Return to Return of Samus
After playing through Another Metroid 2 Remake I also decided to give the original Metroid II - Return of Samus another try, this time on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.
And I've actually beat it twice in a row. First time I ended up with a time little over 3:00 hours, but that's where you get the best ending with Samus in her bikini. So, this is why I decided to beat the game quickly again in one evening (with 100% items), where I was able to shave off an entire hour.
It's really a short game, but not a bad one. I like it more than the first Metroid, because it offers more variety. But compared to the first game it's also quite easy and it's probably one of the easier Metroid games overall. And also one of the more linear games, where you basically just follow a long tunnel and explore the four larger areas at the sidelines, which are quite open. Items are hard to miss and there isn't all too much to collect. There are 22 Missile Expansion, six Energy Tanks (one of which seems to optional) and only few upgrades to your suit.
There are also 47 Metroids to hunt and they are A LOT easier to kill than in AM2R. In general I like the concept of the evolving Metroids and hunting them down, where a remake of the game in the style of Metroid: Other M would have been absolutely amazing.
But... I'll settle with the AM2R remake for now, which is a lot more challenging and offers many more hidden secrets, but still stayed quite close to the original game. I was actually surprised about how "accurately" some parts were translated in the fan remake.
This one is far more enjoyable to replay than the first NES Metroid. It seems they've learned a few lessons from that entry and applied them here.
ReplyDeleteI've actually started replaying Majora 3D for the very first time in almost a year. I gotta say, it's been surprisingly better than I expected. Being able to save on any owl statue and replay from any mistakes is a godsend.
While I'm unable to unlock Epona on the first regular 3 day cycle, I was able to beat both Woodfall and Snowhead Temples, and was also able to upgrade my sword to gilded level. It was a close call, but I was able to beat the Goron Race in two rounds during Day 2's midnight period. I spent day 3 doing a lot of sidequests, including upgrading my quiver and doing the Swamp Spider House. I got 8 masks overall, including the Deku and Goron ones, as well as several pieces of heart and 3 bottles.
Except for the Beaver racing minigame. Whoever programmed that ought to be shot and banned from ever doing videogames ever again.
ReplyDeleteThe Beaver racing got a lot easier on the 3DS version, though. Even with making multiple mistakes I never had any issues with the time. This was very different on the N64 version...
ReplyDeleteLet me put it this way. I never hit a ring the wrong way when playing the N64 original. It happens to me three times per race on the 3DS. Collision detection feels completely off, and I hit an arbitrary ring wall instead of passing through it. I missed the first ring several times.
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