Question
Should I play AM2R or play the 3ds version?
I'm currently playing Super (It's being so peak), and after that, the only game in the 2d saga left for me is the 2nd one.
I can't play the gb version (I mean I can but Idk if I could beat it, 8bit metroidvanias scares me and are impossible for me to play), so, that only left me with 2 options, the fan remake and the oficcial one.
Now, I don't have a 3ds, it's to expensive to me at this very moment. Metroid it's my main reason for buy a 3ds (that and the zelda games) but I don't know if it would be better play the fangame instead of waiting years for me to play the oficcial one (and emulate 3ds is just so unconfy and weird. Also since I already beat dread, maybe the 3ds version would be more familiar gameplay wise?).
Honestly yeah. Lots of mechanics in SR aren't bad or anything but they kinda clash against gameplay. High Difficulty bosses that deal a lot of damage and require precise controls are a tiny bit frustrating at times.
Come Dread, Samus' mobility is so good it feels AMAZING to crack bosses' patterns, weave through their attacks and counter at the right time. I hope Ravenous continues on that direction, something I never thought I'd say when playing SR for the 3ds.
It makes me want Mecury Steam to go back and give us a Switch 2 4K Version of that game with some improcements to the controls.
Edit: since Im commenting. This game was Gorgeous on a New 3DS in 3D. One of the best games to take advantage of the 3D feature imho. The foreground/Background really popped and made SR388 really come alive visually
Bonus tips for newer emulation users: You can also use either Nvidia smooth-motion via NvidiaProfileInspector or Lossless Scaling on steam for frame generation above 60fps.
Personally I use smooth motion while leaving the 3DS at the default 30fps, only because the well known 60fps engine hack introduces a few minor anomalies in a some sections of the game.
Less relevant personal tangent on the smooth motion vs lossless scaling debate as I use both programs:
Smooth motion is usually the better quality non-native frame gen option in terms of visual artifacts/disocclusion, but Lossless Scaling does maintain the benefit of being able to run on a 2nd GPU. So in situations where your primary render GPU is at 100% utilization, offloading frame gen to a separate card evades the base frame rate penalty. Maintaining a base frame rate 50+ fps minimizes the artifacting/input latency well enough, for my tastes anyway.
Samus Returns is pretty light on touch for the most part, all you use the touch screen for is swapping beams or missile types (and placing the occasional marker on the map). I would just take my hand off the controller and use a mouse for those bits, which was only maybe a little difficult when trying to switch between missiles and super missiles during boss fights. Otherwise you don't really need to swap beams often enough that it's a problem
I dont know if this feature is standard on all 3DS emulators (including forks or else-wise), but there should be an option under the motion/touch control menus to translate a controller input into a touch screen tap in terms of coordinates (X+Y axis).
Samus Returns only makes use of the Left/Right Bumpers and not the Left/Right Triggers introduced with the 3DS-XL, so I mapped LT to the 1st beam slot and RT to the 2nd. The 3DS also lacks thumb-stick L3/R3 inputs so you can also freely assign those to whatever you want.
I personally played in large single screen mode and mapped the 2nd screen swap command to the right stick button.
The emulator I used (I think Citra) Allows you to bind "tap on X;Y" to a controller button.
Takes some fiddling, but is very playable once set up!
Thankfully the game only really uses the touch screen for weapon/missile swapping and going into Morph Ball. And I think maybe the Aeon abilities? I'm not entirely sure, it's been a while.
I loved it when it first came out but yeah it would be nice to get it over to the switch. The melee counter was cool but wasn’t as smooth as dread and playing through those boss battles on the 3ds really hurt my hands haha
Yes. Ngl i only ever discovered metroid 2 because i bout the virtual console version on my 3ds then samus returns came out right after i finished m2. Ngl tho i really liked og metroid 2
I bought Metroid 2 shortly after my original playthrough of Fusion and did not like it. I hung on to it and finally did a proper playthrough about 10 years ago and did a complete 180. Honestly, I liked it more than the 3DS remake. There's just something about the atmosphere that they didn't recapture on the 3DS.
