Awesome Metroid II fan remake three years in the making

50 Comments by Scott Jon Siegel Mar 21st 2008 8:30AM
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, PC, Retro, Action

Metroid II: Return of Samus often gets a bad rap from Nintendo fans for being the "worst" of the early Metroid games. We're happy, however, that some still regard it as a seminal part of the Metroid timeline. In the spirit of Metroid: Zero Mission, one intrepid fan has been building a full remake of the classic Game Boy title, and so far we're impressed with what we've seen.

Using Game Maker 7, DoctorM64 has been lovingly recreating planet SR-388 using graphics from Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion. He's even gone the extra mile and recreated many of the original Game Boy enemy sprites in full color. The project has been in development for three years, but has recently ramped up, with a newly released gameplay trailer (seen above), and a fully playable tech demo.

We're looking forward to seeing more of this project, and hoping that Nintendo doesn't swoop in and do what they do best. The PC-only tech demo is available on the project's blog, but check out a video of the tech demo in action after the break.

Tags: game-boy, metroid, metroid-2, metroid-ii, nintendo, remake

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

koehler83: Mar 21st 2008; 8:42AM

I know its blasphemous, but I'd love to see this compiled for homebrew PSPs.

It looks awesome. Metroid 2 is the only one in the 2D series that I've never really played.

Geist: Mar 22nd 2008; 1:28AM

You're right, thats pure blasphemy coming out your mouth. You'd best close it.

A Pissed-off English Gamer: Mar 28th 2008; 12:48PM

That provokes the same anger as my friend who homebrewed his to play Chrono Trigger. It's just not right!

Jayslacks: Mar 21st 2008; 8:43AM

I could never bet this game because I didn't get the last armor upgrade. This is the only Metroid game that I liked, and I hope someone does something awesome with it...

capt_carl: Mar 21st 2008; 11:03AM

There was on the Varia, there weren't two armor upgrades if that's what you're referring to.

Jerk Face: Mar 21st 2008; 8:49AM

Awesome!

Rob Accomando: Mar 21st 2008; 9:04AM

wow, that's f*cking awesome.

Saxon: Mar 21st 2008; 9:06AM

While I can hardly imagine working on a fan project for three years without telling the rest of the fanboy populace for encouragement, these people working on these awesome projects need to keep them under wraps until they're ready to be released! As it is, everybody gets a good chunk into the project, releases a video or a few screenshots to psych everyone up, then gets shut down by the IP holder. If they finished it *before* releasing it then all their work wouldn't be for nothing.

Saxon: Mar 21st 2008; 9:06AM

Saxon: Mar 21st 2008; 9:08AM

timnc: Mar 21st 2008; 9:08AM

That's pretty dang impressive. I would actually pay money for that. I love the original metroid games.

Saxon: Mar 21st 2008; 9:08AM

Goddamn it.

StrangeBum: Mar 21st 2008; 9:13AM

It's okay Saxon.

At least two of the posts were MissingNo. and not actual repeated entries. I can mod your comment up...but the first two must be done with.

playwhutyalike: Mar 21st 2008; 9:09AM

I give kudos to his long work on reconstructing the game. I've never played M2 but would love to get my hands on it.

Cabcru: Mar 21st 2008; 9:23AM

I'd be surprised if Nintendo didn't get all stompy on it. Especially considering they still see the 2D stuff as viable handheld/virtual console fodder.

Kael: Mar 22nd 2008; 3:09AM

They see Metroid as a viable handheld game series? If only that were so! We'd have seen a Metroid game in the last four years. Four years! It was years ago that I had all but resigned to the ever-increasing likelihood we'd never see another Metroid game again. This fan-made game is as close as we're going to get, it unfortunately seems.

I'd love to get a trillion dollars, stroll up to Iwata-san and let him know I'll be taking the Metroid license off his hands since he doesn't seem to want it. The surplus of the trillion would go to creating a studio manned by the best in the industry and making an all-new Metroid sequel: a full-retail, triple-A, polygonal, HD, four-player-online-co-op, God-among-Metroid-games sequel for 360 and PS3. Then I'd be able to die a lot happier.

DangerMouse: Mar 21st 2008; 9:25AM

And watch this never come out after Nintendo sniffs him out and threatens legal action.

Curtis: Mar 21st 2008; 9:29AM

How exactly is the original Metroid 2 the worst in the series? Whoever thinks that must have never played Hunters. My hand is still cramped.

riggs: Mar 21st 2008; 9:35AM

ben hacks one handed controller strikes again!

Mr Khan: Mar 21st 2008; 1:59PM

I liked them all, really. Metroid II's only fault was the original Game Boy's black and white limitation. And actually that helped Metroid as we know it today, because they needed some way to visually tell between the Power Suit and Varia suit, so they added the massive Orb shoulders which have been an integral part of the Varia Suit ever since

Mills and Boom: Mar 21st 2008; 9:40AM

Huh, it's using a toy game making program and ripped graphics. Not really all that impressed.

Bought Metroid II for my GBC last year and it's a pretty good Metroid game. IMO better than the first Metroid.

francisco: Mar 21st 2008; 1:15PM

Why don't you do better then?

Mills and Boom: Mar 21st 2008; 2:07PM

I do, infact I signed with a publisher in Jan so my fingers now salute you.

knight666: Mar 21st 2008; 9:52AM

For a Game Maker game, that's mighty impressive!
Most of the games that are made with Game Maker are utter garbage (this coming from a guy who has been using Game Maker since 4.2).
I'm also trés impressed over the collision checking.
I know those can be a real bitch.

