Metroid Fan Is Recreating the Original Game for Game Boy

Summary

A homebrew developer is reamking the original NES Metroid for Game Boy via a fan game named M2NES: Zebes Revisited.
Fan games like AM2R and official remakes like Samus Returns show the player base's love for the Metroid series.
M2NES brings a new area in the form of Bendezium Mines, quality-of-life improvements, and an overall faithful recreation of the original NES game.

A homebrew developer is recreating the original NES Metroid game to work on the Game Boy, in the same vein as Metroid 2: Return of Samus. The original Metroid is a classic series that established a formula of exploration and is regularly praised by fans of the series, even if not every aspect of the title has aged gracefully. The Metroid series is a common subject for those looking to make fan games, regardless of whether said games come in the form of an older adventure being remade or a brand-new one being created.

Prominent remakes of Metroid games include the fan-made AM2R, which is a full remake of Metroid 2: Return of Samus on the Game Boy that brings it closer to the gameplay of Metroid: Zero Mission, along with games like Metroid: Samus Returns, an official remake of the second game by MercurySteam that was released on the Nintendo 3DS. The original Metroid was remade for the Game Boy Advance as the aforementioned Zero Mission, which included vibrant sprite work, cutscenes, and even a new section that had Samus sneaking around in her Zero suit. One dedicated fan is recreating the original game in the same style as the more limited Metroid 2.

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By Liam Ferguson

This project, known as M2NES: Zebes Revisited, was created by homebrew developer LOO-E, who is recreating Metroid 1 with Metroid 2's engine and constraints. This means porting the colorful and sprawling NES game to the limits of the Game Boy, which includes only grayscale sprites and a small screen size. These were limits that Metroid 2 was stuck with, and LOO-E is sticking to them with this recreation. LOO-E posted a preview trailer of this fan remake on their YouTube channel.

The M2NES Trailer Shows How Metroid 1 is Being Recreated in Metroid 2

The trailer highlights various areas from the original Metroid that were remade for Metroid 2, and the comparisons between the original NES game and Game Boy recreation are quite interesting. While the game has been compressed to fit the smaller screen, the areas are still recognizable and are faithful recreations. LOO-E noted that some quality-of-life improvements were made with this recreation as well, such as giving the player access to refill points and save rooms.

The developer also teases that M2NES has a brand-new area called the Bendezium Mines, which is an abandoned Space Pirate mine that gives Samus new abilities. New items that give Samus power-ups from Metroid 2 will be encountered as the player fights through a group of space pirates. The game also features a color palette to replicate the look of the original NES game, which would likely be available if it was played on a Game Boy Color.

This fan game is set to be released some time in 2024. Some fans have worried that the project will be shut down like the Another Metroid 2 Remake from 2016. However, M2NES might have some wiggle room due to it being a ROM hack, which might be enough to avoid legal trouble.

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