AM2R: Return of Samus

Metroid II: Return of Samus is a 1991 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy.

The story follows bounty hunter Samus Aran as she travels to the Metroids’ homeworld, SR388, to wipe out the species before the Space Pirates can exploit them. Progress is tied to hunting down and eliminating Metroids: as Samus destroys each evolutionary form, new areas of the planet become accessible. The game is a side-scrolling adventure in which players must ultimately exterminate all 47 Metroids spread across SR388.

AM2R — an unofficial remake — was released for Windows in 2016. It adopts the visual and mechanical style of Metroid: Zero Mission, introducing a full map system, expanded areas, new minibosses, and upgrades originally seen in Super Metroid. It also features redone graphics and music, improved enemy AI, and a Metroid Prime-style logbook that offers additional lore after encountering new creatures or locations. The controls are tighter than in the original, adding abilities such as wall-jumping and ledge-grabbing, aligning the gameplay more closely with later entries in the series.

AM2R was initially nominated for “Best Fan Creation” at The Game Awards 2016, but the nomination was quietly removed, likely due to Nintendo’s takedown request.