Samus Returns, the return of Samus by the big door that we had waited for years

2017 is an excellent year for Nintendo 3DS users. The arrival of Nintendo Switch has not prevented the Nintendo laptop to receive a lot of essential games, as has been happening throughout this summer, but there was still one more to go on sale, which will be the icing on the cake .

We talked about 'Metroid: Samus Returns', one of the biggest surprises that left us the E3 2017 and that no one was expected, especially the fact that its development was at an advanced stage, which means that next week will arrive to the stores and we have had the opportunity to play it thoroughly to carry out their respective analysis. So, without further delay, we go with him.

MercurySteam at the helm of this remake

It's been a whopping 26 years since the release of 'Metroid II: Return of Samus'. At that time, in 1991, the adventure of Samus was the first to step on a portable console after debuting originally in NES with the first 'Metroid'. It has rained so much since then that it is seen that Nintendo has considered it appropriate to return to life this delivery of the saga with a great facelift, a job that has commissioned MercurySteam.

It is not the first time that the Spanish studio develops a title for a Nintendo platform, as it did with 'Castlevania: Mirror of Fate' (although it came to other systems), so I already had experience working on Nintendo 3DS . I must also admit that a part of me was confident that the result could end up being excellent, since the first trailer of the game already noted that this would be a 'Metroid' for real and not that thing called 'Metroid Prime: Federation Force '.

Also, the best thing of all was the fact that, before knowing that it was going to be a remake of 'Metroid II', the game was presented as a 2D delivery, something that fans of the saga had been asking for years.

The return to classic gameplay

Turning to the important thing, this sequel of the first 'Metroid' happens after its events, when Samus managed to defeat to all the metrosides, the Space Pirates and Mother Brain in Planet Zebes. However, the tranquility was not going to last too long, as the presence of more metroids was discovered on Planet SR388, so the Galactic Federation was clear: Exterminate everyone once and for all.

So, the argument is the same that we have lived for more than a quarter of a century, as well as the objective, which is to go through different areas to end with about 40 different metroids that are hidden all over the planet and the that there will be hunting. That is to say, unlike in other games that you have to defeat some final bosses in concrete, here the main enemies are these creatures that are dedicated to steal all the vital energy of its victims.

The essence of that game of Game Boy has remained completely faithful, especially with the battles against the metroids, since, as it happened in the original and in this one, they will not have the aspect with which we are accustomed to seeing them in the saga, but have taken over the body of some creature on the planet and use it to make us minced.

At first the battles seem identical to each other when following the metroids practically the same patterns. That yes, that will be only at the beginning, because soon they will adopt new attacks, they will become more resistant and in turn they will take hold of new bodies, which will complicate even more these battles that in some occasions will make the function of combats against final bosses. However, in this sense we have found a pleasant surprise and is that there will be totally new bosses that we will have to defeat.

And there do not end all the news. While it is true that the scenes have similarities with those we already knew, they are plagued by completely new areas, especially secrets. Because if there is something that characterizes 'Metroid', and in this is also present, it is that great search factor everywhere to get new objects or improvements, so that there will be places that did not exist previously and that have been specially designed for this remake.

In total there will be seven areas that will have to be explored from top to bottom, although we will not be able to access them all initially. For this, each one will have a kind of Chozo door that will require the DNA of a certain amount of metroids, which will sometimes be just one, three or four or even eight. Once this part is fulfilled we will be able to move to the next area of ​​the planet, which makes the adventure a bit linear, since at no time does it force you to go back on the map.

In spite of everything, I have to confess that the SR388 is immense. Each of the seven zones is so gigantic that it will be terribly easy to get lost for them. Luckily MercurySteam has thought of this possibility and has added a teleportation machines so that we can travel from one to another and thus reach extremely fast to other places, which is often a great help.

A whole bounty hunter take arms

If there is something that does not fail in any Metroid is the fact that Samus always starts with nothing, having a very poor and virtually unarmed. Here at least part with a small number of missiles, which, despite not being great, something is something. It will not take us too long to start getting the first improvements and weapons to make our heroine tremendously powerful and a threat to anyone who believes that he can defeat her.

