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Nintendo brings back 2D Metroid with Samus Returns for 3DS

Nintendo brings back 2D Metroid with Samus Returns for 3DS

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You know what they say — you wait a decade or so for a passable Metroid game then two come along at once. At least that might just be what’s going to happen based on Nintendo’s E3 announcements today, where the company first revealed Metroid Prime 4 for Switch and then followed up with Metroid: Samus Returns for 3DS.

While Prime 4 will presumably be a continuation of the first-person take on Metroid, Samus Returns brings the beloved series back to its 2D roots. The graphics are rendered in 3D, granted, but Samus Returns is a side-scrolling game based on Metroid II: Return of Samus for the original Game Boy. Metroid II is a brutally difficult game that I was extremely bad at when I was nine years old, but Samus Returns does look to be somewhat tuned for modern sensibilities — having the map on the bottom screen alone will be a major help.

Metroid: Samus Returns will be out for 3DS on September 15th.