Nurse: You've been in a coma for nearly 2 years since Halloween 2021. Naive Luker fan: oh wow! I can't wait to see all my favourite small RUclipsr's metroid content! This one's for the real ones ✊
I've played through this game twice...second time was on the amiibo-locked Fusion difficulty. I did not know about that Metroid highlighting feature at the DNA statues. Nice of them to include it if that Bluker guy needed it so badly, I guess.
Honestly, I found the parry irksome; enemies were buffed to make it worth using, but it narrowed the optimal options to approach any enemy to stand in front of it, wait a couple seconds, parry, shoot, move on. Every encounter sorta felt identical. Like, yeah, you can still just shoot enemies but they felt awfully spongey
In my 2nd playthrough, i noticed that a decent amount of enemies were weak to a missile or two early on. Then I resorted to ice beam + missile/counter slap. Once I got the Plasma beam and screw attack though, I was golden. I honestly didn't find the counter as mandatory or annoying as some others claim it to be. I agree it shouldn't have been a pace breaker (thank you Dread for the dash counter), but once you know what works for enemies and what doesn't, it kind of becomes a matter of preference, much like in Dread. I'm starting to think that Samus Returns is underrated, god damn.
oh my god you're back. great review. i loved samus returns and i got it before dread was revealed. on a side note, the audio is a bit weird and some bits where you played music were very VERY quiet. The voice over also sounded like the music behind it was removed. anyway, cant wait for the dread video!
Ahh that's a shame, I definitely messed up with the music on playback - however I had taken nearly 2 years to make anything so I perhaps rather sxtubbornly just pushed through and let a few gaffes pass! Will do better next time, and thank you for sticking around!
Wonderful video. I agree with everything. So many reviewers don't mention what's not translated from the original, mainly the atmosphere, because they likely haven't even heard of the original before. If there's anything I'd like to add, it's that I'd prefer if the combat wasn't so centralised around the melee counter. I wish the melee counter wasn't always the optimal answer to every combat encounter, it got old fast. It shouldn't stop you in place, not every enemy should have a lunge attack made to be countered, the bosses should, however. Just my 2 cents, I've been adoring this series since I emulated Super Metroid back in early high-school. Also screw locking features like Fusion mode behind an amiibo. Nintendo ought to have just make it paid DLC if they thought the game wouldn't have made enough revenue.
Call this a controvertial take: The buff of the enemies in Samus Returns detracts exponentially from the point of the game. Most of the time, in many Metroid games, a good portion of the alien life are just there. They give no thought to the fact that some angry woman is clonking around their world in a metal suit, most of them aren't strong enough to stop her. There are some hostile enemies, of course, but there weren't everywhere. Samus Returns changes SR-388 from a planet that has some hostile life outside of the Metroid to a planet that is completely out for blood for no real reason except "video game". Likewise, the final boss not really being the final boss also just takes away from the impact the game had. Metroid 2 is meant to be a story about the genocide of an alien species. You're going through and systematically hunting down every Metroid on the planet simply because some asshole Space Pirates decided to use them as weapons. The creatures aren't inherently evil by any metric, yet, that's what you're tasked to do by the Federation. When Samus gets down to face the Queen, that battle effectively becomes a final battle between the benefactor of the Metroids and the metal alien blithely killing them unprovoked. It's not meant to be a glorious battle, it's pretty dark. Having Ridley come in out of nowhere undermines the rest of the game just by virtue of existing.
I found myself not enjoying this game as much as I should have. The forced counter attack punch mechanic turned me off so much I never even finished it.
I mean lore wise it kinda makes sense. SR388 is the most hostile planet in the galaxy. If you can’t use mimicry to hide yourself you must be aggressive and fight. The background features many creatures which are good at hiding themselves. Like crystals which are animals or blobs moving when noone is around them. This is the planet that spawned the X and where the Metroid were created afterall
its a video game first and foremost, lore is good and all but it shouldnt come before gameplay. The enemies are buffier because it fits with the gameplay more.
So pretty much it is a good remake since the original just wasn't the best to start with, but it was a product of its time anyways so it's not its fault.. so it is practically "what if Metroid 2 was made 'today'?" Which is honestly bit better than just "it same game but pretty" like some games have done.. one example of this being BDSP And before people say "it's too far removed from original" you know if the original could have varied landscapes and colors they 100% would.. if they could have a bit less obtuseness bet they would prefer that I get you may prefer not knowing where tf to go but getting lost should not be how you extend playtime.. being a good game should be the priority, not "getting money worth by being forced to be stuck for days"
I never really got stuck in Metroid 2. Not for very long at least. Since the game has smaller self-contained sections of temples and breeding grounds, it was easy enough to finish the area I was in, and when the Metroid quota was reached, I'd make sure to head deeper into the tunnel. Could you get lost? Probably, but the linearity does help.
They don’t even need to do any extra effort. All models already exist in high poly, as mercury steams always develops games in extremely high poly and then downscales the games for their respective consoles Basically a Samus Returns port is basically done. Some ex-devs even had shown full blown models of it.
