Metroid: Samus Returns Critic Reviews

This is far and away one of the best Metroid games ever made, and one of the best examples of the entire Metroidvania genre as a result. Melee counters and free aiming have made combat feel fresh and exciting again, while the environments are incredible – especially when viewed in auto-stereoscopic 3D. It’s a given that this is a must-buy for Metroid fans, but it’s also essential for those who’ve never played a 2D Metroid and want to see what the fuss is all about. This is what the fuss is all about, and the wait was so, so worth it.

I was delighted by Metroid: Samus Returns. It hits pretty much every note you hope to see in a Metroid game, and MercurySteam's console background is evident in their flair for the dramatic — whether in their introductory cutscenes or their boss battles. Their dramatic reinvention reinvigorates the source material and strengthens the story's bridge to Super Metroid. In short: They nailed it.

If this sounds like a bit of a love letter, it is still underselling just how fantastic Samus Returns has turned out. Stunning animations, a fantastic soundtrack, and awesome cinematic moments come together to remind us of the amazing roots of this series, while updating it for a fresh audience. Metroid: Samus Returns is one of the best Nintendo 3DS games of all time, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

On a conceptual level, the game speaks to Nintendo’s constant refusal to retread ground unless there are new ideas to share and new stories to tell. Maybe Nintendo held a revisit to Metroid II so close to the chest for all these years for good reason. I would like to believe that Samus Returns took so long to materialize because it was carefully considered, and set up to be a milestone for the franchise. Another era of Metroid is beginning.

Metroid: Samus Returns is an easy recommendation and you can’t go wrong with this in your 3DS library. The team put a lot of work into polishing this remake and it shows. I can’t even tell who gets the better deal here between fans of the original or newcomers like me. All I can say is that this game makes me realize how much I miss a true Metroidvania game made by masters of the craft. If this is how Nintendo wants to pay homage to classic games, I say let’s go for more!

This might be Samus’ first 2D adventure in more than a dozen years, but it’s a great reminder of why we fell in love with the franchise in the first place.

With their powers combined, Nintendo and MercurySteam basically struck gold with this game. Samus Returns is a dynamite entry in the fabled series and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Metroid: Zero Mission and Super Metroid. If you’ve been waiting for a new 2D Metroid game from Nintendo for more than a decade, you owe it to yourself to play this game.

Metroid: Samus Returns contains everything that makes the classic Metroid games so impressive and adds a number of key changes. The fantastic control, challenging end-battles and the sense of discovery make the game on par with the most acclaimed installments of the franchise.

MercurySteam have pulled Samus from the jaws of death and delivered one of the best games in the series. Samus Returns perfects and reimagines the gameplay of 2D Metroid games and delivers one of the best titles on the 3DS. Every self-respecting Nintendo fan should own Metroid: Samus Returns.

Samus returns with an adventure that it's an example of how all remakes should be, respecting the original game, honoring the classics and adding a pinch from the latest games. Samus Returns is not only a great Metroid game: is also one of the best titles for the Nintendo 3DS.

Metroid: Samus Returns offers everything a Metroid fan would want, but thanks to its great structure also presents itself as an amazing introduction for newbies.

Metroid: Samus Returns is a fantastic remake from one of the most unnoticed games from the series. It combines a really well-known formula and complements it with some new gameplay mechanics, functional controls, gorgeous visuals, and many more surprises that make it feel as a familiar yet fresh experience. It is a must have game for any fan of the brave Samus Aran.

Simply put, Metroid: Samus Returns is an excellent game. It honors the past and adds a lot of great new gameplay elements. The Metroid series strives in 2D, and Samus Returns is another clear demonstration of exactly that.

Metroid: Samus Returns doesn’t merely hope to satisfy a sense of nostalgia, it transcends those aspirations to become a much more compelling experience. It takes nearly everything about its predecessors that made them great and introduces new elements that make gameplay feel fresh and exciting.

Story aside, Metroid: Samus Returns functions more as a new installment that brings the best bits of multiple Metroid games together. By offering tons of upgrade and weapon options alongside improved combat, the game is truly enjoyable.

While Metroid: Samus Returns is technically a remake of a 90’s GameBoy game, it’s truly a rallying cry for Metroid fans to gather and enjoy how fantastic Samus’ journeys can be. Despite a few hiccups, the fresh combat mechanics, addicting exploration, and wonderful cinematic tone make this one of the best Metroid games ever made.

Samus Returns has an appropriate name. It really does feel like a homecoming for a franchise that I love. It’s great to be playing a new 2D Metroid.

Metroid Samus Returns is the ultimate remake of a classic Metroid game. With fluent gameplay mechanics and new additions, the new title plays and feels like a brand new Metroid game.

To call Metroid: Samus Returns a remake feels unfair. Remakes are old games with new coats of paint: an upgrade in resolution here, reworked artwork there. Samus Returns is far more than that. It’s a top-to-bottom reimagining, bringing the bones of a game that’s over 25 years old into the modern era with fantastic results.

Samus Returns is both a return to form and a look to the potential future for 2D Metroid games, where combat plays a bigger role and exploration involves clever thinking rather than persistent guessing. Fans get more than they bargained (and hoped) for, and everyone else gets an excellent 2D action game with one of the most captivating and capable video game heroes around.