ROR: Metroid II Revisited | Metroid II (GB): The Triumphant Return

[@cyberbitterdragon]

And when the world needed him the most, he returned.

[@MonsterMindEntertainment]

And with a remake of one of his older videos nonetheless.

[@Chex-David]

And I literally just watched his videos since they put automatic subtitles on KZbin for Android and since I'm a Spanish-speaking user it benefited me to watch a lot of his videos even though my English isn't very good xd

[@SantaFeSuperChief1]

I feel like this is going to be the top comment on every single one of his videos.

[@RobbWes]

@@Chex-David l literally see no grammatical issues in your comment. So I think your English is pretty good.

[@BackPalSA]

@@Chex-David Good luck, I hope you improve to a point where you're happy, but I think your English is pretty good!

[@Demonskunk]

Do remember: The slow movement speed isn’t just for screen crunch. The original Gameboy had a disgustingly smeary screen, so fast paced action would get blurry and impossible to follow very quickly.

[@minuterice19540]

Fun fact, you can cut down on some of the backtracking during areas 4 and 5. After you finish area 3, you can dive into the lava/acid just outside the entrance to that area and book it straight to area 5, kill the metroids there, which will lower the lava/acid, and then go do area 4. It is a much more convenient way to play the game, especially if you picked up all 4 energy tanks available up to that point.

[@minuterice19540]

@@roostersurf How so? I'm just sharing a shortcut I regularly use in my playthroughs. It's, as far as I'm aware, the only spot in the game where you can break the intended sequence.

[@DSoverPSP]

To Metroid Intelligently. Lol

[@GeekCritique]

Glad to see you back, man, I missed your stuff!

[@redmetroid743]

Hey tgc is here. I'm actually going to rewatch your Metroid critiques again. They're a great listen when I'm at work.

[@BugsyFoga]

Gotta appreciate Exo coming back when he’s needed .

[@SantaFeSuperChief1]

And then disappearing for another 7 months, leaving a 'part 1' unresolved.

[@champion1859]

@@SantaFeSuperChief1 lol funny you say that cause very recently like two or so days ago part 2 finally realsed here's to waiting for part 3 in the next 7 months lol

[@johnnybagel2539]

It feels great getting to see another vid on this channel after a long while. Hope to see more from you soon.

[@KBABZ]

"The future is in your hands! ...today!"

[@SkyyySi]

I think the "floating in the void" with the black backgrounds is exactly the atmosphere they wanted to create. The game was made by the same team that designed the GB internals, so you can be pretty sure they did not just use pitch black because they didn't know how to do otherwise. The game wants you to feel alone in a dangerous, very vast and unexplored cave, so using black backgrounds was probably a decision made to help with that.

[@GameboyFanatic]

I love pitch black backgrounds so much I don’t understand why some dislike them

[@galfinsp7216]

@@GameboyFanatic it can sometimes look lazy, though that seems more like personal preference.

[@GameboyFanatic]

@@galfinsp7216 Dang

[@alicevioleta3184]

this game is a masterpiece made by people who knew exactly what they were doing. it's severely underrated.

[@abraham3673]

that’s honestly one of the biggest gripes i have with am2r and samus returns. even though those games obviously have much better gameplay, they almost completely miss the original atmosphere and aesthetic. the only moments that come close are the dimly lit areas in am2r and the diggernaut segments in sr.

[@thepapergoomba9390]

This is literally my favorite channel! Videos are really well done, and relaxing!

[@theamazingmeh1759]

You have such a unique style and great content, absolutely love it

[@whyamitriggered4721]

when I saw the notification I couldn’t believe my eyes.. consistent EPG back? Watched this guy religiously back in lockdown

[@kchrules775]

27:50 the manual alludes to an "infrared ray scope" upgrade that was never implemented or scrapped at the last minute. It allegedly would have let you see in the dark. This room was probably supposed to be part of that mechanic

[@lpfan4491]

Very interessting, I guess that was the inspiration for the visors in Metroid prime then.

