game, a huge chunk of your game time is spent on it and they're just great in SR on the contrary, metroid fights were the absolute worst part of my AM2R experience, getting increasingly more annoying as they evolved it was bad enough playing pixel hunt with those tiny hitboxes on moving targets, but then Zetas and Omegas had to have magical instant claw swipes that deflect missiles and just come out randomly, sometimes they block your shots, other times they don't and the Queen fight is hardly any competition, AM2R sticks too close to the original fight which doesn't really land with how much more mobile Samus is compared to the original game

[@osama4048]

Loved your stuff bro,come back!

[@Toschez]

Japanese here since you brought up the 'Sakamoto' pronunciation. This video has stress on 'ka', but the most natural way of saying it is to have no stress.

[@Megaman.ExE7]

Finally an EPG upload! I hope it's not too selfish of me to ask, but I'd really appreciate us if you could provide us with great content like this more often :3

[@Saxdude26]

"Rest In Peace, you slicing succulent." Quote of the video, hands down. Was not expecting Part 3/3 so quickly! Noticed the mention of Oddworld in the credits, couldn't say I saw any footage of their games, but given your closing verdict, I can see some parallels to what New 'n' Tasty does for Abe's Oddysee; subjectively my favourite interpretation of the game, but different enough not to supersede the original. Regardless, this was a pleasant surprise and after watching, I feel compelled to finally give Samus Returns a chance.

[@galfinsp7216]

He showed it while talking about the controls

[@ExoParadigmGamer]

I showed Abe's Oddysee as an example of a 2D game that runs at 30fps, with sprites no less.

[@yoshimallow]

29:26 for the quote

[@oscarzxn4067]

I've always wondered why so many people were so bothered by the melee counter on this game since I quickly noticed you can mostly ignore it as soon as you get the ice beam, as you said on the video,I guess is not as clear the first time since I also had to tell it to a guy who was streaming the game and saying he really dislike the counter and after telling him the pacing improved a lot for him.

[@Schwarzorn]

That's still only two ways to attack. They intentionally made enemies take way too many hits to kill in an attempt to force you to use counterattacks. It's dumb they took something that was meant to be cool and special in Other M and made it nearly the only method of attack. Metroid games give each enemy a different attack pattern and strategy for defeat (or multiple). And one strategy is to just dodge and run. You can't even do that. They fixed all this in Dread thankfully.

[@nanya524]

I would argue that the Ridley fight shows just how DANGEROUS Metroids truly are. The fact that a newborn hatchling can do THAT to RIDLEY of all beings, with no super power boost or anything like that? Yeah, that's freaking terrifying and a VERY good reason why the Metroids were so sought after in all the games.

[@felixvasquez1797]

Man, you're great at reviewing.

[@JomasterTheSecond]

I can't believe it, Samus finally returned.

[@BugsyFoga]

The grand Metroid return after years of absence.

[@andreworders7305]

12:09 Next Level is really good at getting the max graphical potential out of systems based on the two Luigi games they made

[@tronmerncutsman]

Samus Returns sure is an interesting one, I really don't mind how much it diverges from the original game because it still provides a great new experience without making the original completely obsolete. To me, as long as the original is there, it's not like the remake completely replaces the original. I love having multiple great versions of a game that are all worth playing in their own right, to me that can be more interesting than having just an old game and a straight up better version of it. Metroid 2 is an underappreciated classic, AM2R provides an extremely well-made faithful modernized version of it, and Samus Returns gives you a fantastic new experience based on the general framework. Play all three versions if you can, they're all great and you'll get something unique out of each one

[@RetroNerdyGamer]

I'm actually a bit confused but what was the verdict on this one? Was it a remaster or reimagining? Great video but personally the ending could have been shortened a lot just to avoid confusion.

[@Cr102y]

Love your channel man,your videos are great.

[@_roburpo]

duuuude I kinda wasn't sure how long this one would take after the hiatus but that was quick I'm stoked

[@mistertitanic]

Glad to see you back, dear friend.

[@noahbearden9849]

one of the best videos of yours to date!

[@brownshoes5225]

Welcome back king. Love your releases.

[@Cosmoz500]

LETS GOOO! AM2R is my favorite take on Metroid 2. Love seeing any mention of it on KZbin.

[@ord4everX14]

Since I played it, Samus Returns has quickly become one of my favorite Metroid games.

[@UmbreonMoonlight]

Finally a good review of this game it sparked my love for metriod back after other m destroyed it it made me pre-order dread without second thought it made dread as good as it was because it was a good game not as good as am2r but it was a great stand alone experience

[@hyperflowey2564]

nice end to the metroid 2 ror, looking forward to your next content, whether it's metroid or something else. i do agree that the line between remake and reimagining can be quite blurry and difficult to pinpoint sometimes. also i'll be sure to keep those sequence break tricks in mind. finally, your point at 2:53 made me realize just how misguided some of my comments were in the oot randomizer streams where you said the exact same thing to me at one point. what i was trying to get at in those oot stream chats was that critical thinking is absolutely important - i have no issues with it and i partake in it a lot - and can help *as long* as we're not being *too* critical that we lose sight of the positive stuff that is there. that time i was just worried about how much negativity there was, especially regarding certain game franchises, that i was trying too hard to balance it out with more positivity. i apologize for coming off as a whiny fanboy of things like i did in the oot randomizer. sometimes when my brain is wired so specifically, it can be difficult for me to realize and/or understand that maybe some people naturally like or dislike things more than others for reasons that make sense to them as individuals. trying to nail that perfect middle ground between the two extremes can be tricky, but also important. anyways, keep up the good work!

