Metroid: Samus Returns

This sci-fi experience manages to craft an adventure that nearly redefines what a remake should be. Great care needs to be taken any time you decide to remake a classic. You have to walk a fine line between staying true to the original while also offering something new to keep things fresh. Metroid: Samus Returns does both. This isn't simply a shiny new coat of paint tossed onto an old classic. Aside from the new, fluid controls, the game also adds features like Samus' Grapple Beam, which wasn't around in the original Game Boy release. And yet the designers don't just incorporate it, they incorporate it in a way that feels like it always belonged. In fact, the entire experience has been rebuilt from the ground up, welcoming newcomers to the series while still offering up a nostalgic bit of déjà vu for longtime fans.

There are only a couple of minor gripes to be had with Metroid: Samus Returns. The first involves the game's amiibo support. Players who've managed to get their hands on the highly sought after figures not only get treated to in-game life boosts and art galleries, but also get access to a Fusion Mode, a new, more difficult mode that also gives players access to Samus' Fusion Suit outfit. Second, although the new controls add a new level of depth to Samus, they do take a little getting used to before you're able to pull off counterattacks and newer moves smoothly. Even so, Metroid: Samus Returns is a fantastic addition to the Metroid series, and a great example of how a remake should be done.