Metroid II: Return of Samus
1991 · Action-Adventure · Game Boy
Overview
Metroid II sent Samus to the Metroid home planet SR388 to exterminate the entire Metroid species. The game tracked kills rather than exploration progress — the planet's seismic activity decreased with each Metroid eliminated, communicating narrative through environmental change. The claustrophobic corridors of SR388, rendered in monochrome, were more atmospheric than the open caves of the original.
Deep Dive
Metroid II was developed by Nintendo R&D1 for Game Boy as a direct sequel to the NES original. The game's structure — tracking how many Metroids remained rather than mapping which areas had been explored — created a different psychological experience from the original's exploration focus. The Omega, Zeta, and Queen Metroid forms encountered later in the game escalated the biological horror that the series used as atmosphere.
Developer Story
Metroid II was developed by Nintendo R&D1 under Gunpei Yokoi as the Game Boy follow-up to the NES original. The team designed the game around the hardware's constraints, finding that the monochrome display suited the game's tone. It launched in Japan in January 1992.
Did You Know?
- Metroid II's narrative — Samus exterminating the entire Metroid species — ends with the discovery of a Metroid hatchling that imprints on Samus, establishing the Metroid larva whose fate drives Super Metroid's plot.
- The game tracks remaining Metroids rather than mapping explored areas — a structural innovation that made each elimination feel like narrative progress rather than simply game progress.
- Metroid II was remade as Metroid: Samus Returns for Nintendo 3DS in 2017, developed by MercurySteam and considered the definitive version of the game's concept.
- The game's monochrome Game Boy graphics created an atmosphere of isolation that colour would have partially dispelled — the limited palette matched the bleak planetary setting.
