Metroid: Samus Returns Trailer Shows Off Its Heroine’s Powerful New Abilities

The release of Metroid: Samus Returns, the 3DS remake of the classic Metroid II: Return of Samus, is only a few short weeks away, and Nintendo just unveiled a batch of new information and footage at this year's Gamescom. The new Metroid: Samus Returns trailer, which you can watch above, gives a pretty thorough overview of the game, including Amiibo functionality, and new Samus' many new abilities.

We already knew some of this stuff, but the full rundown of Samus' Aeion Abilities are new. Aeion Abilities are useful, yet optional, powers that draw on Aeion Energy, which can be gained from enemies, and quickly depletes. So, use your powers wisely! Check out a rundown of the four abilities, below:

Scan Pulse

Scan Pulse lets you scan environments for hidden paths and secrets. Great for finding time-saving shortcuts, and essential for the completionist.

Lightning Armor

Lightning Armor generates a protective force field that nullifies physical attacks.

Beam Burst

Beam Burst enhances the firing rate of whatever beam Samus happens to be using. Blow away everything foolish enough to get in your way!

Phase Drift

Phase Drift slows down time itself, allowing you to sneak past tricky timing-based challenges.

While we're at it, Metroid creator/producer Yoshio Sakamoto and representatives from developer MercurySteam also showed off some live gameplay, showing off new areas, Aeion abilities, and some other new elements, like the added teleport stations.

It really looks like Metroid: Samus Returns is smart combination of old-school Metroid charm and smart new additions. It would be nice if this were a new story, rather than a remake of one of the more straightforward adventures in the series, but nevertheless, the game looks like a must-have for deprived Metroid fans.

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Metroid: Samus Returns rolls onto Nintendo 3DS on September 15. Amazon Prime members can save 20% when they pre-order.