Metroid II: Return of Samus

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Metroid II: Return of Samus.

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Is there any actual insight from the devs on designing around the monochrome GB hardware, or is it all just outside analysis?

Concepts#

SR388#

On September 6, 2004, Volume 118 of Nintendo Dream arrived with the first part of an interview about the Famicom Disk System with folks from R&D1. Hiroji Kiyotake, one of the interviewees, mentions a bit about the naming of planet SR388 for Metroid II, after discussing the naming of Samus. He says it comes from Yamaha's SR400 series of motorbikes, and the fact that one could only do 388cc for it rather than 400cc.¹

Screenshots#

Electronic Gaming Monthly #25 (August 1991)#

Two gameplay screenshots of rooms not in the final game, but whose assets more or less are.

Nintendo Power #28 (September 1991)#

Another room not in the final game.

Nintendo Power #29 (October 1991)#

Early	Final

It's a bit hard to make out, but the title screen's subtitle used to be in a thinner font with serifs. No start text either.

The rooms in the gameplay screenshots now look closer to what's in the final game.

References#