Of course you see that the generations of chozos have thought of everything, because the usual objects of Samus will once again be present, especially those of the original 'Metroid II' without any exception, being able to make us with the already known ray recharge, ice ray, multiple ray or plasma ray, for example, in addition to the bombs of the Morphosphere with their respective abilities like the Arachnosphere or the Saltosphere.

Of course this is but a small part of the improvements of the suit that will be obtained and that will be necessary to advance by the game, since some parts will require the use of some arms in particular to open certain doors or the use of some skills especially to reach places we would not otherwise have access to. In spite of everything, MercurySteam has wanted to add some newness to all this matter and in particular in this remake we will find five objects of the most popular of the saga and that did not exist in 'Metroid II'.

Thus we have the improvement of the missiles and the bombs, that is to say, the super missiles and the super bombs, the lightning recharge, the gravitational suit to be able to submerge us in the water or the lava without receiving damage in the attempt, and finally the lightning hook, with which, worth the redundancy, we can hook us to the ceilings or walls. So, if we used to say that there were a lot of new places on the stage, that's why.

In addition, Samus will be able to execute a counterattack by having the ability to hit the enemy with the barrel of his arm when they are ready to hit it, which will make them remain stunned for a very brief period. Enough to crush them with our missiles or whatever seems most effective at that moment.

It is important to get to know which are the best weapons according to the situation, since not all are equally strong or effective for certain types of enemies, but that is a matter of the users themselves discovering it little by little. However, if all this is not enough, another great innovation that has been introduced are the Aeion Skills with which Samus will get an energy bar that will be spent little by little each time we run any of them.

The reason is very simple: they are extremely useful and powerful. Thanks to them we can slow down time and move us at a normal speed, shoot devastating bursts of fire or use a kind of shield to make us more resistant. But if there is one that is most useful to me, it is the radar that will show a portion of the map on the bottom screen of the console with everything we have around, something that will do us good because there is no other way to unlock the map and, in addition, will be able to detect if there are objects nearby.

In spite of everything, the enemies will not make it easy and it is important to point out that the amount of life that will be removed at all times will be high enough for us to think twice about going crazy everywhere and therefore to meditate our movements well before acting, especially against the final bosses, since it will be almost impossible to defeat them to the first.

Of course you have to recognize that this remake is not a simple game at all, but its difficulty is very fair and it is not desperate much less, because it forces you to study well the enemies not to make the same mistakes over and over again. Overall it is a challenge for fans of the saga as well as for the newcomers and certainly thanks for something like that, so that in the end it is a lot more entertaining.

The various challenges it offers

One detail we discussed earlier is the fact that the adventure is so linear that it will not be necessary at any time to return to previous areas to get important objects, but to get more capacity missiles, energy tanks, etc. Maybe in the first round or bother in this matter because in a normal game we will be well served with what we are meeting, but that does not mean that it is a great challenge to encourage 100% completion later.

The percentage of unlocking will not only be something to take into account for mere personal satisfaction, because here comes into play another novelty of this remake as are Chozo Memories, some panels that will be unblocked little by little according to the amount of objects that we have gone obtaining during the main adventure and that will serve to know more details of the history of the saga.

On the other hand, once we complete the game will automatically unlock the difficult mode, adding an even greater challenge for those who are left wanting more. However, another option is to get Metroid amiibo to unlock this game mode, with the difference that it will be possible to complete it with the Metroid Fusion costume. Will anyone be encouraged to face it?

The opinion 

Retro Studios has been one of the companies that has taken care of Metroid, as demonstrated with 'Metroid Prime', but MercurySteam has done a great job. He has been able to develop a remake that gives the impression at all times that we are facing a totally new game, but there will be some well known themes of the series that will easily recognize any fan of the series.

In the technical aspect you have to admit that the game is a real wonder. We will not say that it is because it has exceeded the Game Boy because 26 years have passed and that is evident, but it is that the areas are full of details, each one will be completely different from the others, and the setting is fabulous, worthy of any 'Metroid'. In addition, from time to time we will witness some kinematics that gives it another great point of spectacularity.

In short, 'Metroid: Samus Returns' could not have gone to better hands. It is probably the best video game of Nintendo 3DS in what we take this year and the truth is that it is worth applauding that MercurySteam has given us the opportunity to enjoy a 'Metroid' pure and hard. If the future installments of the 2D series follow the same path and they are again in charge, you can count on me to sign without hesitation so be it.