| Metroid: Samus Returns | |
|---|---|
 Promotional artwork featuring Samus Aran | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Director(s) | Takehiko Hosokawa |
| Producer(s) | Yoshio Sakamoto |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) |
|
| Artist(s) | Rafael Jimenez Rodriguez[citation needed] |
| Composer(s) | Daisuke Matsuoka |
| Series | Metroid |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 3DS |
| Release | September 15, 2017 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Metroid: Samus Returns is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by MercurySteam and Nintendo EPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It is a remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus. Players control series protagonist Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who is contracted by the Galactic Federation to exterminate the parasitic Metroid species on their home planet of SR388. While the story and structure parallel the original game, Samus Returns features redone graphics, updated controls and user interface, and new gameplay mechanics not seen in previous 2D Metroid titles, such as a melee counterattack and the ability to aim freely at any angle.
Development began in 2015, overseen by longtime producer Yoshio Sakamoto and directed by Takehiko Hosokawa, a game designer in the series. MercurySteam originally pitched a remake of Metroid Fusion before Sakamoto suggested remaking Metroid II. New gameplay features and areas were added to "spice up" the experience of the original game. Music was composed by Daisuke Matsuoka and directed by Kenji Yamamoto, who had co-composed the music for Super Metroid.
Samus Returns received positive reviews upon release for its visuals and improvements over the original version, with many also deeming it a return to form for the series. Some criticism was given to the controls and the counterattack mechanics. It received awards and accolades from multiple publications and awards shows, including "Best Handheld Game" at The Game Awards 2017, and "Handheld Game of the Year" at the 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Sakamoto was impressed with MercurySteam's understanding of the series, leading to their continued partnership for Metroid Dread (2021) on the Nintendo Switch.