Kudos for the guy (gal?) who had the patience to tediously rebuild something in Game Maker for three years!

comtar: Mar 21st 2008; 10:02AM

I hope Nintendo does something similar to what Apple is doing with their SDK and allow something like this to put on WiiWare and just split the profits. This guy deserves alot for something that looks this impressive.

eldee: Mar 21st 2008; 10:03AM

nintendo will have this project squashed within a month now..

why don't people learn??? if you're smart enough to recreate a classic game, you should be smart enough to keep it secret until it's finished. look at all of the other homebrew remakes that have been stomped out of existence when they were in the final furlong.

The finished version of this game will never see the light of day, mark me.

Mills and Boom: Mar 21st 2008; 11:44AM

OR if people can make games why not do something original? Yes it's a toy application but it takes some level of problem solving. They should have made something original. Especially for 3 years work.

Nithron: Mar 21st 2008; 10:30AM

I never quite understand how someone like Nintendo manages to "stop" a project like this. Let's say they do send him a cease and desist letter, and he shuts down his website. Why couldn't he just finish it anyway and release it when it's done, onto some random free hosting site like Rapidshare, and let it just spread round the internet?

How would Nintendo be able to prove that he's the one responsible? I doubt they'd be able to manage that in a court of law.

capt_carl: Mar 21st 2008; 11:05AM

I found out about this a few days ago. I played the tech demo he had floating on some other website, and I must say, it's impressive as all hell. I've been missing my Metroid II cart for ages. I'd kill to find it so I can play what I consider to be the most underappreciated Metroid game in the entire series.

Cyantre: Mar 21st 2008; 11:08AM

I didn't see any credit in the video giving credit for the music, but I know where it is from.

http://www.metroidmetal.com/

Keith: Mar 21st 2008; 11:12AM

there are so many older games that need this type of attention!!!!!!

FOXHOUND: Mar 21st 2008; 12:20PM

Well, since we're talking GameBoy titles here... how about MG:GHOST BABEL remake? -nudge to all- eh? eh?

Mills and Boom: Mar 21st 2008; 12:52PM

No, Ghost Babel was rubbish. Don't mention rubbish games on this post please. Thanks.

daniel helm: Mar 21st 2008; 12:24PM

Wow. I had no idea people didn't like this game, its always been one of top favorites!

darkeyez: Mar 21st 2008; 1:15PM

that was awesomeness

Yaz: Mar 21st 2008; 1:36PM

Imagine if this dude had worked on something with his own IP. Then in six months he could sell it and make money off of it and people could play it. Instead he'll just get a cease and desist and no one will be able to see his work.

ill trooper: Mar 21st 2008; 2:50PM

Looking back at it, you can see how it's essentially a 'Mario' game with tougher graphics.

Mills and Boom: Mar 21st 2008; 4:14PM

I'll correct you

"Looking back at it, you can see how it's essentially a 'platform' game with tougher graphics."

Geist: Mar 22nd 2008; 2:21AM

Yeah, I remember playing with Mario in his free-roaming world, firing off projectiles at all the alien enemies while I upgraded my gear and found more weaponry.

Oh, wait a minute, that never happened. What are you talking about?

The only thing Mario and Metroid have in common is that you can jump in both of them.

QMav: Mar 21st 2008; 2:56PM

Next somebody should do Zelda.

Rob Accomando: Mar 21st 2008; 4:08PM

someone did that

http://zeldaclassic.armageddongames.net/downloads.php

Cesaria: Mar 21st 2008; 5:02PM

This looks really damn awesome. And yeah, how could anyone hate this game? I loved it as a kid.

aristokrat: Mar 21st 2008; 8:07PM

I loved this game when I was younger, and I don't know how I feel about him adding newer powers to it. There was no force bomb or whatever that giant explosion was, and I'm pretty sure the wall jump wasn't available yet either (just the limitless space jump). This game was pretty hard, and extras will just make it easier. I was pretty happy when I finally beat it (I remember coming back to the game halfway through, after not playing for a little while, and was completely lost). Definitely not a game you could just jump back into, as the caverns were so confusing to navigate.

Psaakyrn: Mar 21st 2008; 9:30PM

You know, instead of Nintendo squashing it, they'd do a better job by asking him to convert this into a Wii Ware title. Everyone wins.

PhydeWice: Mar 22nd 2008; 1:15AM

I totally agree. And if not for WiiWare, then at least on DS. I'd buy this on day one.

Jansperus: Mar 22nd 2008; 1:24AM

Pfft. I hate these things. The people who make them are always like "We're going to remake this game and REVOLUTIONIZE the industry! And then a month later, they start high school again and the project's forgotten forever."
Seriously, it should be a crime to flake on things like this. A crime punishable by death.

Kamran Iftikhar: Mar 22nd 2008; 3:41PM

Awesome! Metroid II is the only Metroid game that I completed. Even though being a linear shooter, it's got so much character and atmosphere. IMHO, the best Metroid game.

Zegim: Mar 22nd 2008; 3:37PM

I really like the sound that has been put in this.

KZRSoze: Mar 25th 2008; 3:58PM

That's just awesome. I've been wanting Nintendo to do this for years. Metroid II was one of the first games I ever owned and one of my very favorites. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

hvnlysoldr: Apr 12th 2008; 8:15PM

I love someone else comments on MisssingNo. Man I wish Metroid II had been remade into a DX version like SMB and Link's Awakening.

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