Metroid II: The Return of Samus

METROID II: THE RETURN OF SAMUS

Today, let's cover the second Metroid game, released for the Game Boy. Please note, this is about the original game boy game, not the recent remake. Samus returns, this time sent to the planet SR388, the original planet where the Metroids were first bred, to wipe out and destroy what was left of them.

Samus returns once again, staring with the power suit, the power beam, a missile launcher, and her morph ball ability. As she goes on, she gains bombs, the ice beam, the spider ball (lets her climb on walls), the wave beam, the high jump boots, the spring ball, the varia suit, the space jump, the spazer beam (shoots three distinct beams), the plasma beam, and the screw attack.

The Metroids are the only villains around this time, with multiple different stages. The base Metroid larvae are the ones you normally think of. Alphas rise from their larval shell and can fly. Gammas can fly, attack with claws, and zap with electricity. Zetas shed even more of their old body and breathe fire, and Omegas throw fireballs. Finally, you have the Metroid Queen, who stretches out her neck, spits out spike balls, and can swallow and spit back up Samus. Another boss running around is Arachnus, who rolls and spits fire. This is also the notable first appearance of the Baby Metroid, who will come into play later.

There are several enemies floating around, most of whom just fill specific single-action niches, just like before, but frustratingly, there is very little crossover. They do basically the same thing, they just don't have the same name and look alike. These include Hornoads (the most basic), Yumbos, Tsumuris, Seerooks, Moheeks, Chute Leeches, Mumbos, Needlers, Gawrons, Gullugs, Wallfires, Septoggs, Autoads, Blob Throwers, Autracks, Senjoos, Halzyns, Yumees, Gravitts, Pincher Flies, Automs, Meboids, Proboscums, Shirks, TPOs, Octrolls, Skorps, Flitts, Motos, Drivels, Skreeks, Glow Flies, Gunzoos, and Ramulkens.

The bulk of the game takes place on the Planet SR388, with several "phases" of levels with no names to speak of.

And that's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Samus Aran: power suit, power beam, morph ball, missile, long beam, bomb, ice beam, high jump boots, Varia Suit, Screw Attack, wave beam, spider ball, spring ball, space jump, spazer beam, plasma beam

Zero-Suit Samus: All listed above (except suits of course)

Mother Brain: laser, glass casing, Rinkas, energy barriers

Ridley: hop, fireballs

Kraid: blades, spikes

Metroid: float, drain energy, rise from shell, fly, claws, electricity, fire, fireballs

Metroid Queen: stretch neck, spike balls, swallow, spit up Samus

Baby Metroid

Hornoad

Autom

Bosses:

Arachnus

Stages:

Planet Zebes

Brinstar

Norfair

Tourian

SR388

Thanks for reading! Next up, we reach the series-defining Super Metroid!