After beating Metroid II some 12 years ago, I resolved to play through it again and get the best ending. It took me a while, but lately I finally jumped back into the game and having finished it again, why not a review? As a retro review, I'll be reviewing the game about half-and-half based on how it has stood up to the test of time and how it compares to other games from its era.
Metroid is all about blasting aliens and exploring seemingly endless caves. I think it's a design that a lot of players either love or hate. When I was a kid I hated it, but over the years I've become a bit more tolerant. Metroid II may well be the hardest game to navigate in the series: no map, and everything is the same colour. The only way to tell where you are is by a few slightly different background tiles.
Personally, I think an in-game map would have improved Metroid II a lot. I'm sure some hardcore Metroid fans will hate me for saying that, but I find blind navigation frustrating. Still, it isn't too hard if you approach it methodically. After a while I got into a routine of going on a few scouting missions to find the most efficient path from my current save point to the next one and then I would go on a "real" mission after which I'd actually save. Nintendo also makes it easier by blocking Samus' path with a pit of lava that keeps her from progressing until she kills all of the Metroids in the current area. It prevents players from getting lost deep inside the planet before they're ready, but it took me a while to get the connection between beating Metroids and accessing new areas.
Graphically, Samus and the Metroid bosses look really good, especially by black and white Gameboy standards, but the backgrounds and most enemies are pretty average. Also, to make Samus look so good, Nintendo made her huge and when she jumps she can easily get way up past the top of the screen and ram into unseen enemies. The jumping is a bit floaty to begin with so platforming can be frustrating. The controls are solid otherwise, with practice they become very natural.
The music is mostly minimal and ambient, which unfortunately doesn't work really well on the Gameboy. If you know what Nintendo is going for you might appreciate it, but casual players will probably find the game music annoying or weird. There are a few more melodic tunes that come off really well, though.
The adventure is moderately tough: I found it to be easier than I remembered, but then I was taking a very cautious approach since I wanted to finish with a short time to get the best ending. Players that charge wrecklessly into the depths of the planet will probably lose a lot more lives. Either way, it should last a decent amount of time, my game clock said I played for about three and a half hours, but adding in all my scouting missions I'd guess my overall time was more like 12 hours, which was pretty good for a handheld game in those days. It's not as long by today's standards, but it didn't feel short to me by any means.
At the end of the day, Metroid II has the same big problem as a lot of the old black and white Gameboy games: the only reason to buy it was that it was a portable version of a popular series. Now that some years have passed, it doesn't really stand out among the rest of the Metroid games except perhaps for the fact that it tells
the story of how Samus discovered the Metroid hatchling.
Pros:
- Lots of portable Metroid action.
- Tells an important part of the Metroid story
- Nice graphics for the time
Cons:
- No map for gamers that lose patience with navigating dozens of similar-looking halls
- Jumping can be hazardous to your health
If you're looking to build a complete Metroid collection or you love the idea of exploring a big underground lair with no help from maps and other in-game aids, then Metroid II is definitely worth adding to your collection. I personally enjoyed it a lot more than the first time I played it but I think Metroid Fusion or Metroid Zero Mission would be a better purchase for most players.
Graphics: 8.0 Sound: 7.0 Control: 7.0 Game Design: 7.5 Lastability: 7.5
Overall: 7.5
Topic: Metroid II Retro-view (Read 2326 times)
