AM2R

AM2R is an enhanced remake of the Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus, adding a map system, new areas, mini-bosses, upgrades originally introduced in Super Metroid, redone graphics and music, an updated artificial intelligence for enemies, and a log system similar to Metroid Prime. Logs give the player more information on Metroids, enemies and the game world after the player has encountered certain enemies or arrived in new areas. ==Development==

AM2R was developed by Milton Guasti under the pseudonym DoctorM64 Guasti wanted to recreate the fast gameplay of Metroid: Zero Mission and the "atmosphere and solitude" of Super Metroid. As Guasti was not a programmer at the time, he used a trial-and-error method to modify a platforming game engine by Martin Piecyk within the game creation system GameMaker, This, along with increasingly darker and menacing music, was to recreate the feeling of Metroid II, which Guasti described as "being lost in a dark, mysterious cave without knowing what's ahead". Later that year, the developers worked on improving the visuals, giving the fourth area a new graphics tile set with more personality. == Release ==

Guasti released a demo in late 2011 and another in early 2013. The full game was released free following a countdown through its website on August 6, 2016, coinciding with the Metroid series' 30th anniversary. Updated versions with further improvements and features were planned, but shortly after the first release, Nintendo sent DMCA notices to websites hosting it. The download links on the website were removed on August 7, but Guasti planned to work on the game privately. He said he understood Nintendo's need to protect its intellectual properties and encouraged AM2R players to buy the official Nintendo eShop release of Metroid II. He released the soundtrack later that month, including several tracks intended for the unfinished version 1.2 update. Development was continued by people from the Metroid fan community, including bug fixes, new enemies and story elements, and additional game modes such as New Game+ and a "Randomizer", which shuffles the locations of power-ups. Nintendo released an official remake of Metroid II, Metroid: Samus Returns, in 2017. A year after the release of AM2R, Guasti was hired by Moon Studios to design levels for Ori and the Will of the Wisps. He also announced a project made in Unity 3D. Other members of the AM2R team formed SquidShock Studios and began work on an original Metroidvania, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus, using hand-drawn art and inspired by games like Hollow Knight and Okami. ==Reception==

Mike Fahey, writing for Kotaku, called the game brilliant and compared the gameplay, graphics, and music favorably to their Metroid II counterparts. Sam Machkovech at Ars Technica said that the game would be a delight to people who liked Zero Mission, and that its quality and amount of polish put it on par with Nintendo's games. Zack Furniss of Destructoid liked the game to the point that he thought Nintendo should use some ideas from it in future Metroid titles. Gonçalo Lopes at Nintendo Life said that the game was a great way to celebrate the series' 30th anniversary and a dream come true for Metroid fans, and that he imagined people would be willing to pay money for it if sold on Nintendo's eShop. Matthew Castle at Nintendo Gamer called it an example of how to do a remake right. NF Magazines Tony Ponce initially worried that the game would lose the "eerie charm" of Metroid II, but found it to be able to keep a high-tension feeling, as well as including new things for longtime fans of the original. Holmes commended the boss battles, calling them "arguably" the best across all 2D Metroid games. Jeffrey Matulef, writing for Eurogamer, found it impressive how closely the game resembled Super Metroid visually. ==See also==