Surface - Metroid: Samus Returns Walkthrough (Part 1)

Part 1 of my walkthrough of Metroid: Samus Returns. I am playing on Normal mode and will be collecting 100% of items. In addition, I will be completing the game in under 4 hours in order to get the best ending.

Similar to how Metroid: Zero Mission is a remake of the original Metroid game, Metroid: Samus Returns is a remake of the Gameboy game Metroid II: Return of Samus. There is a larger emphasis on combat compared to previous titles. This is the debut of the Melee Counter technique - which gives Samus an option for close-range attacks, and Free Aim mode - allowing players to aim the arm cannon in a 360-degree motion. This game (and the Gameboy original) were designed with handheld gaming in mind, so progression is a lot more linear to support the "pick up and play" design philosophy those consoles had. In fact, backtracking isn't ever required in this game unless you are trying to collect more item expansions. Being a Nintendo 3DS game, it also makes use of the second touch screen for various purposes, most notably giving the player access to the current map without needing to pause the game.

Samus Returns also introduces Aeion abilities, which grants Samus special powers fueled by a mysterious energy source. The first one we obtain is the Scan Pulse, which unveils the map in a limited range around Samus while also identifying hidden blocks. Personally, I like this ability - it saves me the trouble of having to mindlessly shoot and bomb every nook and cranny to find secrets.

Samus' primary objective in this game is to kill every Metroid on planet SR388 - all 40 of them. Unlike the Metroids on Zebes, the homeworld Metroids can physically evolve over time - as seen in our first encounter with the Alpha Metroid. Alpha Metroids gain defensive plating on the upper half of their body making that spot immune to damage, so aim your shots at its exposed belly underneath it, which can be done with ease using Free Aim. Thankfully these Metroid forms no longer require ice to be killed, and with a well-timed melee I kill the first Alpha in a single counterattack. After that we are already done with the Surface, it's just a tutorial area after all. Near the end of the video Samus finds some kind of idol resembling a Chozo, we'll be finding out what purpose it serves in the next part.