My only big criticism with this remake, oddly enough, is a point of praise for you. I agree Zero Mission is pretty short, but this game in comparison felt a bit too damn LONG. And I don't mean that as in "11 hours is too long for a game," I mean "11 hours is too long for THIS game." While the game's length is considerably longer than most 2d Metroid games, I found myself from about a third of the way through the game onward thinking "GOD NOT ANOTHER BASIC METROID BATTLE, PLEASE GIVE ME A REAL BOSS FIGHT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, JUST LET ME HAVE SOME KIND OF MEANINGFUL PROGRESSION OR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE." And it did eventually give me what I wanted in the form of the digger robot, the Zeta/Omega/Queen metroids, and the surprise Ridley fight which while not very difficult was pretty exciting... but man the middle of the game was a bit of a slog. Traveling and exploring turned out to be more of a highlight than looking forward to exciting boss fights, and personally, the exciting boss fights are a lot of what makes me love Metroid games so much. While the idea of tracking and exterminating the Metroid threat felt cool and all, I really felt like after a while the more basic Metroid forms really should have just been relegated to being treated more like normal enemies rather than having to do this grandiose easter egg hunt for every single one. Eventually that became a tiresome chore and not something I was looking forward to having to do over and over again in every new area. I only started looking forward to it again toward the end when I started getting more varied and actually challenging boss fights. But like I said, that's my only real criticism, and as you mentioned, it's greatly made up for by the comparatively rich combat system with parry/counter mechanics, quick swapping between versatile beam modes, and basic enemies just generally having more dynamic combat patterns than in other 2d Metroid games. This game is an amazing Metroid title on its own and a phenomenal remake. If I had to choose just one more thing to complain about, it would be that the Ridley boss fight, while incredibly fun and a welcome surprise... was really short and pretty easy compared to the Queen Metroid and Diggernaut. Maybe this is really just a point of praise in the end, but I was having so much fun with that fight and its incredibly satisfying cutscenes that I really wanted it to last longer. As a side note, Fusion is my personal favorite Metroid game in the series and I can't wait to see what this company does with that one, since they seemed interested in it based on teasers at the end of this game and the heavy influence of the X in Dread.
I've not finished the video yet, but there might be an audio mistake in the Presentation section. I think you were trying to play music from the remake, but instead it is just silence
Thought I was the only one suffering pain in the hands by playing the game. Love this game to death, but playing it is painful, had to take pauses to relief the pain
i know a lot of people (especaly youtuber KingK) did not like the change to the ending of the game, but i see this game as an alternate interpertation of M2 with improvements, not a full remake, wich makes samus returns a great game in my eyes.
tbh, i like ridley showing up in the ending, it ties up the prime games with the main series, plus i like how they make ridley know where the baby metroid is in super, implying ridley followed samus's ship to ceres station to steal the baby while her guard is down instead of just showing up out of nowhere
They did better with Metroid but Mercury Steam literally ruined Castlevania. They made a lousy GoW clone, then tried to make an IGA style sidescroller, and finally a really bad stealth game with LoS2.
Eyy welcome back! And boy what a fitting return and gap! Is Samus Returns a good game? Yeah, definitely! Is it a pain to play? Also yes definitely. And the resolution..oof, I didn't realize how low it was until smartphones got better screens. But it's definitely good as a game!
Yeah the resolution sucks ass. It’s good with 3D but man. If you aren’t using 3D just use citra and play it in 4k. The 3DS resolution is really not goo
@@theakiwar9118 Oh I plan to! Definitely intend to. Shame I can't do that with some other 3DS games that really benefit from the stylus in hand form factor, but oh well
While I prefer the Metroid fights in this game, due to the variety in them, such as the parry mechanic, I think I like AM2R better as a remake of Metroid 2 because of the atmosphere. First off, the new music in that game is fantastic, but also, it has a visual style similar to Fusion. The devs got the atmosphere right eventually with Dread, but in this one, I think everything is too bright and colorful.
Luker's back! Though I prefer your no star/half star/full star criteria from the Zero Mission review. Please, for the love of God, do a AM2R review. Either compare it to the original or to Samus Returns. But I would love to see your reaction to it. I've played it, and I consider it the definitive Metroid 2 experience.
Oi, the controls for the 3DS definitely were painful and a large part of why I haven't returned to the game after getting my time down below the 8 hour mark. Though I had a similar problem with the comfort grip for the Switch when playing Prime Remastered (charge beam, I love you, but I hate you).
I prefer AM2R, which is actually my favorite 2d Metroid game if it counts as one. Samus Returns was great too, but the parry was just too clunky before they made you able to chain it with your other moves more easily in Dread. Also I'm looking forward to next years video! Edit: Finally someone else who gets how terrible the 3ds (or 2ds XL in my case) feels to play on!
@@robertkenny1201 Yeah maybe it was a worse thing to do before Dread was announced but now I don't think it has any effect on there being more Metroid games in the future because Dread did so well. My preference is more about it just feeling more streamlined and modernized compared to Samus Returns that is screwed over by it's clunky Control method.
@@robertkenny1201 im talking about the control method that being the 3ds which is way too thin for my hands to feel comfortable at all Mapping wasn’t a problem
I might put that on the backburner for a bit - I'm working on a non-Metroid video at the moment, and while I definitely want to get Dread done at some point, I'll 100% think about doing AM2R too!
