Metroid : Samus Returns - Finale Boss Ridley 

Notice how Samus never once had a panic attack and transformed into a toddler during this fight.

Squishy makes this boss fight 10x more epic than it already is, from being captured, to cheering you on, then coming to your aid. Amazing.

So who actually saw this coming? Also, I loved the baby Metroid’s excitement at seeing Samus’ ship. It’s like “ooh, a shiny new thing! And it looks a little like Mama!”

I like how it foreshadows the Mother Brain fight in Super Metroid, sets up and foreshadows the Ridley fights in Other M, and canonized the Prime games all in one clean swoop of a fight.

The most badass and terrifying thing about Ridley here is even after that beatdown he STILL manages to steal back the baby metroid and destroys a space station shortly afterwards

I like how protective Samus is of the baby Metroid (which apparently everyone calls Squishy). Like she felt guilty for actually wiping out an entire species, and sees this as her opportunity to redeem them, and have them be used for good. Maybe it was her connection to the Chozo. But if Mercury Steam ever makes a remake of Super Metroid (and they should), I hope they show just how pissed off Samus got when Squishy died

For me, Ridley is best returning character Nintendo ever made. So I am happy, that they make him as final boss of Samus Returns remake.

Clever on Nintendo's part to throw Ridley in this game as the true final boss. Nice way to trick old time players of Metroid 2 and to separate itself from AM2R. I also find it a nice way to connect it to Super Metroid in how the Baby helps attacks and absorbs some of the enemy's energy.

This is how you do a fucking boss fight. In game cutscenes that dont over stay there welcome. A boss who changes up his style of attack. Not a bullet sponge but tanky enough to feel like a real fight. A feeling of being evenly matched and showing this rivalry not with words but how brutal both characters kick the shit out of eachother and the body language during the fight. This fight alone made this game go from like 7-10 to 8-10 for me.

Kinda funny how both Metroid 1 and 2 Remakes added Ridley as the final boss

Ridley's goal in phase 1: Steal the baby

I love how visceral they made Samus' fighting style in this game. You really feel the impact of each missile and each parry.

What I loved about this, is that it kinda adds to the Metroid’s love for Samus.

As much as I love calling the baby Squishy why are we letting ourselves grow so attached to it when we know it's gonna die in Super Metroid

Squishy saves the day

After all these years, finally Ridley is the Final boss in a game of Metroid :)

At first I thought they were gonna shoehorn Ridley at the end just because. But no, this hit all the right notes with the brutal fighting and even the baby aiding in the fight, so amazingly well done.

Oh, this makes sense!! The metroid saps energy from Ridley and into Samus, but that little taste of Samus it gets allows it to recognise her in Super Metroid and not fully kill her in Tourian!!

I absolutely love that he turns into red Ridley when he is defeated which is a call back to the boxart of Super Metroid where Ridley is also red.

Mercury Steam KNOCKED it out of the park with this release. If Nintendo decides to do another 2D Metroid, hopefully this does well because it absolutely deserves it, then they NEED to get Mercury Steam back to develop it.