Metroid: Samus Returns Review-in-progress Part 3

In part 1 of my Metroid: Samus Returns review-in-progress, I talked about Samus Returns gameplay and how it compared to its Gameboy counterpart. In part 2, I updated you on how I was doing in the game and talked about its graphics. And today in part 3, I’ll talk about this game’s controls, specifically its touch screen controls.

Metroid: Samus Returns has really good controls. This game plays a lot like older 2D Metroid games, though with the 3DS you control Samus with the analog stick and that works very well. All of the button controls work just the way you’d want them too. There is, however, a special set of controls that you may not pay attention to at first, but I’d like to bring to your attention to now.

This Metroid game has touch screen controls. They seem very minor and you don’t have to use them. The touch screen will let you change weapons, view the overall map closer, set pins in areas you want to investigate, and more. You could easily use the game’s buttons to switch a weapon and I find myself doing that a lot. The touch screen map really is the most important feature here.

In the original Metroid 2, you didn’t have a map. If you wanted a map, you’d have to create it yourself with a piece of paper and whatever drawing skills you had. With its remake, a map is available on the bottom screen. This map helps a lot. And you don’t have to settle with just looking at one part of it all the time. You can access another menu on the touchscreen and look around the map closer. This does pause your game, but it lets you plan out where you want to go a bit more.

Not only can you look at the map closer, but you can take little “pins”, diffeernt colored marks, and put them anywhere on the map. This will allow you to mark places you wish to explore in the game. You don’t have to use this feature but it can be pretty handy.

The bottom screen of the 3DS is put to great use in Metroid: Samus Returns. The touch screen controls and map are very good additions to this game. I would not want to play Samus Returns without that map!

Metroid: Samus Returns is a very good game overall. I’ve been having a ton of fun with it. I would say its the best Metroid game in years! I hope Metroid fans bought this game and it sells really well. I want to see another Metroid game sooner rather than later.

I will be back later in the week to update you on my progress in the game!