ROR: Metroid II Revisited | Metroid II (GB): The Triumphant Return
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 มิ.ย. 2024
- IF YOU CAN, CONSIDER WATCHING ON A BIG SCREEN IN 4K OR 1080p, 60 FRAMES PER SECOND.
At last, it's time to revisit Metroid II! AM2R has been updated multiple times over the past five years, while Nintendo threw their own hat into the ring with 2017's Samus Returns.
In Part 1, we'll be revisiting the original Game Boy Classic. Has Exo's opinion of this game improved with time?
In Part 2, we'll be discussing the latest versions of AM2R: Return of Samus, with a focus on the new updates as of Version 1.5.5.
In Part 3, we'll finally take an all new look at Metroid: Samus Returns for the 3DS.
CHAPTERS:
00:00:00 - Opening
00:00:30 - Intro
00:01:46 - Why Revisit the GB Original?
00:02:42 - Story
00:04:55 - Graphics
00:08:01 - Colorizer Mods
00:13:12 - Music
00:15:38 - Gameplay
00:19:35 - Platforming
00:22:11 - Bosses
00:24:13 - Level Design
00:27:41 - Navigation
00:29:05 - Conclusion
00:30:43 - Outro
00:31:00 - Credits
Special Thanks to J's Reviews for his cameo.
AM2R Boxart by PhazonZim.
Intro and Credits music composed and arranged by Noah Taublieb. - เกม
And when the world needed him the most, he returned.
And with a remake of one of his older videos nonetheless.
And I literally just watched his videos since they put automatic subtitles on TH-cam 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
I feel like this is going to be the top comment on every single one of his videos.
@@Chex-David l literally see no grammatical issues in your comment. So I think your English is pretty good.
@@Chex-David Good luck, I hope you improve to a point where you're happy, but I think your English is pretty good!
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.
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.
@@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.
To Metroid Intelligently. Lol
Glad to see you back, man, I missed your stuff!
Hey tgc is here. I'm actually going to rewatch your Metroid critiques again. They're a great listen when I'm at work.
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.
I love pitch black backgrounds so much I don’t understand why some dislike them
@@GameboyFanatic it can sometimes look lazy, though that seems more like personal preference.
@@galfinsp7216 Dang
this game is a masterpiece made by people who knew exactly what they were doing. it's severely underrated.
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.
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
Very interessting, I guess that was the inspiration for the visors in Metroid prime then.
@@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
Gotta appreciate Exo coming back when he’s needed .
And then disappearing for another 7 months, leaving a 'part 1' unresolved.
@@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
"The future is in your hands! ...today!"
It feels great getting to see another vid on this channel after a long while. Hope to see more from you soon.
when I saw the notification I couldn’t believe my eyes.. consistent EPG back? Watched this guy religiously back in lockdown
“He’s back!”
~Agent Stone, 2022
This is literally my favorite channel! Videos are really well done, and relaxing!
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.
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.
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!
greetings folks?? FOLKS!?? I AM A GENTLES AND LADIESMAN!!
You have such a unique style and great content, absolutely love it
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 TH-cam, but I still like the Game Boy rendition the best. Fantastic tune that plays into the Game Boy's audio functionality.
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
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
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
I haven't seen your other Metroid II review so this was a treat. I love how in-depth you go with these.
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.
As someone who only found your channel in the last month or so, very glad to see this series continue!
So happy to see you back! Looking forward to parts 2 and 3!
Good to have you back, Michael! Hope all is well on your end!
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!
He attacc
He protecc
But most importantly
He came bacc
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.
Oh man, I was starting to worry something happened. Nice to see your videos back
The King has returned once again
it's great to see you back EPG
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.
Metroid II feels like a very artistically experimental game. I really dig it.
Nice to see another episode, excellent channel 👍
Overjoyed to see that you are back, keep up the great work!! ^-^
So glad to have you back, Exo!
Welcome back! Always glad to see this channel upload.
Great Vid! Always wanted to check out metroid 2 especially after playing the nintendo remake. Looking forward to the next part!
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.
It also has an android version now too which is awesome. So you don't need a pc to play it.
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!
Glad to see you with another review. Can’t wait to get to Samus returns
An Exo upload AND new unversed cast?
What deity did I please to warrant this? GOSH
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!
Great to see new content from you dude, you make top stuff
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.
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
Good to have you back brother.
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.
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).
When we needed him the most, he came back.
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
Great to see ya man! Your videos always been great! You improved for sure!
Hey, Exo! Great to see my favorite TH-camr back with a new video!
It's good to have you back
Awesome to see you back!
Exo is back baby! Amazing work as usual!
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.
Woah, you're back!
great to see ya again dude
I wish you would do an RoR on Halo CE or 2 stacked up against their anniversary counterparts.
Welcome back old friend!
I been waiting for this ROR, finally!
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.
Hey man i remember binging your reviews in 2015 and been subbed ever since
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! :)
Yay I missed your videos Man! Welcome back! 😁
Good to see you again
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!
I almost swiped past this video. Great to see you bro.
And we wait. Jk, hope all is well.
Cannot wait for part 2.
I missed your videos. Glad you’re ok and back
Man… i JUST watched the AM2R vid yesterday, This is awesome
This is awesome.. I thought you were dead or something dude.. Anyhow glad all is well & nice to see another video from you.
Welcome back been nearly a year since you last uploaded here
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
He's back!
Always a beautiful mmomentwhen we get to see more of your stuff, my good man
glad to see youre back :)
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
Missed you buddy. Keep up the good work!
Exo is back, baby!
Edit: Love the new background.
Glad to see this series return, I really enjoyed it.
best notification we could possibly get today!!!
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.
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.
Tl;dr Fair argument, but it won't change Exo's opinion that the game should've had a map.
Just finished Samus Returns for the first time the other day and looking forward to the eventual follow-ups!
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.
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
the music in the area you get the plasma beam was pretty cool - been awhile since i Played the game though
I hope you check out all the updates added to AM2R through the past few years!
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.
I thank the algorithm gods for bringing me here, great video!
My favourite Metroid game.
Welcome back Mikey!! Hail to the King Baby!!
This was a delight to listen to
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.
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.
From what I can tell, EPG will be finished with DigiPen's game design course in 2023.
The old timey ad caught me off guard lol
Welcome back dude 😎