At E3 2017, Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo premiered Metroid: Samus Returns for the 3DS. The surprise game is in the mould of older Metroid platform games but with lush 3D graphics. File-Aime said it will be ‘launching later on this year’.
Nintendo said the game is ‘a reimagination of the original Game Boy classic that was released in 1991, Metroid II: Return of Samus.’ In this way it is similar to the 2004 Game Boy Advance game Metroid: Zero Mission, which was a remake of the first ever Metroid game from 1986.
Nintendo also announced it is working on Metroid Prime 4 for the Switch.
When is Metroid: Samus Returns coming out?
Nintendo announced that the game will be out on 15 September 2017.
#Metroid: Samus Returns brings back the feel of the classic adventures, but with improved graphics and new abilities! Coming 9/15 for #3DS! pic.twitter.com/8ubYAJCsl0
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 13, 2017
It is available to buy here from Amazon and Nintendo now!
We reviewed the game, awarding it 4/5 – read the review here.
How much will it cost?
The game costs £34.99 in the UK in line with most other major 3DS releases.
What is the style of gameplay?
The game is a remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Metroid II. As you can see from the below screenshot from that game, the new one will be a tad prettier.
Nintendo said that gameplay will include new abilities for Samus and her famous suit, such as free aiming, a shooting method not possible on consoles with fewer controls than the 3DS.
It’s a sidescroller unlike the home console Metroid Prime series, but the 3DS can produce some stunning scenery, with gameplay previews showing deep colour palettes, smooth transitions and a great depth of field.
Nintendo has a brilliant track record of bringing new life to remakes. Even if you’ve played Metroid II: Return of Samus for hours, we have no doubt you’ll still want to get this.
Amiibo support
Like most recent Nintendo games, Metroid: Samus Returns includes support for a few of the company’s interactive Amiibo figures, which in this case will unlock exclusive content that you can’t access any other way.
The game will release alongside two new Amiibo, one of Samus crouching and one of a Metroid enemy, but will also support the existing Samus and Zero Suit Samus figurines from the Smash Bros. series.
Each will unlock different content in the game. The new Samus figure will add an extra energy tank and some exclusive Metroid 2 art, while the new Metroid figure – which is squidgy (!) – will reveal the location of any nearby Metroid enemies on the map, and unlock a ‘Fusion’ difficulty mode after you complete the game, which lets you play with the suit from Metroid: Fusion.
The older Samus figure nets you an extra missile tank and exclusive concept art after you complete the game, while the Zero Suit Amiibo gives you another energy tank and the chance to listen to the game’s soundtrack after you complete it.
Metroid: Samus Returns trailer and interview
As well as the gameplay trailer at the top of the page, below is the full game reveal from Nintendo at E3.
Metroid: Samus Returns screenshots
Author: Henry Burrell, Phones Editor
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.