"Second only to Zero Mission as the best Game Boy Metroid game to date"

Years back, when my collection of video games was a mere handful of Game Boy carts, I had recieved some money and wished to find a new game. Browsing the local store that my parents took me to, I fell in love with the box of one game. The character's suit was beautiful, the backgrounds were nice, and the screens looked nice for the day. I had never heard of this... Metroid, but found myself having no problems buying the sequel.

Rushing into my room once we arrived home, I tore at the box, pulling the game out and putting it in the Game Boy. But before I turned it on, I read the manual (an act that I seldem do these days). Flipping through, I knew I would HAVE to love the game, as the descriptions of the foes, the plot, and, best of all, the Metroids themselves, had my attention within its grasp.

Flipping the controls on, I listened to the title theme, amazed by the quality of the music, and pressed the start button.

To sum it up, I was hooked on Metroid II, and would eventually play each title in the series because of this game. But then, you didn't click on the link to read my life story and how I loved the game, you want to see what I thought of the game itself, correct? Well, let's go on to that, shall we?

The graphics, for an old Game Boy cart prior to 1994 (before Donkey Kong and Zelda - Link's Awakening), the graphics in this game are stunning. Samus Aran (the hero and the character behind the suit I mentioned prior) is nicely animated, even though her sprite pales compared to later games. On an ironic note, it should be observed that her animations are simmilar to the original Metroid on the NES, albeit with more details. These details would also be VERY closly related to the Super Nintendo game released later around 1994.

The world of SR388 is, again, very nice for an old Game Boy cart, and is still quite stunning in the details presented. The Chozo statues are extremely well detailed, as are the ruins found throughout the game. The minor enemies (ie - non-Metroids) are also nice to look at, though most are not really attractive. Most of the initial foes are not really stunning, though later on many foes (especially most of the later mechanical foes) are nicely detailed and animated.

Then there are the Metroids. These horrors are the central focus of the game, and you have to eliminate each and every one of these monsters. The first type you encounter is the "Alpha" type, which is very basic compared to the later variants. It might be me, or it could be some minor blurring, but I would almost swear that the Alpha animates some small limbs as it flies to you. The next type you find are the "Gammas," which are kin to the Alphas, only larger and able to use a nifty (and nicely animated) lightning attack. After a long trek against Gammas and Alphas, you stumble upon the "Zetas," which are the first to differ from the Alpha and Gammas - imagine a small Godzilla with a Metroid "core" (ie - the red center of a normal Metroid) in its belly. These irritants love to fly around in circles, flinging out fireballs. Sadly, compared to the Alphas and Gammas, these are not as nicely animated.

Then you meet the "Omega."

To put it bluntly, with the exception of the final foe, the Omega Metroids are easily the most powerful foes in the game, the best looking of the Metroid "classes," and perhapse the best animated of the Godzilla-look-alikes. When you unleash a missile on these monsters, their whole body shudders from the impact, only to continue their attack. These beauties are extremely detailed, with armored plating on their "cores." Sadly (or should that be "thankfully?"), there are very few of the Omegas in this episode of the Metroid saga.

There are three other Metroid variants in the game, including the infamous "normal" Metroid, which are the massive white/green creatures that appear in virtually every Metroid game to date. I will not go into the other versions, as they might "spoil" the game, but suffice it to say that the other two variants are nicely animated, and it is worth playing a couple times to see these horrors...

The music is, to be blunt, superb. The opening title theme is among the best on the cart-based Metroid games, and is second only to Metroid Prime in my opinion, should you wish to compare the tracks to the series on the whole. The main tunnel theme is possibly the only theme that drags on your nerves, though it still is a nice piece. The real fun begins when you approach a ruins or an area swarmed wtih foes and Metroids, as the theme start with an organic feel, and keep the overal feel while you are there. The theme during the Omega areas are pretty nice, though the theme pales to the final area of the game prior to the Boss of the game. The Ruins theme (inside) is kin to the Main Tunnel track, as it too drags on your nerves late in the game. Fortunately, late in the game, you come upon a ruins that does NOT use this theme, but, rather, the wonderful music found in the area outside. The sound effects might vary from time to time for some of the foes, though the sounds for the Metroids is VERY impressive, and with sterio headphones (or a Super Game Boy or Game Boy Player), you really get a feel for them.

The controls are obsenely well done for an 8-bit game, and at times I wonder if I'm playing a 16-bit game. Running and aiming is performed by simply pushing the D-pad in the desired direction, and firing is performed by pressing the fire button. Jumping is accomplished by pressing the Jump button, and arming missiles is accomplished by pressing the "select" button. From the start of the game, unlike all other Metroid games (Super Smash Bros. games not included here), gives you the "Maru Mari" (aka Morph Ball - press down twice) and 30 missiles. This allows you to take out the first foe from the get-go, as well as navigate the dozens of hidden tunnels from the start. The only item in the game that I had issues with was the Space Jump, whose debut here was a nice one, only that you had to have exact timing to keep the jump for long distances.

The game play is quite simple for the Metroid series, as the set-up of the available lands is far more linear than most others in the series (though VASTLY non-linear compared to Metroid Fusion). Prior to the first Metroid in the game, should you go right at the save point instead of left, you will find a pool of harmful lava blocking your path. Once you slay the Metroid, the lava receedes, only to block the path that leads you further into the game. This actually adds the feel of the lava areas from the old Norfar areas, and helps keep you on track. Though this does keep you from exploring, the vast ruins and chambers in a given area are vast enough to take days to explore for a novice, and even a veteran Metroid player will wish to explore every nook and cranny in the game, taking hours to explore even the first Ruins.

Once you slay all of the Metroids in a given area, the lava levels drop again, and you can proceed to the rest of the game, level by level. The items found in each ruin are common for later Metroid games, such as the Screw Attack, the Varia, and the Ice, Wave, Spazar, and Plasma beams. It should be noted that some items appear for the first time, and several items act differiently than later games. For instance, the Varia suit does NOT protect you from the acid or lava as in later games, and the Spider Ball (which debut here) is VERY differient than the variant that appeared in Metroid Prime, as it allows you to scale any surface other than spikes.

Replay value is typical Metroid - try to get all of the items, try to beat the game under a set time limit (3 hours in this case), or simply play again for the enjoyment. Another reason to play again is for the infamous "Secret Worlds," which are glitch rooms found in most Metroid games. Also, it is possible to play the game without key items, such as the Bombs (there is a web-site that houses a FAQ for a no-Bomb walk-thru) and Spring Ball. The choice is up to the player, and depending on your wishes, you can do what you will.

Overal, the package is excellent, and you could spend a massive ammount of time on this game. My only problem is that my manual was lost over time, and after playing the game for years, I can easily pick it up and beat it under the 3 hour limit. Other than that, I have enjoyed this game for years, and probably will continue to enjoy it. Metroid II was my first exposure to the world of Samus Aran, and to this date is STILL one of my all-time favorites, right up there with Metroid Prime.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/02/04