Project AM2R, the Metroid Fan Project that Briefly Was

Uncle Willy Gaming, Nintendo
Project AM2R

Fan projects like Project AM2R are loving tributes to classic games. But, as we all know, Nintendo doesn’t like tributes. Or probably love.

What is Project AM2R? It is the culmination of six-year year odyssey. Created by a fan of the series, it is a remastering of Metroid II: The Return of Samus. The original was released on the original Game Boy in 1991. Project AM2R was released for PC just in time for Metroid’s 30th anniversary.

It is a remastering in every sense of the word. It has taken the original game and given it a Game Boy Advance-style makeover. The game now resembles Metroid: Zero Mission for the GBA, with a little bit of SNES’s Super Metroid thrown in for good measure. There are new areas and the enemy’s UI has been updated to make fights more challenging. The sprites have been redrawn to account for the new graphical fidelity. Most notable is the “high-quality soundtrack.” It is nothing like the original Game Boy; it resembles the SNES more.

After six years, a fairly complete build was released on Saturday. The game is very competent, with sniffs of professional work. It is a great homage to the original game.

Too bad Nintendo doesn’t have the same level of nostalgia.

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Cue to yesterday, where the site hosting the game Tweeted the following:

It seems Nintendo, ever so pleased to see a project that pays tribute to them, did the whole “cease and desist” Riverdance we all know so well. Or did they?

Either way, the game is unavailable from the original host.

And, yes, I do understand that Nintendo has to take such measures. Their games are their intellectual property. If they don’t take action against individuals who infringe upon them, they could set a precedent that could damage them later. This action is similar to what Blizzard did when they took down Nostalrius. If they don’t protect their IP, others will infringe and cite the times they didn’t protect it. It’s a legal necessity.

Still, I don’t like seeing fan projects like Project AM2R get slapped down. Oftentimes, these fan reimaginings breathe new life into moribund franchises. Seriously, other than Super Smash Bros., where else has Samus figured prominently? Shit, she just turned 30 and Nintendo didn’t even buy her a cake!

Here’s to hoping against hope that Nintendo reconsiders. Project AM2R is a great fan project. It would be great if Metroid fans could experience it.

Uncle Willy
He has been playing video games for longer than he would like to admit, and is passionate about all retro games and systems. He also goes to bars with an NES controller hoping that entering the Konami code will give him thirty chances with the drunk chick at the bar. His interests include vodka, old-school games, women, vodka, and women gamers who drink vodka.

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