Metroid II: Return of Samus
| Metroid II: Return of Samus | |
|---|---|
European box art | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo R&D1 |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Hiroji Kiyotake Hiroyuki Kimura |
| Producer(s) | Gunpei Yokoi |
| Designer(s) | Makoto Kano |
| Programmer(s) | Takahiro Harada Masaru Yamamaka Masao Yamamoto Isao Hirano |
| Composer(s) | Ryoji Yoshitomi |
| Series | Metroid |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Metroid II: Return of Samus is a 1991 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. The first Metroid game for a handheld game console, it was released in North America in November 1991 and in Japan and Europe in 1992. It follows the bounty hunter Samus Aran on her mission to eradicate the Metroids from their home planet, SR388, before the Space Pirates can obtain them. Players must find and exterminate the Metroids to progress.
Like the original Metroid, released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Metroid II was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 and produced by Gunpei Yokoi. It introduced several features that became staples of the series, including Samus's Space Jump, Spazer Beam and the Spider Ball, and round-shouldered Varia Suit.
Metroid II received positive reviews, with praise for its story, setting, and improved gameplay, but was criticized for its graphics and audio. By late 2003, it had sold 1.72 million copies worldwide. It was rereleased on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console service in 2011 and on the Nintendo Classics service in February 2023. A sequel, Super Metroid, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. A remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2017.