"A highly underrated installment of the Metroid saga"

Metroid 2 is a very strong GameBoy game that is one of the most underrated Metroid games so far, something which this title does not deserve.

Control: 9/10
The controls are a little tricky to get used to at first, but they become second nature soon after you start playing. And because you aren't overwhelmed with a variety of moves and weapons at the beginning of the game, you unlock them by finding the items or beating boss creatures, meaning you only have to learn one new control at a time. The only problem, which is not even that much of a problem anyway, is that you have to press and hold select to use missiles, something that may be a little difficult at first.

Graphics: 8/10
The graphics are limited because the game is on the GB, but there have been GB games which have managed to do slightly better. Samus is very well done, as are her various weapons. The bosses are also detailed and believable. The rest of the enemies and the landscape are nothing special but do suit their purpose.

Music/Sound: 9/10
The music in this game is very accomplished for a GB game. It takes the minimal approach by using music lightly and you really feel like you have deserved it when you hear victory music play when a boss is beaten or you recover an ability. There are a variety of creepy sounds which help to maintain a spooky and erratic atmosphere and accompany boss battles very well.

Game play: 10/10
This is one of the main ways in which Metroid 2 excels itself. On the surface the game play is basic, but gradually Samus learns new attacks and abilities which means she has a variety of techniques to employ when exploring the planet.
The game is all about puzzles and exploration, which is great for people who like to work to find their way out of the caves of SR388. This enables Samus to move further into her quest, and the fulfillment whenever you finally discover how to move onwards is unsurpassed in any game.
The fighting is another interesting aspect of the game. there are a variety of enemies and there are different ways to dispatch of them depending on the enemies weaknesses and the abilities Samus has. Part of the fun is figuring out how to attack the enemy.
Boss battles are very different, though. Finding out how to damage the bosses does give you an advantage but fighting them is still difficult, something that other Metroid games suffer from (Metroid Fusion, very much an updated version of Metroid 2, has bosses which were very easy to beat once you knew what their weaknesses were).

Story: 8/10
The game is not as story based as other games. This is due to the game being on the GB, but compared to a lot of GB games it has a lot of depth and is another installment in the Metroid saga. The atmosphere of the game is very chilling and the story is designed to illustrate this.
Samus is alone on SR388, the home of the Metroids, and is thrown in at the deep end in a very complex and dangerous planet filled with hidden caves and caverns which are home to various life forms. Samus must save the Galaxy from the Metroids!

Replayability- 9/10
The game is very playable. Because it is quite long, if you play it again then it seems like you've never played it, although there will be a degree of familiarity. And there are many ways to progress through the game, meaning you can start again and do things in a very different order.

So, the big question- buy it or rent it? Buy it, definitely. As the game was released quite some time ago it will be sold very inexpensively meaning you should take advantage of this and add this worthy title to your collection. One problem that may arise is finding it, though, as the game's age means it might be difficult to find.

Overall this game scores a worthy 9/10 (not an average) because of its depth, length, game play and atmosphere.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/22/03, Updated 03/22/03