The mere fact that this remake cut out 50% of the original game's enemy list is baffling and awful. Made even worse by overfilling the areas with the remaining few and simply changing their color palette. Then the remake took an already linear game and made it FAR more linear and restrictive, completely removing the freedom the original had. And finally, the remake altered the environmental story-telling in a negative way. In some cases it actually removed some of the original's environmental lore. Samus Returns needed to take more notes from Zero Mission on how a good remake is done.
@@lpfan4491 Please note that I criticized Samus Returns solely on how it stands as a remake to the original M2. I did not mention anything regarding continuity with other games. I bring up Zero Mission because it is a fantastic remake of M1. It maintained the original's main positives and added tons of content ontop of it all.
@@ultraspinalki11 If we talk about Nuance being removed, it is basically in the same box because the reason it broke continuity IS that it removed a unique detail(That Kraid is not supposed to be big yet) in favor of making the game a lesser mush-together of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.
@@lpfan4491 It is true that Super Metroid's surprise bait-&-switch with Kraid and Mini-Kraid is pretty much pointless due to ZM's retcon. Though that surprise always felt more like an inside joke instead of a substantial element to the plot. If you were to compare ZM's minor continuity issue(s) to the far more significant ones caused by Samus Returns, then ZM still comes out on top as the better remake that SR should have learned from.
Yeah I tried to use this vocal booth I bought off of Amazon for quality audio and in reality I completely bungled it lmao - my next video will have better audio
Please... I beg of you... keep making videos... I don't want to have found your channel recently and then wait for another 2 years for a new video... your videos... they too good...
I have 3 videos in a pipeline right now: 1). Critiquing the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet gym leaders 2). Metroid Dread & What Makes A Scary Enemy 3). A Wii Party Review I'm aiming to get the first one out first as I would like to break out from the Metroid niche so that people who are only here for Metroid don't have to waste their time, but I definitely still plan to cover Dread, maybe AM2R & eventually the Prime series, just intermixed with other topics 👍
U didn‘t get why there was no enemy in the last sections of the game, it‘s bc the metroids are so dangerous that they killed em all Honestly u feel like a more extreme Josh Wallen
I know this is a 7 month video, but the Nintendo Life article shown at 20:06 just mentions the composer for Hunters simply felt stressed due to imposter syndrome, not work fatigue. I'm sure you must have read the article yourself, but without any context shown this is bound to at least make one viewer believe they were suffering from crunch.
Welcome back Luker!!! I liked Return of Samus but the parry mechanic became too repetitive for me. As for Mercury Steam... I voted with my wallet and didn't bought Dread, don't think I will buy a game from them any time soon! A pro tip about the audio! if you are recording with walls near the microphone (behind, to the side, corner) try setting pillows on the walls near the mic, these will absorb much of the echo that's bouncing back to the mic causing the echo! :D
I've got a few other videos in the pipeline ahead of AM2R, but I do think I want to touch on it at some point! Just trying to break away from solely Metroid content on the next one :D
AM2R > Metroid II > Samus Returns Each has their own strengths though, which makes it kinda interesting to compare all three rather than declaring one the definitive version.
@@robertkenny1201 Its just as ugly and has no atmosphere. Controls are still clunky and not refined like in Dread so it doesn't earn any points for me there.
I’ve got basically the exact same thoughts. And it’s so sad to see people nowadays think that it’s the “definitive version” when it really just isn’t. Is it friendlier to casuals? Sure. Is it more fun to play? Absolutely. But is it Metroid 2? Most certainly not.
I don't understand what you mean. "I've got basically the exact same thoughts" which implies you agree with the video about the game being a great remake and being one you would recommend to newcomers to the franchise. But then that gets immediately followed by "Sad to see people nowadays think that it's the 'definitive version' when it really just isn't". Do you think the game is better than the original or not?
3:19 This comment is about a year later, however, there are many, like a statistically significantly larger than the national average number of furries in the IT industry. You are likely going to get very good IT advice from a furry.
So. Metroid II was one of my first games and still is one of my most replayed in the seriees. I've played through it at least once a year for.. 26ish years. For me. Samus Returns is a fine game by its own merits but a failure as a remake for me which lands it as one of the few Metroid games I don't like. As far as the enemies go. The increased aggression really ruins the flow of Metroid. The stop and go nature of the parry mechanic is the opposite of the run and gun gameplay of Metroid, trying to get better times and better endings is a lot harder when you have to stop every few seconds. This is mitigated a bit when you get the beam burst or ice beam so you can skip by enemies but just not a great solution. Dread fixed this problem wonderfully though by incorporating the parry into movement. On that note, the enemy variety in SR is lackluster compared to the original. Several creatures were cut out from the bestiary and then use pallette swaps of the enemies to indicate stronger versions. One thing I really appreciate about M2 is the variety of enemies and how each section's fauna is localized to that area. To the point when you work your way up to the Queens nest, there are no enemies because the conditions so deep inside of SR-388 are so dire that nothing can survive down there. The guantlet prior to the Queens Nest in SR really felt like a step back in world building. On that same note, the ending. Going back to business as usual after the Queen fight, no peaceful trek back up with the baby to think about the genocide you just comitted. To go into a Ridley boss battle. I remember reading a rumor saying the game would end with Ridley prior to picking the game up on launch day. I thought surely not, they wouldn't break the ending of M2 like that. Oh well. I guess i appreciate the attempt to tie Prime into the 2D series at least. Also just how the game denys the player freedom of movement. Goopy walls to prevent wall jumps/spider ball, vacuums in the floor to prevent bomb jumping. Its just a bummer to see all these places I could use my skill to go through but the game denies it. Again, Dread fixed this issue and even encourages player expression. Also, the Gamma's leaving their nest if you don't kill them fast enough drives me bonkers. This was long winded, I apologize. I understand why people like SR. Just not for me. However, Mercury Steam knocked it out of the park with Dread and I do love that one. Side note: you can see how many Metroids you have remaining in the area by pressing start on the Gameboy.
