-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have already mentioned what a special place in my heart Metroid II holds. Despite technical limitations and only being the second game in the acclaimed series, the original Metroid II has a distinct feel among the entire catalog. Namely, a feel of darkness, impending dread, and moral grayness.
As a brief overview, Metroid II takes place after the events of both the original Metroid/Zero Mission and the Prime Trilogy. The Galactic Federation deems the metroid species too much of a threat to galactic civilization, and orders for their extermination. They contract the mission to the individual most qualified to do so, Samus Aran. Samus lands on the planet of SR388 and is able to get a energy scan that tells her how many Metroids exist on the planet. And so begins the mission.
AM2R is a 100% fan-made remake of Metroid II that has been in development for 6 years. The primary goals of the project are to combine the technical gameplay of Metroid: Zero Mission and the atmospheric immersion of Super Metroid. One thing no one can argue is how much they succeeded on the first goal.
One of the biggest complaints modern gamers have against Metroid II is the lack of a map system. Indeed, Metroid II's sequel, Super Metroid, pioneered in-game map systems as we currently know them, but this innovation did not make it in time for Metroid's second installment. AM2R added a Super Metroid-style map system to remedy this problem. They also added more modern features that have become staples of the franchise, such as 8 directional shooting, super missiles, power bombs, stackable beam upgrades, speed bosting/shinesparking, bomb jumping, and the list goes on and on. Everything you can do in Zero Mission, you can do better in AM2R.
This leaves us with the difficult goal of capturing Super Metroid's atmosphere, even though doing so is about as easy as bottling lightning. For those of you who haven't played it, Super Metroid combined distinct environments, eerie and moody music, cinematic gameplay that gave the player a sense of profound loneliness, and sometimes, fear. The problem is, in my humble opinion, Super Metroid and Metroid II were not meant to be tonally the same. While Super Metroid is lonely and moody, it still has a pretty positive vibe overall. There is a clear goal to rescue a biological super weapon (who may or may not share a personal attachment with the protagonist) from the clutches of a clearly evil band of pirates.
Metroid II on the other hand, is not so clear cut. As Samus moves farther down through and endless network of underground tunnels and caves, further from civilization and closer to the heart of a species she is trying to eradicate, a feeling of dread builds slowly and consistently in the player's soul. Instead of near-constant action, as in Super Metroid, Metroid II gives the player long, uninhabited tunnels to travel through between metroid executions. There's enough time for the player to think about what they are doing. Yes, the metroids are threats to the galaxy, but is the answer really going to a planet where they have already established themselves and destroying them, even though these metroids have presumably never harmed anyone?
Despite the technical limitations of the original version, Metroid II was able to communicate this tone beautifully. Instead of intricate pixel art of caves in the background, the player could only see stark blackness. Instead of beautiful colors and varied environments, the player experienced a grayscale that matched the grayness of the morality of Samus' actions. Instead of music that called back to previous, more successful games, we got creepy and choppy music in a style that was never found in a Metroid game since. One could argue that these weren't conscious decisions but rather forced decisions due to the severe limitations of GameBoy hardware, but they nonetheless accentuate the dread and gloom that makes this game unique.
Don't get me wrong, AM2R captures this feeling for the most part. There's still plenty of downtime in between major areas where one can take a breath and contemplate what's going on. Going into a metroid breeding ground or nest is still scary as #$@%. There's even a really well-executed section with a darkness mechanic (a la Rock Tunnel). I really appreciated this sequence as the "Wednesday" of the game. Let me explain. Being halfway through the week can sometimes be tough; so much time has been put into work, but still so much more time has to be put in as well. The darkness sequence happens to be right in the middle of the game. So many metroids have been killed, but the list is still huge. They are becoming more powerful the farther you get from the surface and the closer you get to darkness and insanity. This stress comes to a climax as you fall to the bottom of a near-pitch black pit and face off with a gamma metroid in claustrophobic quarters. At that moment, you would rather be anywhere but there. Perfect.
I was somewhat torn by the decision to make the 5 main areas all different, and many of them with different themes (aka water, lava...think Zelda games). While the change of scenery was nice, it did feel a bit trope-y and not in line with the tone of the game.
***MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW ***
AM2R really nailed the end sequence of the game. I'll never forget my experience in the original Metroid II when I discovered the largest cave in the game, with a very artificial-looking glass laboratory at the top. Inside were traditional metroid larvae (you know, the ones that suck your brains and you have to kill with ice beams and missiles). The eerie and slightly irritating music was largely unchanged (good thing) during this sequence. This all built up to the penultimate room, where the music transforms from melody to basically unpleasant guttural sound effects and you can hear a roaring creature presumably coming from the next room. Knowing what awaited me down there, I experienced the same feeling I had when I walked into Mother Brain's chamber for the first time in Super Metroid. This is a feeling I've only had a few times in gaming, and I greatly applaud the developer for being able to capture this.
The Queen Metroid fight was also a slight improvement on the original, mostly being a multi-part fight and making what was once a secret technique of beating the boss (climb into her mouth and bombing her from inside of her gut) the mandatory grand finale of the fight.
One of the best parts of the game was the post-credit line:
"The last metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace." (read in the same voice as in Super Metroid)
Not only is this an apt ending to the game, but also a goosebumps-inducing hint at the events to come in the final game of the trilogy.
***END SPOILERS***
Overall, I think the tone of Metroid II was mostly maintained in AM2R. All of the technical changes were nice, but did somewhat take away from the minimalistic nihilism of the original. I still can't say that it is quite up there with Super Metroid, but I think it beats Fusion and MP2 and takes the second spot on my list of favorite Metroid games, which I don't say lightly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After almost committing metroid genocide, Samus climbs out of the twisted cave network of SR388 with something she has never had on her previous missions: a companion. As the metroid larva helps her escape, Samus emerges from the darkness and insanity to look up at a beautiful night sky. Within a few seconds, she climbs into her ship and into the endless sky above.
No comments:
Post a Comment