I was doing a playthrough of all the vc metroid games on my 3ds. Like i said the only reason i even discovered it. However coming from nes metroid it was wayyy better
I never played the original Metroid for more than a few minutes. Hell, I've never even completed Super Metroid (travesty). So I liked it even without having experienced it's evolutionary path. I did play with a map to reference occasionally, but as I played I got more familiar with the layout and reference it less. I think it helped that when I did complete it, I went in knowing it was a product of it's time and was willing to work within that context.
Oh yeah having a map along side you is infinitely better than trying to play without one i mean its so damn easy to get lost especially since half the rooms in nes metroid were copy paste
I put off playing it for so long because of my kinda bad experiences with NES Metroid, so I was surprised playing it expecting to have a similar reaction and ended up going "wait, no, this actually holds up decently well". I would still advocate having a map on hand for when you start getting frustrated, but I think it's just in the "dated" category as opposed to "aged like milk"
agreed. NEStroid and metroid II definitely show their age and the limitations of the era, but they're worth at least putting a few hours into to see what started the whole thing. they're important parts of metroidvania (and gaming in general) history.
I don’t think it’s that it “hasn’t aged well”. Gameboy games could be a little clunky because of the hardware but I find a lot of them really enjoyable. I think it depends on your personal preference.
For me I love Metroid II and I’ve put a lot of hours in because I think it’s fun to speedrun (casually). Some will drop the game immediately but there’s definitely stuff to appreciate. The atmosphere is really bizarre and the game does make you wonder if killing the Metroids was ethical. It’s a quaint game but I understand that it’s not for everyone.
Both. Look, they are at the end of the day, very different games, even if they are build around the same blue print (very loosely at that, tho). Samus Returns is still the foundation to Dread and now Revanous, both gameplay and lore, so it is a must play for fans. But the amount of love to the franchise on AM2R is undeniably, and if you are fond of the 2D sprite entries, is a easy win.
I vastly prefer AM2R. Its interpretation of SR388 feels more true to Metroid as a whole, it has more enjoyable gameplay and level design, and I find it far more replayable.
If you play AM2R, I'd also recommend reading about Samus Returns because it adds more to the lore you saw in Dread and (presumably) Ravenous.
If the 3DS were closer for you, I'd say just play Samus Returns because it's cool to see how MercurySteam started with Metroid to where they are now and the added lore as well.
I always say this to people deciding what to play. AM2R if you played Zero Mission, great continuity between the two with graphics, gameplay, and music. Samus Returns if you want a continuation for Fusion and Dread (mostly dread since most of its mechanics are shared between the two). Or honestly just play both :)))
AM2R is the better game for me. Was playing Samus Returns recently but put it on hold for Metroid Prime Origins. I would still play both. Need to finish Samus Returns but it’s the only Metroid game that doesn’t make me want to pick up where I left off.
I agree with the sentiment that both are good.
IF you've played Zero mission I'd recommend AM2R more though. Its much more... familiar i guess to that era of Metroid. Though I personally find it hard to recommend people who are new to the series. Some of the bosses are pretty unforgiving imo(skill issue probably) but if you've already played dread you'd probably be absolutely fine.
Not like diggernaut in Samus returns is a bitch in itself on your first attempt.
I just wanna talk about being a huge metroid fan and trying to recommend the series and where to start... and I ALWAYS recommend Zero Mission. But why the fuck does Metroid 2 have to be such a problematic game. I really wish they would port Returns or something to switch because casual players might not be willing to go find AM2R. Especially if they don't have a PC. Not at all saying the original version on GB is bad, or that you shouldn't play it, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it over two objectively better(though each inaccessible to casual/new players) games over it.
The worst part is the fact that most players who liked hollow knight or a more modern metroidvania might enjoy it, but they are certainly different experiences in terms of combat and how they work. Someone who played HK might not be prepared for the fucking bullet hell that the drone boss in AM2R is.
If it's going to be years before you can play Samus Returns on 3DS just do AM2R now and SR in a few years.
I'm playing Samus Returns now. And there's a lot I like a lot about it. But I do feel like it could have been trimmed a bit. Not enough payoff moments to be as long as it is. If it was a bit shorter it'd be perfect.
I’d say that since you don’t currently have a 3DS, play AM2R. Or just pirate Pirate Samus Returns. Either way, eventually you should play Samus Returns simply cause it’s the canonical version of events, and has a slightly different ending that leads into Super Metroid a little better (but not by much, so don’t worry).