Correction: "There is no ethical consumption of consumer goods. Period." 😂 Edit: I disagree with the "fixes." Samus is the most elite warrior in the galaxy, wearing the most advanced combat power armor around. Random alien squirrels should *not* pose any sort of real challenge or danger. She felt powerful in the original. In the remake, she feels like she is wearing paper mache instead of armor. Also, the area between the Omegas and the Queen was empty by design. It was environmental story telling that the Metroids had completely stripped it, consuming everything.
I have the rare opinion that i think SR is a good game but i absolutely hate it. The QoL is good, the abilities are good, looks and sound as good as a 3DS can handle but i don't like how Samus controls from both a physics and "Oh dear lord my hands" perspective, granted that's mostly the 3DS's fault. Game genuinely felt like a slog to go through for me unlike the other 2D games save for original 1 and 2 which i haven't played
Apologies for the audio quality btw, I fell down a well
It must've been hard to get out of that well, given that you broke your hands playing on the 3DS.
Have you tried getting out of the well
Itll work wonders man
I broke my legs too, do you know hard it is to climb out of a well using just your ass?
@@LukerYT This made me laugh way too hard lol
@@LukerYTwell How's the ass? Sounds awful 😂 On a huge Metroid buzz at the moment and loving your videos...
Mom, dad, wake up!! Luker made another comparative analysis of Metroid!
Nurse: You've been in a coma for nearly 2 years since Halloween 2021.
Naive Luker fan: oh wow! I can't wait to see all my favourite small RUclipsr's metroid content!
This one's for the real ones ✊
I've played through this game twice...second time was on the amiibo-locked Fusion difficulty. I did not know about that Metroid highlighting feature at the DNA statues. Nice of them to include it if that Bluker guy needed it so badly, I guess.
THE KING IS BACK
@@myleswelnetz6700 explanation?
-Grandpa why are you crying?
+Shut up Luker just dropped another video!
Haha, glad to see you're still here Daniel! 😁
@@LukerYT Always here to support the channel 🤙
It’s nice to see you make another video after a while
Glad to see you’re back! Can’t wait for the Dread review Luker!!
Honestly, I found the parry irksome; enemies were buffed to make it worth using, but it narrowed the optimal options to approach any enemy to stand in front of it, wait a couple seconds, parry, shoot, move on. Every encounter sorta felt identical. Like, yeah, you can still just shoot enemies but they felt awfully spongey
You probably didn't used Spin Charge Attack or didn't found Wave Beam. Or you could freeze enemy with Ice Beam and kill it with one missile.
just use ice beam + 1 missile, destroys 90% of enemies.
Same here. It changed the feel of the gameplay too much for my taste.
In my 2nd playthrough, i noticed that a decent amount of enemies were weak to a missile or two early on. Then I resorted to ice beam + missile/counter slap. Once I got the Plasma beam and screw attack though, I was golden. I honestly didn't find the counter as mandatory or annoying as some others claim it to be.
I agree it shouldn't have been a pace breaker (thank you Dread for the dash counter), but once you know what works for enemies and what doesn't, it kind of becomes a matter of preference, much like in Dread. I'm starting to think that Samus Returns is underrated, god damn.
@@dis_inferno9173 you can actually freeze an enemy then kill them with melee after instead of wasting a missile btw
oh my god you're back.
great review. i loved samus returns and i got it before dread was revealed. on a side note, the audio is a bit weird and some bits where you played music were very VERY quiet. The voice over also sounded like the music behind it was removed. anyway, cant wait for the dread video!
Ahh that's a shame, I definitely messed up with the music on playback - however I had taken nearly 2 years to make anything so I perhaps rather sxtubbornly just pushed through and let a few gaffes pass! Will do better next time, and thank you for sticking around!
Literally yesterday I was looking to see if you made this video after seeing the one about Zero Mission lol
So happy that you're back!!!
THERE IS NO ETHICAL CONSUMPTION UNDER CAPITALISM
it’s amazing how you don’t have more subscribers, your editing is the neat little bow that completes this video, really well done man 👍
Great videos and channel, will definitely watch if you decide to post more videos!
Wonderful video. I agree with everything. So many reviewers don't mention what's not translated from the original, mainly the atmosphere, because they likely haven't even heard of the original before.
If there's anything I'd like to add, it's that I'd prefer if the combat wasn't so centralised around the melee counter. I wish the melee counter wasn't always the optimal answer to every combat encounter, it got old fast. It shouldn't stop you in place, not every enemy should have a lunge attack made to be countered, the bosses should, however.
