With its nonlinear action, tight controls, large areas to explore and familiar gameplay, Metroid II: Return of Samus will please fans of the classic NES title. The popular Samus Aran has returned, but this time she's on planet SR388 --- home of the Metroids. Her mission is to seek out and destroy 39 of the creatures, each of which acts as an entry point to another area. Samus has a number of new weapons at her disposal, including the spring ball, which lets her jump while curled into a ball, and the spider ball, which lets her climb on walls. In addition, level progression can now be saved via battery backup-up, eliminating the old password system. The backgrounds are more detailed and Samus looks great, but there are fewer hidden secrets in this game than there are in the original.