AM2R is the most fun overall. It's a bit rougher around the edges but it's amazing from start to finish. The movement physics, the exploration, the feel of the beams, the combat, it's all top notch. Samus Returns is the best produced out of all of them, has the most thought and love put into it, but feels clunkier and I dropped it a few times before finishing. Metroid 2 is great if you enjoy being lost with a creepy vibe the whole game, still holds up to this day but you have to be able to deal with routing without a map.
If you don't have a 3ds AM2R is a no brainer. It's free and it's incredibly high quality! SR is great too, but if getting a 3ds is a financial concern it's not worth it at all right now.
Some people don’t get into the original but I really love it. It’s super short and I think it’s still fine to navigate without a map (less confusing than Metroid 1) although there are patches for that if you want one. There’s also coloration patches but I think the black & white gives it a unique vibe. It’s got that gameboy clunk but it’s a fun game in my opinion and I like going for a fast time.
People are divided on whether they prefer AM2R or Samus Returns but they play very differently and both have original content so they’re both worth a try.
the gameboy version literally gave me an headache because of the awful way the original soundtrack plays, between that and the absolute impossibility of knowing where the heck you are at any given time, it was a downright awful experience for me.
You can play a lot of the titles on a modded 3DS. I’m currently playing Samus Returns again on mine. It’s made by Mercury Steam so it was the starting point for the series and it holds up. Just keep in mind there’s no offense counter like Dread so it’ll move slower.
If you are able to play AM2R now and have to wait for a 3DS then I’d say play AM2R now. But if and when you get a 3DS I’d recommend playing Samus Returns as well. Both games have the same bones but are also very different too.
They're ALL Metroid II. So you should play ALL of them. I personally recommend playing Return of Samus first. Why?
Because AM2R and Samus Returns are both re-imaginings of the original story of Metroid II. Playing it first will give you the appreciation for that game experience but also the others and the changes thet made.
They are ALL DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE and none of them replace the other. Anyone who says otherwise is literally lying to you.
Return of Samus might be an old game, but it's perfectly playable and beatable. The biggest issue people have with it is the monochrome color, which can be fixed by playing a colorization hack or with color filters on NSO.
Samus Returns basically retcons Metroid II, so if you want to have the current lore and get a taste for the first iteration of Mercury Steam's Metroid style, that's your pick.
AM2R is, in my opinion, a much better game though, and while it takes more liberties in its design, it often feels closer to the essence of the original Metroid II than Samus Returns does.
However, Metroid II is an extremely special game in its own right and neither of its remakes fully captures what it offers. Personally, I highly recommend giving it a try despite your fears. If you're put off by the monochrome, try the Super Game Boy pallet. If you're afraid it'll be like NEStroid, it isn't. It's much more linear and more forgiving to accommodate the handheld format.
I never played Samus Returns unfortunately because I've never had a 3ds, but AM2R is a fantastic alternative. Just keep in mind that there's a few things in there that aren't canon. The original Metroid 2 was surprisingly fun as well though.
Samus Returns is amazing! I have no experience with am2r so I can’t say to play it or not but if you have the means to get Samus Returns, I’d say go for it. But if not then am2r
AM2R is a good substitute, but it's missing a bossfight that ties main line and Prime saga together and fixes a Super Metroid plot hole, and the introduction of an ability concept that's important to Dread and seemingly Ravenous.
But outside of that, it's a perfect substitute. You can even customize the Power Suits colors with an external tool. But I recommend playing with controller
Depends what you’re after. Atmospherically I would say emulate the original game using a color/DX hack. If you want the best gameplay go for AM2R. It’s probably one of the best fangames for any franchise ever. If you want authenticity and to see the bones for Dread play Samus Returns. I’d recommend all 3 for different reasons but they are all fine choices. I’d say AM2R is definitely the more casual/beginner friendly game if you’re a bit newer to the series.
It's a shame you don't do 8bit games, it's the best version of the game. Between Samus Returns and AM2R, it's AM2R by far. It's free and it's straight-up better than SR, which is a terrible interpretation of the original.
