"A must have for all action/adventure fans!"

I personally couldn't ask for a more worthy sequel to the classic NES game starring Samus Aran. Metroid II has a different feel to it when compared to its predecessor, which is why some hardcore oldschool Metroid fans dislike this game, but I think that it stays true enough to its roots to successfully preserve the awesome gameplay it was based off of.

Story: 8
Samus Aran is told that there are other Metroids on another planet. Apparently, they mated with other beings and created hybrid Metroid monsters of varying sizes and strengths. It is unknown whether there are any 100% Metroids on the planet, but the hybrids are dangerous nonetheless. Her mission is to kick some serious alien ass once again.

This twist to the original Metroid story is very interesting. The different types of Metroids are cool. The ending is very interesting, as well.

Gameplay: 9
There really is nothing quite like destroying enemies with a variety of weapons, searching for special upgrades, finding a rest platform and then doing it all over again. Metroid 1 was a great action game with just the right twist of adventure, and so is its sequel.

The game starts out differently than Metroid 1. You touch down on the planet surface with a ship, which you can return to at any time to recharge your energy and refill your missile supply. As you progress deeper into the planet, you will see that the main chasm begins to branch off. These branches are where you will find your targets. A counter on your screen tells you how many creatures with Metroid DNA are remaining on the planet. Here are the types of Metroid hybrids:

Alpha Metroid: Charges at you head on. Fast, but the easiest to kill.

Beta Metroid: A little bit bigger than the Alpha. Can shoot electricity out of its mouth at short range.

Gamma Metroid: Even larger than the Beta. Shoots fireballs.

Delta Metroid: Picture a T Rex with a Metroid for a belly. Needless to say, they're the most powerful.

For some reason, you cannot progress deeper into the main chasm unless you defeat all the Metroid creatures in the currently accessible branches. If you try and go deeper, you will see that the way down is blocked by lava. No matter how powerful you are, you won't be able to journey through it. Defeating all Metroid creatures makes the lava recede. This makes the game quite linear, and is one of the main reasons why people who loved the first Metroid don't like this one. Even though this restriction exists, the individual branches themselves are large and complex. You will have fun exploring each maze, searching out all the Metroid creatures and finding all the items.

Your standard means of attack are still your laser cannon, bombs and missiles. Most of the weapons and upgrades from Metroid 1 have made it to this game (Ice Beam, Wave Beam, Varia, etc.) along with some cool new ones. One very useful upgrade gives you the ability to stay in the air infinitely if you time your thrusts right.

Thankfully, this game has battery backed saving instead of passwords.

Graphics: 8
Nothing at all wrong here. The native planet monsters are small, annoying critters just like in Metroid 1. The Metroid hybrid creatures are large and well animated.

Sound/Music: 8
The sound effects are standard Metroid fare. Nothing wrong with them at all. A lot of people hate the fact that there isn't much music in the game (only when you're in the main chasm or at a save point), but I like the eerie sounds you hear when you're in the branches. It gives you a slightly uneasy feeling and helps you experience what being all alone in a space suit surrounded by nothing but volatile monsters would actually be like.

Control: 10
Jump, shoot, curl up into a ball, switch between laser and missile with the select button. Nothing wrong here.

Replay Value: 2
The only reason to play again is if you didn't beat the game under the time limit. You get a different ending if you do, but it's nothing special. If you've beaten Metroid 1 under its time limit, you probably know what happens already. :)

Bottom Line?
This is one of the best action/adventure games on GB even today. There isn't much reason not to own it, unless you don't like action games. The new weapons and items (as well as the old) are exciting to find and use, and the fact that your main enemies are varied makes the game even more interesting, which is why I give it a 9.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/10/01, Updated 07/10/01