Just my 2 cents, I've been adoring this series since I emulated Super Metroid back in early high-school.
Also screw locking features like Fusion mode behind an amiibo. Nintendo ought to have just make it paid DLC if they thought the game wouldn't have made enough revenue.
Is Metroid: Samus Returns a Great Remake?
No it's not
The Return Of The Luker. About time.
Call this a controvertial take: The buff of the enemies in Samus Returns detracts exponentially from the point of the game. Most of the time, in many Metroid games, a good portion of the alien life are just there. They give no thought to the fact that some angry woman is clonking around their world in a metal suit, most of them aren't strong enough to stop her. There are some hostile enemies, of course, but there weren't everywhere. Samus Returns changes SR-388 from a planet that has some hostile life outside of the Metroid to a planet that is completely out for blood for no real reason except "video game".
Likewise, the final boss not really being the final boss also just takes away from the impact the game had. Metroid 2 is meant to be a story about the genocide of an alien species. You're going through and systematically hunting down every Metroid on the planet simply because some asshole Space Pirates decided to use them as weapons. The creatures aren't inherently evil by any metric, yet, that's what you're tasked to do by the Federation. When Samus gets down to face the Queen, that battle effectively becomes a final battle between the benefactor of the Metroids and the metal alien blithely killing them unprovoked.
It's not meant to be a glorious battle, it's pretty dark. Having Ridley come in out of nowhere undermines the rest of the game just by virtue of existing.
Thats why I like AM2R much better than samus returns.
Finally, someone who speaks English.
I found myself not enjoying this game as much as I should have. The forced counter attack punch mechanic turned me off so much I never even finished it.
I mean lore wise it kinda makes sense. SR388 is the most hostile planet in the galaxy. If you can’t use mimicry to hide yourself you must be aggressive and fight.
The background features many creatures which are good at hiding themselves. Like crystals which are animals or blobs moving when noone is around them.
This is the planet that spawned the X and where the Metroid were created afterall
its a video game first and foremost, lore is good and all but it shouldnt come before gameplay. The enemies are buffier because it fits with the gameplay more.
LETS GOOO IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!
Subbed for this video's quality and humor. Looking forward to what else you've got dude! Keep it up!
Thank you for the kind words!
Babe, wake up…
Luker just posted!
So pretty much it is a good remake since the original just wasn't the best to start with, but it was a product of its time anyways so it's not its fault.. so it is practically "what if Metroid 2 was made 'today'?" Which is honestly bit better than just "it same game but pretty" like some games have done.. one example of this being BDSP
And before people say "it's too far removed from original" you know if the original could have varied landscapes and colors they 100% would.. if they could have a bit less obtuseness bet they would prefer that
I get you may prefer not knowing where tf to go but getting lost should not be how you extend playtime.. being a good game should be the priority, not "getting money worth by being forced to be stuck for days"
I never really got stuck in Metroid 2. Not for very long at least. Since the game has smaller self-contained sections of temples and breeding grounds, it was easy enough to finish the area I was in, and when the Metroid quota was reached, I'd make sure to head deeper into the tunnel. Could you get lost? Probably, but the linearity does help.
YOU POSTED AGAIN BABE!
This is the only 2d Metroid that isn’t on switch why can’t they un3ds it and make my 2d Metroid switch complete
They don’t even need to do any extra effort. All models already exist in high poly, as mercury steams always develops games in extremely high poly and then downscales the games for their respective consoles
Basically a Samus Returns port is basically done. Some ex-devs even had shown full blown models of it.
he's back! i love the review, as always! can't wait for the next entry
Great Review and I'm glad you're back
Do you edit your videos or outsource it?? The editing is absolutely incredible
Thank you so much! I do it myself, but I've had a lot of practice as it's my full-time job ☺️
My only big criticism with this remake, oddly enough, is a point of praise for you. I agree Zero Mission is pretty short, but this game in comparison felt a bit too damn LONG. And I don't mean that as in "11 hours is too long for a game," I mean "11 hours is too long for THIS game." While the game's length is considerably longer than most 2d Metroid games, I found myself from about a third of the way through the game onward thinking "GOD NOT ANOTHER BASIC METROID BATTLE, PLEASE GIVE ME A REAL BOSS FIGHT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THE WORLD, JUST LET ME HAVE SOME KIND OF MEANINGFUL PROGRESSION OR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE." And it did eventually give me what I wanted in the form of the digger robot, the Zeta/Omega/Queen metroids, and the surprise Ridley fight which while not very difficult was pretty exciting... but man the middle of the game was a bit of a slog. Traveling and exploring turned out to be more of a highlight than looking forward to exciting boss fights, and personally, the exciting boss fights are a lot of what makes me love Metroid games so much.
While the idea of tracking and exterminating the Metroid threat felt cool and all, I really felt like after a while the more basic Metroid forms really should have just been relegated to being treated more like normal enemies rather than having to do this grandiose easter egg hunt for every single one. Eventually that became a tiresome chore and not something I was looking forward to having to do over and over again in every new area. I only started looking forward to it again toward the end when I started getting more varied and actually challenging boss fights.
