AM2R was a fan project to remake Metroid 2 Return of Samus from the Gameboy.
Let me start this by saying Nintendo has the rights to close this project. Sad, but true, but keep reading…
Nintendo is a company, and those entities live to generate revenue. Nintendo is even lauching a remake of the old NES with 20 games bundles so there is obviously a market for nostalgia. By allowing this project to exist they may be losing some revenue down the road because you can download it for free and honestly, this version looks and plays better than the original.
This said…
I ponder if any small profit Nintendo could make by selling Metroid 2 on the virtual console pays any negative fan feedback they'll get. Gamers are quick to anger and it''s usually better to work with your community than against it.
Even if you don't believe in working with your fans, the game would still be some nice advertisement for a franchise which been out of the radar for a while now.
Poor Samus, can't take a break…