Turns your own copy of the original AM2R 1.1 release (AM2R_11.zip) into the
Standard or Dual Screen Android APK, entirely on your Android device. Nothing
playable is distributed here: the game data is rebuilt from your files, and the
result is verified byte-for-byte against this build's checksum before installation.
The port is based on AM2R Community Updates 1.5.5 and runs natively on ARM64 Android. The autopatcher creates the game APK. Once installed, the game launches independently and does not require the autopatcher to remain installed.
1.5.5.11-hotfix1. AYN Thor has been tested on physical hardware and confirmed working. The RG DS, Retroid Pocket Duo / Duo Lite and AYANEO Pocket DS profiles are included, but physical compatibility remains unconfirmed. When reporting an issue, include the device, Android version, profile and steps to reproduce it. Photos or a short video of both displays are useful.
Hotfix 1 fixes weapon selection with Standard touch controls in Hold mode. Once both missile types are available, a Weapon Select touch button above the Arm button lets you switch between Missiles and Super Missiles while holding Arm. Toggle mode and physical controller controls keep their existing behavior.
All 1.5.5.11 features remain, including improved Standard touch timing, the Large/Minimal Dual Screen HUD, shared-folder save synchronization, Mining Facility artwork, the controller splash, refreshed icons and installation failure reports. Dual Screen gameplay and menu controls are unchanged from the public 1.5.5.11 release.
- Your copy of the original AM2R 1.1 Windows release (
AM2R_11.zip, the 2016 freeware release). A Community Updates or modded copy will not work — the autopatcher checks the exact originaldata.win. - An ARM64 Android device running Android 10 or newer for the autopatcher.
- For Dual Screen, an Android handheld with two displays and built-in controls. Included profiles are AYN Thor, RG DS, Retroid Pocket Duo / Duo Lite and AYANEO Pocket DS. AYN Thor is physically tested; the other profiles await physical validation. RG DS Plus is not included.
- Put your
AM2R_11.zipsomewhere on the device that Android's file picker can reach, such as Downloads or an SD card. - Download AM2R-Autopatcher-1.5.5.11-hotfix1.apk from the release page and install it. Allow installation from your browser or file manager when Android asks.
- Open AM2R Patcher and choose Standard for one screen, or Dual Screen for a handheld with one of the included profiles.
- Select your original
AM2R_11.zipand wait for patching to finish. The verified game APK is saved in Downloads. Your original ZIP stays unchanged. - Tap Install Standard or Install Dual Screen to open Android's installer. Allow AM2R Patcher to install the generated APK if Android asks.
- If installation fails, the patcher saves a diagnostic report in Downloads. Use its Share action or attach the file to a GitHub issue. It is never uploaded automatically. The generated APK remains in Downloads.
- Open the installed game directly. Dual Screen asks you to choose your hardware on first boot; the same choice remains available in Display Options.
Updates install over the existing edition — saves are kept. Back up your saves before updating. Uninstalling the game deletes its app-private saves. Standard and Dual Screen install as separate applications and have separate save storage.
This package contains the Android autopatcher and separate code-only source archives for the autopatcher and both game editions. A standalone Windows patcher executable and ready-to-run desktop patch bundle are not included.
- Standard keeps gameplay and menus on one screen, with touch and controller support. Display scaling is automatic.
- Dual Screen puts gameplay above and a live map below. Display Options → HUD Screen Position lets you keep health and ammunition below or restore the original HUD above. Choosing Top leaves the lower health/ammo strip empty; the map, timer, item percentage and Metroid counts stay below. HUD Style offers Minimal and Large when the HUD is below. Large is the default for new settings; an existing style choice is kept. Energy tanks use their original blue color. Large uses tall blue energy bars and separate health and ammunition rows, remaining ammo counts grouped on the left, and the area title on the right. Metroid counters occupy the panel above the title. Completion percentage sits at the far right of the timer strip. HUD Style is disabled while HUD Screen Position is Top Screen. A single bottom toolbar shows map controls during play and Marker / Menu / Unpause on the paused map. Touch can pan and zoom the map while gameplay continues. Fit Map frames the revealed map; Follow returns to the last manual zoom and tracks the player's map cell. Pausing freezes and dims the upper screen while the lower map, inventory, logs and settings remain usable. Area backgrounds change with the current subarea and its progress after its original environment scan has revealed it. The map stays visible during normal room transitions; reactor flashes affect both screens. The reactor temperature warning stays on the upper screen with either HUD choice. The lower display now receives every game draw, removing the previous 30 fps cap on map and menu updates.