[@MANGOM1LK]

always a great day when i see a new ROR in my sub box! might i suggest p-06 for your next review? it would probably only take about as long as this episode was in preproduction :p in all seriousness this is an interesting outcome! i'm going to place am2r on my marathon representing metroid 2 but i'll be sure to check out samus returns as well before i get to Dread. (hoping for a goty 2022 podcast on unversed cast, i need to hear your detailed Omori thoughts 🥺)

[@sanic007]

P-06 is still being worked on though. Wouldn't it make more sense to hold off until then.

[@MANGOM1LK]

@@sanic007 yeah it's a joke suggestion anyway :p he mentioned in the Unleashed XP that he had nothing really interesting to say about shadow or 06

[@sanic007]

@@MANGOM1LK darn. That's a shame.

[@outsideinside9990]

the epic finale of this ROR!

[@arc7375]

Excellent video. Really enjoyable. I’d say it’s a no-brainier to make a video on the newly released Metroid Prime Remastered next.

[@wrathz_115]

Hey Exo, before I get to my question, I’ll like to let you know that I’ve been watching your content for 5 or so years by now, and I gotta say, whether it be from ROR, Xross Platform, or any review you make, your reviews definitely helped me a lot in opening my mind to different ways I can play each of my favorite games or game franchises, with how much work you put into detailing the pros and cons of each game you review I would really just like to take a minute to say thank you, for all of the blood, sweat, and tears you’ve put into making these videos for your general audience, I look forward to seeing what content you may have in store for us in the future, as for the question I had in mind, being that 2024 will be marked as the 10th anniversary of ROR, any chance that you may have anything in mind for that? (As much as I would like to see a possible ROR video on Majora’s Mask, I’m open to viewing any other ideas you yourself may have, besides, it is your channel and your series after all)

[@somebaker2613]

I hate that this didn't show up in my feed. I got lucky that it came out when I searched for Metroid speedruns, and was blessed that it only came out 12 hours ago

[@ladyaceina]

one thing i love about this game is the redesigend gravity suit

[@HoodedChaosProductions]

HOODZ: I really need to play this game again since I had a lot of fun playing this game when it came out, and I also bought it day one to support the Metroid series since it's a fantastic franchise. Your review has taught me some new stuff and it's a great perspective you have given.

[@scrumptioushumanbeing2268]

11:10 this has aged Really well, the new Metroid prime game is the best looking switch game I've ever seen

[@HDGamerofficial]

Samus Returns is really special to me because it’s the game that really made me a Metroid fan! I beat it 9 times to get every ending on every difficulty, 100%ed it and at the beginning cuz it was pretty new to Metroid, I didn’t know what to do most of the time, but over time I’ve gotten so much better and I got to the point where I could beat it in just a few sittings. The gameplay is so nice and fluid, despite the 30fps, some of the evolved Metroid fights are so fun, the 3D looks great, and the game uses the older 3DS & XL to their fullest potential (I don’t have a New 3DS but it sucks that the extra buttons don’t do anything) I think Mercury Steam did an amazing job with this game and I feel like the problems people had with it are remedied in Dread (which to no one’s surprise I also love and it’s my favourite Metroid game) Overall, I love this game, I’m so happy I got the special edition in 2017, even tho I wasn’t a Metroid fan until I sat down, watched some guides and beat it in 2020 Highly recommended

[@river150animations]

I just hope Remake or Rebreak continues

[@Unquestionable]

As a kid I got Metroid 2 around the time of release, one of the few times I recall getting a game when it was relatively new, and being 8 years old took me the better part of two years to really fully grasp and complete. Keep in mind at the time Nintendo Power was really the only help I had and no one else I knew did much beyond dabble in the original NES title. As a result I was thrilled it got an official remake but weirdly it fell off my radar until about the time Dread was announced (I blame it coming out after the Switch combined with rebuilding my life from scratch) so when I finally had gotten to it well over twenty years since my last time playing the original. Have to agree with how this very much doesn't feel like the original but is still a great title. I was taken aback how unlike prior Metroid titles you can't just tank massive amounts of damage and ignore having much in the way of skill in combat. As a kid I would have hated his but these days appreciate that style of design a lot more. I haven't played AMR2 but I'm sure eventually one day I'll give it a shot, it sounds incredible and the sheer amount of love in it's creation deserves admiration.

[@Supercatandrewman]

I haven't seen a ROR episode in forever!

[@sethnicol8850]

I really enjoyed this video, even though I respectfully disagree. I think it has to be a Replace purely (to me) because if you’re trying to play through the whole Metroid story, the “what happened between Metroid and Super Metroid?” game is Samus Returns. It’s not perfectly in line with the original, but it’s the best way to legally fill that story gap. I don’t see any reason to play the original

[@salvatoredigregorio9618]

Oof Of all reasons to revoke the Replace score of Super Mario 64 DS you went with the speedrun community? And you highlight how fiercely they glitch the game for their speedrun? Wouldn't that mean, if Ocarina of Time 3D chose to fix the bugs of the original, it couldn't be considered a Replace? Because speedrunners couldn't perform the same skips? Feels a bit backwards to me

[@BioMega96]

Can agree with ya there

[@lpfan4491]

They actually did fix and add a handful assortment of bugs in OOT3D, so I guess it is a remaster because it subtracts and add in diffrent places. Yeah, I agree that it is kinda silly and the more logical rationale would be that the game is closer to a full redux than a remake. Not quite a reimagining because they left a lot more stuff in place, but the many redesigns and additions still make for a very unique experience compared to the original.

[@Happymealthief]

PLEASE COME BACK AND DO MARIO AND LUIGI IM BEGGING I love your vids so much