But like I said, that's my only real criticism, and as you mentioned, it's greatly made up for by the comparatively rich combat system with parry/counter mechanics, quick swapping between versatile beam modes, and basic enemies just generally having more dynamic combat patterns than in other 2d Metroid games. This game is an amazing Metroid title on its own and a phenomenal remake. If I had to choose just one more thing to complain about, it would be that the Ridley boss fight, while incredibly fun and a welcome surprise... was really short and pretty easy compared to the Queen Metroid and Diggernaut. Maybe this is really just a point of praise in the end, but I was having so much fun with that fight and its incredibly satisfying cutscenes that I really wanted it to last longer.
As a side note, Fusion is my personal favorite Metroid game in the series and I can't wait to see what this company does with that one, since they seemed interested in it based on teasers at the end of this game and the heavy influence of the X in Dread.
I've not finished the video yet, but there might be an audio mistake in the Presentation section. I think you were trying to play music from the remake, but instead it is just silence
Ahh I think I messed with the audio levelling too much - I'll have to double check it and maybe add a card to the soundtrack, thank you 👍
@@LukerYT Just finished the rest of the video. I love your take on this game!
@@ianmccourry9337 Thank you!
HE'S RETURNED TO US
Thought I was the only one suffering pain in the hands by playing the game. Love this game to death, but playing it is painful, had to take pauses to relief the pain
Oh wow, the funny metroid guy is back
i know a lot of people (especaly youtuber KingK) did not like the change to the ending of the game, but i see this game as an alternate interpertation of M2 with improvements, not a full remake, wich makes samus returns a great game in my eyes.
tbh, i like ridley showing up in the ending, it ties up the prime games with the main series, plus i like how they make ridley know where the baby metroid is in super, implying ridley followed samus's ship to ceres station to steal the baby while her guard is down instead of just showing up out of nowhere
@@Andy23497 yeah exactly.
He is bacj from 1 year
They did better with Metroid but Mercury Steam literally ruined Castlevania. They made a lousy GoW clone, then tried to make an IGA style sidescroller, and finally a really bad stealth game with LoS2.
Bro, Luker, you didn’t have to do Birmingham dirty like that 😂
Eyy welcome back! And boy what a fitting return and gap!
Is Samus Returns a good game? Yeah, definitely! Is it a pain to play? Also yes definitely. And the resolution..oof, I didn't realize how low it was until smartphones got better screens. But it's definitely good as a game!
Yeah the resolution sucks ass. It’s good with 3D but man. If you aren’t using 3D just use citra and play it in 4k. The 3DS resolution is really not goo
@@theakiwar9118 Oh I plan to! Definitely intend to. Shame I can't do that with some other 3DS games that really benefit from the stylus in hand form factor, but oh well
3:01 the one on the right is obviously the remake, it looks so much more modern
22:48 .. b-b-b-but.... Dread.... ????? while it's still not my favorite 2D Metroid, it is my SECOND FAVORITE
While I prefer the Metroid fights in this game, due to the variety in them, such as the parry mechanic, I think I like AM2R better as a remake of Metroid 2 because of the atmosphere. First off, the new music in that game is fantastic, but also, it has a visual style similar to Fusion.
The devs got the atmosphere right eventually with Dread, but in this one, I think everything is too bright and colorful.
As far as Nintendo is concerned, it’s the only game of its kind.
Missed ya mate glad to see you’re back and with another banger vid
Your videos are awesome man. It would be cool if you made videos on the Metroid prime games as well
Another amazing video! Can’t believe how underrated you are man. Can’t wait for a vid on dread
Thank you for the kind words!
HE'S BACK!!
Luker's back! Though I prefer your no star/half star/full star criteria from the Zero Mission review.
Please, for the love of God, do a AM2R review. Either compare it to the original or to Samus Returns. But I would love to see your reaction to it. I've played it, and I consider it the definitive Metroid 2 experience.
@@robertkenny1201 I'm sorry that the fact that people like a fantastic Metroid game has triggered you.
I absolutely love AM2R and now more in spite of the fact of this comment
Oi, the controls for the 3DS definitely were painful and a large part of why I haven't returned to the game after getting my time down below the 8 hour mark. Though I had a similar problem with the comfort grip for the Switch when playing Prime Remastered (charge beam, I love you, but I hate you).
I prefer AM2R, which is actually my favorite 2d Metroid game if it counts as one. Samus Returns was great too, but the parry was just too clunky before they made you able to chain it with your other moves more easily in Dread. Also I'm looking forward to next years video!
Edit: Finally someone else who gets how terrible the 3ds (or 2ds XL in my case) feels to play on!
@@robertkenny1201 Yeah maybe it was a worse thing to do before Dread was announced but now I don't think it has any effect on there being more Metroid games in the future because Dread did so well. My preference is more about it just feeling more streamlined and modernized compared to Samus Returns that is screwed over by it's clunky Control method.
@@robertkenny1201 im talking about the control method that being the 3ds which is way too thin for my hands to feel comfortable at all
Mapping wasn’t a problem
@@robertkenny1201 I am extremely proud that this post was made about me. Bravo. I wear that "annoyance" like a badge of honor.
@@robertkenny1201 Yup. Good for me. GREAT for me!
Glad the Metroid man himself is back!