The gameplay aspect-ratio setting affects only the upper screen. RG DS locks that screen to 4:3. Retroid Pocket Duo and Duo Lite share a profile. Dual Screen uses the handheld's controller for Samus and the lower touch interface for the map and menus; it does not use the Standard edition's on-screen gameplay controls.
Both games retain their released package IDs and signing certificate. Android
labels are AM2R: Return of Samus and AM2R: Return of Samus DS.
Game version code is 1005007; Android version names are 1.5.5 arm64 and
1.5.5 arm64 DS. The patcher release version remains 1.5.5.11-hotfix1.
Game-category declarations are included for frontends. Cocoon documents manual artwork and description editing, but automatic import of our metadata is not confirmed. The source includes a central metadata definition and export helpers. The pinned game runtime still has a native 16 KB alignment limitation; support for every 16 KB-page Android device is not guaranteed.
Both editions use Options → Data → Backup / Restore. Backups can transfer progress between Standard, Dual Screen and PC Community Updates 1.5.5. Choose the incoming save and destination slot before confirming a restore. Settings and controller bindings stay specific to each installation.
Options → Data → Sync Folder can connect either edition to a folder copied by a service such as Syncthing. This is optional and disabled until you choose a folder. The game checks for incoming progress before file selection and exports after saving; it does not replace progress during active gameplay. Conflicting changes are held for review, and recovery copies are retained. There is no built-in network service: configure your preferred file-sync app separately. Read SAVE-SYNC.txt for setup and recovery details. Real Syncthing transfers passed between two isolated Android emulators and a Linux PC, including conflict review and loading transferred progress. Physical-device sync, Windows/macOS and other services remain unverified. Unmodified desktop builds do not read the sync transport directly; use manual Backup / Restore for those transfers.
For Android to PC, copy the files inside the timestamped backup folder into the
PC save directory while the game is closed. Preserve a copy of existing PC saves.
Windows uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\AM2R; the tested Linux build uses ~/.config/AM2R.
For PC to Android, select a folder containing the PC saves in Restore, then choose
the incoming and destination slots. Records and unlocks are a separate choice.
The original 1.1 ZIP is the patching input; compatibility with 1.1 or modded save
files is not implied.
The autopatcher bundles separate patch data for each edition: wrapper.bin
(the port's engine, code and community content with the original-game byte ranges
cut out), droid.xdelta (a binary delta that reconstructs the game data from
your 1.1 copy), and assembly.json (the splice plan, with a checksum for every
segment).
It verifies your data.win, rebuilds the game data with xdelta3, splices everything
back together in order, and accepts the result only if the final hash matches the
expected build. Because reconstruction is byte-exact, the signature carries over:
every successfully patched APK for an edition is identical to that edition's
signed build. A complete playable game APK is not included in this package.
The release includes:
AM2R-Autopatcher-1.5.5.11-hotfix1.apkAM2R-Autopatcher-1.5.5.11-hotfix1-source.zipAM2R-1.5.5.11-hotfix1-standard-source.zipAM2R-1.5.5.11-hotfix1-dual-source.zipSHA256SUMS
Download them into the same folder. On Linux, run:
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMSBoth game editions have been reconstructed byte-for-byte from the patch data inside this autopatcher. The checksums cover the APK, all three source archives and the included documentation. Individual checksum files are also provided.
The autopatcher source contains its Android Java/C implementation, Python tools, build definitions, tests and license notices. The two game sources contain GML, Android extensions, shader code and GameMaker project/resource definitions. Their media exclusions follow the Community Updates source publication.
Images, audio, font payloads, datafiles, compiled binaries, generated patch payloads, signing material and revision history are excluded from these source archives. Each README and asset manifest explains the additional local inputs needed to build. GameMaker Beta IDE 2026.100.0.1083 and runtime 2026.100.0.1046 are pinned. The older upstream GMX asset-import instructions are not a verified importer for this converted YYP project. A rebuild from only the original 1.1 ZIP remains unverified. Code retains its included license conditions and required attribution.
- AM2R was created by DoctorM64 and team; Community Updates by the AM2R Community Developers. Game content retains its original rights. This is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.
- Distribution model and inspiration: the AM2R Community Developers' autopatcher.
- The palette system adapts PixelatedPope's Retro Palette Swapper under its included MIT license.
- xdelta3 by Josh MacDonald retains its Apache 2.0 license. Its notice is included
in the autopatcher source at
app-android/app/src/main/jni/xdelta3/LICENSE. - Autopatcher code retains its MIT notice. This does not relicense inherited game content or third-party components.