[@OilFreak]

@@lpfan4491 it was probably the insipration for the x-ray scope in Super. In interviews, prime staff have said that miyamoto gave them the inspiration for the visors

[@Haedox]

greetings folks?? FOLKS!?? I AM A GENTLES AND LADIESMAN!!

[@captndingpot3981]

6:38 Reminds me how they gave Mario a feather on his hat in Super Mario Land 2 to indicate that Mario has the fire flower. In an alternate universe, the feather on Mario's hat became a main stay like the shoulder pads for Samus.

[@mscottjohnson3424]

Surface of SR388 is one of my favorite chip tunes of all time, especially as rendered by the actual Game Boy. I enjoy the AM2R version and the 3DS version, as well as some cool remixes you can find on KZbin, but I still like the Game Boy rendition the best. Fantastic tune that plays into the Game Boy's audio functionality.

[@gamesystemaddict3949]

I loved that little bit at 5:44, very clever and humorous indeed! Thanks for revisiting this as I'm getting back into metroid again and needed quality content.

[@ThisChannelIsNoLongerActive777]

On the topic of slow movement speed here is a fun fact, the VARIA suit makes you run faster. I have never seen another reviewer notice or mention this. Anyways, good video! Looking forward to the next 2 videos.

[@Josh_Fredman]

I played this game as a kid, and for my two cents the level design was very effective and the music and sound design were SUPER effective at conveying the themes of horror and desolation. This game was impressive for any platform but especially for the Game Boy. When you're walking down a hallway with the eerily quiet, ambient music and suddenly that Metroid theme busts out, it's pretty startling. The straightfoward nature of the main caves, together with the triumphant music, make for a critical palate cleanser between the moody, creepy, mazes of the various areas. They also make it quicker to return to Samus' ship. (When I was a kid I didn't know about many of the recharge stations, so I often went all the way back, plus I liked visiting the ship.) Samus' large size relative to the screen and the screen's small resolution created a suspenseful claustrophobic sense, like constantly having the camera tight up close. Together with the fact that many areas are technically vast, but you can only see this little bit of them at a time, it creates a sense of murkiness and dark. I would argue that this is the scariest of all the Metroid games, though maybe that's just the nostalgia talking. I do agree with you that the platforming is rough at points, though I prefer Samus' sense of weight and momentum in the controls on this game (you mentioned you wanted something floatier and faster). And it's one of the only Metroid titles that ends with a cathartic, contemplative dénouement rather than a timed escape sequence, which to me was always the most tonally effective ending in the series. I think both the official remake and the fan remake, while interesting in their own rights, learned the wrong lessons from this game and tried to make it too much like the later 2D Metroid titles. Metroid II is a real gem, nothing else like it in the series. Having said all that, I enjoyed your review! Always cool to see the old classics get some attention!

[@Athesies]

I'd just like to say thanks for making these vids exo if you read these. I recently spent 4 months in and out of the hospital and watching/rewatching loads of your reviews in my bed helped so much in getting through that experience

[@FletcherReedsRandomness]

“He’s back!” ~Agent Stone, 2022

[@JustJohn43]

The incredibly clean footage you have captured using the nice greyscale colours really makes this the best I've ever seen the game presented. It actually does the game justice and looks really good and clear!

[@CrowScareify]

The Metroid fight music stresses me out everytime lol I played this for the first time in college a few years ago and loved it so much. This game is definitely not for everyone but this is one of my favorite games and is still my favorite Metroid game. The atmosphere just really clicks for me

[@Saxdude26]

Take all the time you need on Parts 2 and 3. You need to be in the right state of heart, mind, and soul to dive back in with the level of attention that produces content you are proud of, and both short and long time viewers are sure to understand. And as it stands? Part 1, even as a revisit, shows everything I just mentioned in spades. It's why I keep coming back, even for rewatches, and even as a Metroid newbie, I thoroughly appreciate the attention you give these games and, in turn, these videos.

[@KidPrarchord95]

Metroid II feels like a very artistically experimental game. I really dig it.