HE'S BACK
what about AM2R ( A Metroid 2 Remake ) ?
I might put that on the backburner for a bit - I'm working on a non-Metroid video at the moment, and while I definitely want to get Dread done at some point, I'll 100% think about doing AM2R too!
I love the autotune Ridley part😂
14:08 yeah that's pretty much how it feels...
I subed like a month ago and ibgot lucky not having to wait like everyone else.
The mere fact that this remake cut out 50% of the original game's enemy list is baffling and awful. Made even worse by overfilling the areas with the remaining few and simply changing their color palette.
Then the remake took an already linear game and made it FAR more linear and restrictive, completely removing the freedom the original had.
And finally, the remake altered the environmental story-telling in a negative way. In some cases it actually removed some of the original's environmental lore.
Samus Returns needed to take more notes from Zero Mission on how a good remake is done.
Zero Mission retroactively broke continuity with Super Metroid in one instance, it really is not the bar to set.
@@lpfan4491 Please note that I criticized Samus Returns solely on how it stands as a remake to the original M2. I did not mention anything regarding continuity with other games.
I bring up Zero Mission because it is a fantastic remake of M1. It maintained the original's main positives and added tons of content ontop of it all.
@@ultraspinalki11 If we talk about Nuance being removed, it is basically in the same box because the reason it broke continuity IS that it removed a unique detail(That Kraid is not supposed to be big yet) in favor of making the game a lesser mush-together of Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion.
@@lpfan4491 It is true that Super Metroid's surprise bait-&-switch with Kraid and Mini-Kraid is pretty much pointless due to ZM's retcon. Though that surprise always felt more like an inside joke instead of a substantial element to the plot.
If you were to compare ZM's minor continuity issue(s) to the far more significant ones caused by Samus Returns, then ZM still comes out on top as the better remake that SR should have learned from.
Don't you stop making these videos my man!
In answer to your question; Yes!
glad youre back, love your content
the mic sucks but this video SLAPS
Yeah I tried to use this vocal booth I bought off of Amazon for quality audio and in reality I completely bungled it lmao - my next video will have better audio
Please... I beg of you... keep making videos... I don't want to have found your channel recently and then wait for another 2 years for a new video... your videos... they too good...
I hope they port this on the switch!!! I’d lose it!! It’s the only mainline Metroid I have not played
nature is healing
H E B A C C
Clicked the "social media" link on your channel about page and audibly laughed, that was quite clever
Why won't Nintendo give us Samus Returns on the Switch, the cowards?! Also, throw Zero Mission in for good measure
legit, both games are ace and I wish I didn't have to sail the high seas in order to easily get the footage I got 😂
No, but it is a great game
You are gonna be doing Dread, aren't you?
I have 3 videos in a pipeline right now:
1). Critiquing the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet gym leaders
2). Metroid Dread & What Makes A Scary Enemy
3). A Wii Party Review
I'm aiming to get the first one out first as I would like to break out from the Metroid niche so that people who are only here for Metroid don't have to waste their time, but I definitely still plan to cover Dread, maybe AM2R & eventually the Prime series, just intermixed with other topics 👍
Not only a good remake of metroid 2 but also a fantastic sequel to metroid zero mission
U didn‘t get why there was no enemy in the last sections of the game, it‘s bc the metroids are so dangerous that they killed em all
Honestly u feel like a more extreme Josh Wallen
I did get why lol, it's just frustrating as a design standpoint that got remedied in the remake
And how dare you, they're my arch nemesis
@@LukerYT He shouldn‘t be, he should be another point of view or, even better, a collab
I appreciate it, but also, I have no idea who Josh Wallen is, and equally I cannot find him online lmao
@@LukerYT Search for The Geek Critique
Babe, quick, new Luker video!
I, as a furry, offer some wonderful tech advice.
Love your Metroid videos
Another Metroid Remake is (in my opinion) better. But yeah it's good
I know this is a 7 month video, but the Nintendo Life article shown at 20:06 just mentions the composer for Hunters simply felt stressed due to imposter syndrome, not work fatigue.
I'm sure you must have read the article yourself, but without any context shown this is bound to at least make one viewer believe they were suffering from crunch.
u cant just skip the good one like that
Yes
Let's goooOOOO
My gosh this game is so good on 3ds specially when you play it on 3D is the best I wish Nintendo didn’t discontinue making games on 3ds
I think the one on the right is the remake 😃👍
Context for the uninitiated: Furries tend to be neurodivergent tech-demigods.
Instant sub from me dawg
Thank you!
Answer: NO
Welcome back Luker!!! I liked Return of Samus but the parry mechanic became too repetitive for me. As for Mercury Steam... I voted with my wallet and didn't bought Dread, don't think I will buy a game from them any time soon!
A pro tip about the audio! if you are recording with walls near the microphone (behind, to the side, corner) try setting pillows on the walls near the mic, these will absorb much of the echo that's bouncing back to the mic causing the echo! :D
Thank you Ed! And I really appreciate the audio tip 😁
They really fine tuned all the issues of Samus Returns for Dread. I voted with my wallet and bought two copies.
4:07 Okay, I know you said "It's pretty much Birmingham, I reckon.", but I heard "It's pretty much burning in my rectum."
