This weekend, the long in-development fan project Another Metroid 2 Remake (AM2R) was released on PC, and Nintendo is shutting it down its distribution on filesharing sites.

AM2R is a remake of Metroid II: The Return of Samus, a sequel to the popular Metroid on NES, which Nintendo released on the Game Boy back in in 1991. The fan remake, in development since 2012, adds improved sprite graphics and new gameplay in the style of Metroid Zero Mission -- a remake released by Nintendo -- on the Game Boy Advance.

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Released on August 6, and just in time for Metroid’s 30th anniversary, filesharing sites hosting AM2R were notified to remove the game by Nintendo’s legal counsel according to Polygon.

“ The unapproved use of Nintendo’s intellectual property can weaken our ability to protect and preserve it.

As of this writing the free .zip file is currently unavailable to download, but passionate fans have started a torrent up to keep the Metroid fan remake project alive.

Nintendo has shut down several fan-related projects due to copyright infringement including a browser-friendly 3D homage to the Legend of Zelda, an NES visual compendium, and a Metroid Fan film subtitled Enemies Within.

Jose Otero is an Editor at IGN and host of Nintendo Voice Chat. You can follow him on Twitter.