AM2R. It’s infinitely better than the train wreck that was the 3DS remake. That said, the GB original for Metroid 2 still is surprisingly solid and chilling.
For a first playthrough, choose one of the original nintendo games. Play AM2R after you've played everything else. It is a great fan game, but imo it should be left as such. There are some interesting choices with the design, difficulty, and pacing that I don't like, but it is fun to play. It is not definitive for me though.
I vote Samus returns, even though you will very likely notice that it is similar to dread but far less polished. Imo it is one of the best looking 3ds games with some of the best 3D effects on the system.
Metroid II is great if you played and enjoyed Metroid I. If you found Metroid I to be frustrating, I would play it only for historical purposes or if you want to say "I beat them all".
Kind of off topic, but is there a reason why used 3DS Samus Returns carts are so expensive? Central Europe and the prices are averaging at around €80. I played the OG Metroid and Prime 4 and want to continue with 2D but I‘m not ready yet to pay this price.
I played both, Samus Returns played on emulator and I didn't had any weird feelings. Yes, it would be much better to play on original hardware, but even with emulator it was more than good. AM2R I played right after Zero Mission and it was amazing, though I aged a few years ago, so maybe it's even better now. Gotta replay it. So I guess go for both :D
I've heard 3DS Samus Returns gets a lot of flack, but it was the first metroid game I played and I loved it. It's what got me into them. I still enjoy it now - I'd definitely recommend.
I can say that Samus Returns is the first mercury steam Metroid and basically sets up all the mechanics that are further refined to perfection in dread and ravenous, so if you want to prepare for those games play that.
AM2R if you like metroidvanias like "i need to find the way and be familiar with that world"
Samus returns if you like metroidvanias like "i mostly like 2d action game combat"
I 100%'d both, and would recommend it to anyone with the means and the time.
AM2R is (IMO) a much better successor/remake to Metroid 2. It captures the tone very well, as well as expanding on it in ways that make a lot of sense.
But man, Samus Returns is a blast. While the tone is really different, it is a really good game and has some really interesting and fresh ideas (Aeon, for one example).
If you want to know "which game is a better M2 remake?", I'd say AM2R. But both are good games for sure.
Samus Returns on 3DS was my first ever Metroid. I loved it so much that made me go after every single one in the series. The next I'm planning to play is AM2R. So the answear is: play both.
If anything play the GB version or 3DS version first
You should probably not play the fan game until after playing the original or the remake as all of them give pretty different experiences
Plus the original game isn't very windy or daunting it's mostly just location to location rather than finding a power up go back to a old location you've already been it's not like that it's mostly straight forward and especially the Game Boy original is more like a horror game than anything the only annoying thing is that they could've definitely added some other bosses but the remake shakes it up a bit
I'm gonna say something people may hate and honestly it's understandable since I can't fully say so or not
So I played Metroid Zero Mission (via a rom hack called Re: Zero Mission that changes a few things, QoL and bug fixes but ultimately it was the same game) and I loved it. I play on New 3DS only so if the 3DS can't run it, i can't play it
If you like Zero Mission and based off the roughly 10-20 minute gameplay I was able to play on my phone with a controller, AM2R feels a lot like Zero Mission. Probably more to Super Metroid but the point here is that it feels a lot like the old control scheme with the D-pad and Shoulder button diagonal aiming. However I hate gaming on my phone and I don't like using my Xbox controller on my phone nor do I like touch controls on phones
I tried the 3DS version immediately after the Zero Mission and Brief AM2R gameplay and I hated that I couldnt play with a D-pad and was forced to use circle pad alongside controls not being able to be changed
I never played a Metroid game besides zero mission or a 2D game with Parry mechanics like this. I didn't like the controls. Took break from Metroid for a bit
Unsure if it was cuz I had been playing Mario & Luigi Super Star Saga with its timing helping me with mine or just the fact that I had a rough memory of the 3DS controls but once I gotten back to the 3DS version and reset the game to try again from scratch, I'm loving it now
What's the point of this long reply? Ultimately just to give you an idea of which you wanna pick based off an experience like mine. If you like Zero Mission or similar control schemes then go with AM2R since it was in development before the 3DS version and as a result only based on the games prior to it. Meanwhile if you played Dread or like the more modern aspects and controls, go with 3DS since it leads you into those time of metroid games
All just depends on your preference, what's available and whether you wanna go it's the official remake or the fan made remake that changes details that aren't exactly contradicted but not quite canon either
Point of note: Metroid II GB isn’t that bad. I’m not recommending you play it over AM2R or Samus Returns, but I think it might actually be easier than Samus Returns. It’s way easier than NEStroid.