[@kingnewcomer2029]

He has returned, gentles, and ladiesmen! Great to see you back a year later, Exo! I was actually there when you first uploaded your original Remake Or Rebreak video over a half-decade ago (god, that feels like forever ago already), and while I do agree that it's a bit dated, I still that it's not only one of your best ROR videos, but also one of your best reviews period (of course, I don't remember whether, or not I actually left a comment on there)! I especially loved the way you stood up to Nintendo ("Copyright Nazis". Very true. BASED), that was without a doubt one of your greatest moments, and nobody will else tell me otherwise! Also in your original review of the game, it was pretty much 1 year prior to Metroid: Samus Returns on the 3DS, and you gotta love that Nintendo went ahead, and took down AM2R not long after it originally launched, and started immediately working on an official Metroid II remake. They're the best, aren't they? In all seriousness, I'm glad the fan game is still going strong to this day! I do agree that Metroid II does improve greatly over its predecessor in many areas, I just don't think the game's quite as replayable as Metroid 1 due to it being more linear. Regardless, despite its flaws, II has absolutely achieved on being a fun game especially on the original Game Boy! The Remake Or Rebreak Revisited video of Metroid II: Return Of Samus was definitely worth the 1-year wait! I look forward to Part 2 where we'll get to see Another Metroid 2 Remake! Keep up the amazing work! You've definitely come a long way since 2016 (and especially 2013)! Still love the new intro, and outro music from Part 1, it sounds phenomenal, and even a bit relaxing!

[@Possum880]

You’re one of the very few gaming related channels I still follow. It’s great to see new content. Keep up the great work

[@glenngriffon8032]

Nice to see you back. Also thanks for reminding me how old i am by refreshing my memory of how long ago AM2R came out.

[@chainswordcs]

Really excited for the other two parts! I actually didn't look into AM2R again, I didn't know it was still receiving updates from a new community team, neat! I didn't get around to checking it out last time, I'll definitely check it out now.

[@duffman18]

It also has an android version now too which is awesome. So you don't need a pc to play it.

[@Shadowsamaman]

Good take as always, Exo. I myself am not fond of either Metroid or Metroid II, but if I had to play one it would be the sequel. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say about Samus Returns!

[@MattKimura]

I haven't seen your other Metroid II review so this was a treat. I love how in-depth you go with these.

[@DarkBowser64]

Really appreciated this video going over all the aspects! There's so much that the original Metroid 2 has that the remakes simply lack. I actually somewhat recently played through the original Metroid 2 all the way through, for the first time ever, using the EJRTQ colorization hack. The color really helps you mentally separate the areas and orient yourself, and the slightly low saturation felt fine for me because I was really enthralled by the atmosphere as I got further through. It's subdued, but still colorful, and probably looks pretty decent on an original GBC screen too. The soundtrack surprisingly does well in a lot of places when it comes to atmosphere, I think. I kind of actually quite enjoy the pure black background for this reason; it's dark and creepy and you're not too sure what's going to jump out. I don't believe an official DX colorization by Nintendo would have added any backgrounds anyway. The final area had me on edge. I had never played the game all the way through before then unlike other Metroid games that I have played, but it definitely made me appreciate the game a lot as a first time player, and this is seeing as it can be hard to get into much older games if you didn't already play them way back when. The original Metroid 2's atmosphere isn't expressed quite as well in either of the remakes, but the colorization keeps every aspect of it.

[@jaredhebert942]

Good to have you back, Michael! Hope all is well on your end!

[@miahthorpatrick1013]

Welcome back Exo! BTW-Love that brief shout-out to the original Shantae game as I'm currently playing it for the first time. Anyway I loved the video overall and I can't wait to see what you think about AM2R years later!

[@OuroborosChoked]

Metroid II's soundtrack is actually my favorite of all Game Boy games. It's atmospheric, alien, and haunting. It's been over 30 years since I first played it and certain tracks still pop into my mind on occasion. You decry the lack of backgrounds, but disregard the soundtrack which adds texture to the environment... giving the game a sense of place. It's like your criticism is just checking off boxes and, in doing so, you're missing the forest for the trees. Would you say The Doors would've been better if only they'd had a bass player? It was a bold decision way, way ahead of its time, especially for a Nintendo game. Can you imagine such a soundtrack in a Nintendo game these days? Everything's sweeping orchestras anymore simply because they can; not because that's what best fits the games. Hell, I can't even recall a single melody from any recent Nintendo games... except Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which I mute because the soundtrack to that game bites ass).