Sr3ds was ok but counter trivialize regular enemies. I was not a fan of it but dread fixed all my problems
hey, New 3ds controller isnt bad, neither is the 2DS.
Will you be doing AM2R?
I've got a few other videos in the pipeline ahead of AM2R, but I do think I want to touch on it at some point! Just trying to break away from solely Metroid content on the next one :D
@@LukerYT Coolies!
AM2R > Metroid II > Samus Returns
Each has their own strengths though, which makes it kinda interesting to compare all three rather than declaring one the definitive version.
Samus Returns worse than the original? Heavily disagree with that.
@@robertkenny1201 Its just as ugly and has no atmosphere. Controls are still clunky and not refined like in Dread so it doesn't earn any points for me there.
I’ve got basically the exact same thoughts. And it’s so sad to see people nowadays think that it’s the “definitive version” when it really just isn’t.
Is it friendlier to casuals? Sure.
Is it more fun to play? Absolutely.
But is it Metroid 2? Most certainly not.
Definitely totally agree. I didn't like it at all. AM2R is way better
I don't understand what you mean.
"I've got basically the exact same thoughts" which implies you agree with the video about the game being a great remake and being one you would recommend to newcomers to the franchise.
But then that gets immediately followed by "Sad to see people nowadays think that it's the 'definitive version' when it really just isn't".
Do you think the game is better than the original or not?
@@Leee275 I do think it’s a better game. I just don’t like how many people think it makes the original obsolete.
@@kamileon7065 Alright now that makes more sense.
it has better aroma and much better beam effect than dread
3:19 This comment is about a year later, however, there are many, like a statistically significantly larger than the national average number of furries in the IT industry. You are likely going to get very good IT advice from a furry.
omh*eck! i diddt believe youd say that about capitalism.
i'm revoking your american liocence.
ur editor is good tho she should make her own channel
heh, nothnigng personnel l*b*r*l 😎
So. Metroid II was one of my first games and still is one of my most replayed in the seriees. I've played through it at least once a year for.. 26ish years.
For me. Samus Returns is a fine game by its own merits but a failure as a remake for me which lands it as one of the few Metroid games I don't like.
As far as the enemies go. The increased aggression really ruins the flow of Metroid. The stop and go nature of the parry mechanic is the opposite of the run and gun gameplay of Metroid, trying to get better times and better endings is a lot harder when you have to stop every few seconds. This is mitigated a bit when you get the beam burst or ice beam so you can skip by enemies but just not a great solution. Dread fixed this problem wonderfully though by incorporating the parry into movement.
On that note, the enemy variety in SR is lackluster compared to the original. Several creatures were cut out from the bestiary and then use pallette swaps of the enemies to indicate stronger versions. One thing I really appreciate about M2 is the variety of enemies and how each section's fauna is localized to that area. To the point when you work your way up to the Queens nest, there are no enemies because the conditions so deep inside of SR-388 are so dire that nothing can survive down there. The guantlet prior to the Queens Nest in SR really felt like a step back in world building.
On that same note, the ending. Going back to business as usual after the Queen fight, no peaceful trek back up with the baby to think about the genocide you just comitted. To go into a Ridley boss battle. I remember reading a rumor saying the game would end with Ridley prior to picking the game up on launch day. I thought surely not, they wouldn't break the ending of M2 like that. Oh well. I guess i appreciate the attempt to tie Prime into the 2D series at least.
Also just how the game denys the player freedom of movement. Goopy walls to prevent wall jumps/spider ball, vacuums in the floor to prevent bomb jumping. Its just a bummer to see all these places I could use my skill to go through but the game denies it. Again, Dread fixed this issue and even encourages player expression.
Also, the Gamma's leaving their nest if you don't kill them fast enough drives me bonkers.
This was long winded, I apologize. I understand why people like SR. Just not for me. However, Mercury Steam knocked it out of the park with Dread and I do love that one.
Side note: you can see how many Metroids you have remaining in the area by pressing start on the Gameboy.
Might you try going AM2R?
hey furries can be amazing technicians
Haha, it was a poorly worded joke but that was the punchline- every furry I know are all in IT lmao
@@LukerYT figured, im a toaster
Parasite X miss ?
another person hating
on brimingham
Correction: "There is no ethical consumption of consumer goods. Period." 😂
Edit: I disagree with the "fixes." Samus is the most elite warrior in the galaxy, wearing the most advanced combat power armor around. Random alien squirrels should *not* pose any sort of real challenge or danger. She felt powerful in the original. In the remake, she feels like she is wearing paper mache instead of armor.
Also, the area between the Omegas and the Queen was empty by design. It was environmental story telling that the Metroids had completely stripped it, consuming everything.
For Metroid 2, nothing beats AM2R unofficial remake. Hard to find tho since Nintendo‘s lawyers blew it out.
"Promo SM" 😬
I have the rare opinion that i think SR is a good game but i absolutely hate it. The QoL is good, the abilities are good, looks and sound as good as a 3DS can handle but i don't like how Samus controls from both a physics and "Oh dear lord my hands" perspective, granted that's mostly the 3DS's fault. Game genuinely felt like a slog to go through for me unlike the other 2D games save for original 1 and 2 which i haven't played