How a decade of passion ended in a sudden legal takedown
In short: In 2016, a massive fan-made remake celebrated a legendary franchise's 30th anniversary. It was hailed by critics as a masterpiece, yet within days, a single legal notice from Nintendo silenced its development forever. This ambitious project transformed a 1991 classic into a modern, high-fidelity action-adventure experience.
AM2R (Another Metroid 2 Remake) was the ambitious, unofficial reimagining of the 1991 Game Boy title Metroid II: Return of Samus. Developed over approximately ten years by Argentine programmer Milton Guasti, known as DoctorM64, the project was a labor of love. Guasti, who began the project without prior programming expertise, used a trial-and-error approach within the GameMaker system to modernize the experience, aiming to blend the atmosphere of Super Metroid with the fast-paced gameplay of Metroid: Zero Mission.
The remake introduced significant mechanical and visual overhauls. It featured 60-frames-per-second animations, a 320×240 resolution, and a new log system to deliver narrative unobtrusively. Gameplay was enhanced with abilities like wall jumping and ledge grabbing, alongside redesigned enemies. The Metroid species themselves underwent evolutionary changes, ranging from the Alpha stage, which only gained a new dodge move, to the more formidable, earth-bound Omega stage.
Despite receiving critical acclaim and a nomination for 'Best Fan Creation' at the 2016 Game Awards, the project met a sudden end. Shortly after its August 6, 2016 release, Nintendo issued DMCA notices to hosting websites. By September 2, 2016, following a formal takedown request, Guasti announced he was ending development. While the community later continued to add features like 'Randomizer' modes, the official era of the project concluded, shortly before Nintendo released its own official remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, in 2017.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: AM2R
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