[@playbossthebest936]

He attacc He protecc But most importantly He came bacc

[@warpedbays4388]

I wish you would do an RoR on Halo CE or 2 stacked up against their anniversary counterparts.

[@rumotu]

Oh man, I was starting to worry something happened. Nice to see your videos back

[@iDarkLinkGraal]

You're telling me when I had a hankering to return to your RoR series after a long time away, you just come back with a new video of THAT series. About THAT game. God I love this website sometimes.

[@Mattakschwa]

As someone who only found your channel in the last month or so, very glad to see this series continue!

[@WorksOfMagic]

When we needed him the most, he came back.

[@alialbannay6707]

it's great to see you back EPG

[@TheGrandtheftautops3]

Nice to see another episode, excellent channel 👍

[@Lanman106]

24:34 I have printed out that exact map on a piece of paper years ago when playing through the original Metroid for the first time with my father! It brings me back.

[@IgoSplashman]

I was hoping you'd pick up on this, but the cave music isn't just random noise. Go listen to them in order, Cave 1>2>3 and then compare them to the Omega Cave theme. You'll hear there's a pattern going on in the cues and blips, as they each build up to the final theme. It might sound not very pleasant to listen to, but you have to applaud this very clever attention to detail.

[@rexdavis12]

Overjoyed to see that you are back, keep up the great work!! ^-^

[@briancherry8088]

Metroid 2 was one of the first Gameboy games I ever finished.... actually, it was probably one of the first games I ever finished at all. There was something about those GB games that compelled me because I could sit anywhere (anywhere there was light that is) and play. Metroid 2 was the only way to play Metroid on the go until Fusion came out. And THAT one was amazing too... but not compelling enough to finish I'm afraid.

[@retrobution1262]

Hey exo glad to see you getting vids out whenever you can. Life's hectic and we all got major responsibles at our age, but it's nice to know when our creative juices get flowing we can return to our modest communities and chat about our favorite games. So don't stress - do what you can and when, and the good people will be here for you when you return :) Cheers mate looking forward to next mission

[@animatedaquarius]

So happy to see you back! Looking forward to parts 2 and 3!

[@edwheezer6231]

I played this last year for the first time, and despite all of its issues, it blew my expectations out of the water. Not sure if that says more about me or the game, but it still made one heck of an impression on me. I haven't played either of the remakes, though, so I'm looking forward to seeing where they improve through your videos! :)

[@nicholaswidlewski8876]

Ironically, I just started playing this for the first time yesterday. I can't believe how much better this is than the NES game. I'm actually having a lot of fun with this one. The atmosphere & classic charm shines, and has a LOT of improvements over the original NES Metroid.

[@MioAppreciator]

Great video, cannot wait for the AM2R revisit as it's still one of my favorite Metroidvanias (and I won't be disappointed when you inevitably criticize it! that's the point of these videos. just letting you know some people understand that). Sidenote: I dunno if you will mention this in your review but I wanna let people know you can play ports of AM2R on a Playstation Vita or a Nintendo Switch if you have either of those modded. The vita version is on 1.4.5 and the switch version is 1.5.2 which isn't aren't the latest versions but it'll have 99% of the bells and whistles the community updates add. I really enjoy playing it on the Vita personally, it just feels perfect on a handheld. I still have yet to play the original Metroid 2. I really enjoy playing on original hardware and I want either a gameboy color or pocket to play it on. So I'm gonna avoid giving any incomplete thoughts on it. I am excited to play it, I'll say that much. One thing I'm surprised by is that there's no map romhack like Metroid NES has. It would probably make the game far more accessible for beginners.

