AM2R

Lore & Background

AM2R was developed by Milton Guasti over about ten years, with several breaks, using the game creation system GameMaker. Guasti, who was not a programmer at the time, used a trial-and-error method to modify a platforming game engine by Martin Piecyk. The remake followed the original Metroid II's map layout and existing sprites from Metroid: Zero Mission and Super Metroid, but later added original art from volunteer artists, redesigned Metroid evolutions, new enemies, and new areas. Guasti remade the music while waiting for customers in his recording studio. The log system was designed to deliver narrative in an unintrusive way, similar to Metroid Prime.

Reader's Guide

AM2R is significant as a high-quality fan remake that demonstrated the demand for a modern 2D Metroid experience, filling a void left by Nintendo's lack of new 2D Metroid games at the time. Its positive reception and subsequent legal takedown highlighted the tension between fan creativity and intellectual property protection. The game's release on Metroid's 30th anniversary and its nomination for the Game Awards 2016 (later dropped) underscored its impact. Nintendo's own official remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, was released in 2017. The AM2R project also led to career opportunities: Guasti was hired by Moon Studios to design levels for Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and other team members formed SquidShock Studios to develop an original Metroidvania, Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. The game remains a notable example of fan game development and its complex relationship with corporate IP holders.

Did You Know?

• AM2R was released on August 6, 2016, the 30th anniversary of the Metroid series.
• The game was nominated for the Game Awards 2016 but was dropped from the nominee list without notice.
• Guasti ended development after receiving a DMCA takedown request from Nintendo on September 2, 2016.
• A year after AM2R's release, Guasti was hired by Moon Studios to design levels for Ori and the Will of the Wisps.