Super Metroid Volta (demo 2) feels like someone dug up a lost SNES cartridge from an alternate universe where Nintendo made just one more Metroid game. The pixel art is crisp, but with this weird, almost neon glow to everything—like Zebes got hit by a lightning storm. You still start with the basics (jump, shoot, roll into a ball), but the level design throws curveballs early. I got zapped by some new electric enemy type within five minutes because I wasn’t paying attention.

It’s got that classic Metroid vibe—weird alien caves, hidden missile upgrades tucked behind fake walls—but the pacing’s faster. Samus moves just a little snappier, and the music’s got this synth layer under the old-school tunes. Found one room where the gravity kept flipping, and I had to rewire my brain to platform upside-down. Messed me up in the best way.

If you’ve ever hummed the Brinstar theme or remember where the wave beam is hidden in the original, this demo’s worth booting up. Just don’t blame me when you’re stuck at 3 AM trying to bomb-jump into some suspicious-looking ceiling.