[@pass_]

I was just thinking to myself a few days ago "hey where did exo go?" and here we are

[@mortenera2294]

The King has returned once again

[@marcievania]

i think the default GBC palette is what looks best for this game. i find the bit of color more pleasing than full gray and none of the color hacks really look as nice either imo

[@Athesies]

Great to see new content from you dude, you make top stuff

[@AndrewBrannen]

I finally beat Metroid 2 today and I can't wait for the next episode! That 3rd colour hack mentioned was amazing by the way

[@leftyjump5549]

Great Vid! Always wanted to check out metroid 2 especially after playing the nintendo remake. Looking forward to the next part!

[@mulvi747]

Welcome back! Always glad to see this channel upload.

[@teneesh3376]

An interesting case of returning to a ROR episode. Not only rereviewing the original and AM2R. But also taking a brand new look at an official remake

[@hissyou1086]

Hey, Exo! Great to see my favorite KZbinr back with a new video!

[@g.u.959]

An Exo upload AND new unversed cast? What deity did I please to warrant this? GOSH

[@xenos_n.]

It almost seems unfair to critically analyze this game in 2022. I remember when it came out and it was so damn cool to play a handheld Metroid game. It felt like such a big creepy adventure... on a handheld device! There was literally nothing like it before. The Gameboy, the first handheld to actually play fully realized 8bit style games, had only been out for a few years.

[@SpudChickenSaltedChips]

Woah, you're back!

[@Acejinjo]

Great to see ya man! Your videos always been great! You improved for sure!

[@fionavalkyrie]

This was the game that solidified me into a gamer. It’s impossible now to really understand viewing that game from the eyes of a kid who had never played a Metroid before, with their headphones on… I assure you that the discordant boss music caused an incredible amount of fear and dread

[@danieldavis2055]

Just a bit of info about Metroid II DX - it was a two person thing. MisterFishy, the one doing the main programming that put the tile colorization into the refresh frames, had to attend college and so the project couldn't get any updates beyond the one that got released. I don't have any affiliation with any release of the hack beyond the first release.

[@reasonable78]

Hey man i remember binging your reviews in 2015 and been subbed ever since

[@jamespaterson503]

This is awesome.. I thought you were dead or something dude.. Anyhow glad all is well & nice to see another video from you.

[@nickzilla20]

Glad to see you with another review. Can’t wait to get to Samus returns

[@robertoferreira1986]

I thank the algorithm gods for bringing me here, great video!

[@sinisis_sinisis]

Man… i JUST watched the AM2R vid yesterday, This is awesome

[@MotleyDeth]

So glad to have you back, Exo!

[@joeyparkhill8751]

Welcome back Mikey!! Hail to the King Baby!!

[@magtea3836]

Every single time I look up a creator that hasn’t uploaded in a while, within the week they upload something.

[@Cri_Jackal]

The lack of a map is intentional, this is the era of games where developers expected players to draw their own maps and trade game knowledge on the playground, the same thing applies to Metroid 1. The map feature was finally added in Super Metroid due to games kinda moving on from that sort of culture, with game experiences being more individual.

[@hyperflowey2564]

I'm sure Exo is probably aware of this, and maybe there were some Game Boy hardware limitations that prevented earlier releases from having such thing as a map. Even then, however, The Legend of Zelda 1, which came out on the NES *in 1987, 4 years before Metroid II*, had a *concrete map for all* of its dungeons. To be fair, Zelda 1's overworld map was fairly minimalistic. If that's the kind of challenge companies wanted to give players back then and if people like that, more power to them. However, even if it was up to system limitations, it likely wouldn't change Exo's mind on the matter. The simple fact is, every other Metroid-styled game and adventure game after Metroid II has a map feature for a reason. It's so that newer players can reasonably and easily figure out where to go and where they're been. Maybe there were reasons for some early games lacking maps back in the day, but in the context of today, the lack of a map may prove confusing to players who are just starting out the series or any other long-running exploratory/adventure-based video game series. If the first two Metroid games weren't going to have a map, I'm siding with Exo that the designers should have made every level feel more distinct in terms of layouts and visuals. If that wasn't feasible at the time, fine, but nevertheless it's the *game designer's* responsibility to make navigation in video games simple and painless, not the player's. Still, fair point.

[@hyperflowey2564]

Tl;dr Fair argument, but it won't change Exo's opinion that the game should've had a map.