Samus was given a huge, detailed sprite for the go game. She can duck for the first time, and they added several new power ups that became main stays in the series.
There is still no map, but the environments have a bit more variety than NES. I think my first run through took 4-6 hours. Got it down to under 2 by the end of that summer, but never found 100% of the items (missile tanks).
I have not played AMR2 and I can’t really get into Metroid 1. Metroid 2 for gameboy is what got me into the series.
Why not both? Why is it always either or?
In fact, why not play all 3? Play all of them, figure out what you like or dislike and make up your own conclusions instead of relying on the internet hivemind for telling you what to do.
If you do play AM2R, be on the look out for the charge bomb attack. When you have the charge beam and bombs, you can weaponize your bombs more effectively against enemies and bosses while also lay whole bomb patterns. It works by charging then pressing the morph ball button then press a direction and then you can launch a cluster of bombs in the direction you pressed, press down to lay down an angular five bomb pattern, or just launch five bombs that spread out without pressing any direction. I love using it to launch bombs at enemies and bosses that you can rain bombs down on them or at them. The bombs become just effective as missiles with the charge bombs.
After beating Dread (my first Metroid) I am going through them all in canon order and after finishing Zero Mission, I went into AM2R due to it having similar physics and so far I am not regretting my decision. I have heard more mixed things about the 3DS release, but I will probably check it out after I'm done with all the other 2D Metroids if Ravenous isn't out by then.
TBH AM2R is closer to Suepr Metroid and GBA Metroid Games especially Zero Mission.
If you played Dread and you liked it then you'd prefer 3DS version (Samus Returns) , yet i didn't click with Metroid Dread on a Nintendo Switch and i beat Super Metroid, Zero Mission and Fusion before playing Dread then dropping it and choosing AM2R
3DS remake got the same studio and same style of Switch Dread
If you loved the exploration of super Metroid you'd love AM2R (you can't do brrak sequencing as much as super Metroid tho but it's better than 3DS with noticably more freedom and the camera is a bit further so you see more just like super and zero mission compared to 3DS it's zoomed in which looks more cinematic and modern yet lacks the stuff i enjoyed on older Metroid games)
So imho AM2R is my preference yet both games are nice , 3DS got a new combat move and some more modern game mechanics as well as better aiming.
But there's something about AM2R , it's a fan just like us he's one of us who put a decade of work into this game for us to enjoy it for free before Nintendo finally decided to make a remake , still this guy got more of the core Metroid stuff better than the official game , stuff like atmosphere etc ... Both games aren't perfect and i might best the 3DS if I feel bored but it's all preference try both and see which one clicks with you at least give it to first bosses and see which made you play nonstop for hours
tbh both have great things about them but imma say this:
If u lover of the retrro pixel art and fan work of hard work and expanding the maps and how implements even newer 2D games too, AM2R is great choice
As polayed 3DS One THIS showed potential and greatnbess of mercurySTeam tht fans tweet and message Nintendo to KEEP THEM and the game shows why, story and all is same but some minor diff actually improve the game and new mechanics of parry to combat feels like the GOOD parts of other m but not overdone
Why not both? AM2R while you're saving up for a 3DS from the sounds of it and compare what the official remake ended up being after you get your hands on a 3DS and copy of the game.
I would recommend finding a way to play the 3ds version first and then going back to AM2R later if you want. The 3DS version is technically the canon version moving forward.
Also, GameBoy 2 is creepy but it’s so good in its creepiness. I’d at least watch parts of it online just to appreciate it (again if you want to).
Metroid 2: The Return of Samus is awful, it's probably the worst Metroid game out there.
Super Metroid is not much newer than Metroid 2 and it's my favourite game of the series. One of the best games of all time. Metroid 2 isn't bad because it's old, Metroid 2 is bad because it's bad.
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u/Neaphel Sep 17 '26
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