[@DekuOfPower]

Just finished Samus Returns for the first time the other day and looking forward to the eventual follow-ups!

[@bradleydebevoise-ward5591]

I personally like the ejrtq colorizations saturation. Now I’m judging this from a couple seconds of a video so my word isn’t all that credible, but from what I’ve seen, the saturation looks like it makes it feel like a deep dark cave, and your exploring it with monsters jumping out from anywhere. Obviously, haven’t played the game with the mod so my opinion might change if I ever play with it, but it seems cool.

[@ThouzandWattz]

Good to have you back brother.

[@TheTopgeartony]

Was wondering where you got to You're by no means my fav reviewer on this site, but your content is consistently high quality and enjoyable and I was starting to miss seeing it on my recent updates tab And as a retired dev to one in training I can say you're pretty spot on with many observations

[@kaidendoesgoanimate]

Exo: hey guys what did I miss Me: *literally everything about KZbin went to shit without you*

[@ultrairrelevantnobody1862]

My favourite Metroid game.

[@fictionalmediabully9830]

On the whole, this review is a strong improvement over your original coverage of the game. The informal style of writing, while not my cup of tea, is downplayed and a lot less clunky. You were able to channel your emotions without losing personality, and the editing and production values are great. I do have a problem with the brief comparison between the music of this and 'Wario Land 4'. That game came out much later, and people naturally improve their talent as time goes on, though it's at least an easy shrug off compared to your review of 'Metroid', which suffered a bit from a lack of research (Mario 2 USA did not come out the same year). 'Metroid 2' is a favourite of mine, but I will admit it does become fairly tiring on repeat play-throughs. I'm glad it exists though, because 'Super Metroid' wouldn't have been such a masterclass in action-adventure game design without the serious and necessary improvements this instalment made over the original. Overall, a solid game.

[@VanillaLimeCoke]

Music for me Main Theme = literally sounds like Highway construction music Outside ruins theme = creepy swamp like music Ruins = love it, but could be a bit better The black area = really creepy, sounds like the end and the beat sounds like a doctor walking down a hospital hallway Metroid eggs area = kind of nice but creepy too Outside Queen Metroid area = gees almost sounds like dinosaurs from Jurassic Park are going to destroy the world

[@tuxpheedo5665]

the music in the area you get the plasma beam was pretty cool - been awhile since i Played the game though

[@Luftwaffe_JG52]

Yay I missed your videos Man! Welcome back! 😁

[@Eclipsmon8421]

Exo is back baby! Amazing work as usual!

[@bingobo2551]

Welcome back been nearly a year since you last uploaded here

[@OilFreak]

The colorizer mod not working might be because the rom header didn't match the one the rom hack used. Identical roms can sometimes have different headers, so you'll ususally have to copy the header the hack uses into google to find the right one

[@seamusboucher383]

From what I can tell, EPG will be finished with DigiPen's game design course in 2023.

[@Marenthyu]

It's the Star Song~~~ The funky STAR SONG!~~~ ^_^

[@kringhetto]

I almost swiped past this video. Great to see you bro.

[@kringhetto]

And we wait. Jk, hope all is well.

[@TheWhiteAxl]

Metroid 2 review: Return of Exo

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

I missed your videos. Glad you’re ok and back

[@Zoomin990]

Why is this guy not that popular c'mon his vids are great

[@skibot9974]

KZbin Algorithm doenst favor those who have droughts in uploads (Jontron is the exception since he built such a large audience before his video speed slowed to a crawl)

[@Jafet2002]

This is amazing lol. Are their any more gba games your thinking of making videos on?

[@nfugitt89]

Looking forward to this. Should make a great companion to The Geek Critique's work

[@DukeSR8]

I miss the old style. Perfect length to binge, with no breaks. Now, you have to swap videos to get the full story. I kinda wish this kind of thing was on an alt channel with the new style here and the old style being on the alt.

[@SolidSpartanX]

Exo is back, baby! Edit: Love the new background.

[@AndreeBZ]

Missed you buddy. Keep up the good work!

[@Kane-B]

Awesome to see you back!