Metroid is one of Nintendo's oldest franchises, originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. Since then, Metroid has had a release on nearly every generation of console, with bounty hunter Samus Aran often being a Nintendo fan's first introduction to the action-adventure genre as they hunt pirates and parasitic aliens in various iterations of the 2D or 3D platformer.
Though never performing quite as high as Legend of Zelda, Mario, or Nintendo's other poster franchises, Metroid has retained a dedicated fanbase with each release still pulling in significant sales numbers. While not receiving quite as many releases as other Nintendo favorites like Pokémon, Metroid has quite a few titles under its belt, with an expansive timeline spanning each Metroid game.
While Metroid's rich history of releases includes some of the best games in its genre, not all of them are exactly winners. Like any long-running franchise, there are hits and misses, and unfortunately with Metroid, it seems like there might be more misses than hits. While some new releases have undeniably breathed some new life into the series, it wouldn't have needed it if it hadn't gasped for air a few times in the past. Here's every Metroid game, ranked.
#13 Worst Metroid Game - Metroid Prime: Federation Force
The Metroid Prime series was highly rated and fans were eager for a new entry. Metroid Prime: Federation Force did not live up to the hype and of all the Metroid games, this is easily considered the worst. This entry in the series featured a cute, brightly colored art style in stark contrast to other games in the franchise. It also forgoes Metroid's iconic dark atmosphere, and even ditches Samus Aran as a protagonist, instead choosing to focus on the easily forgettable Federation Force.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force received backlash from the moment its trailer was shown at E3 2015. Fans criticized Nintendo for what seemed like a lack of understanding of what made Metroid so beloved. Fans were also upset that they weren't getting a continuation of the main series, as Metroid Prime: Federation Force was a spin-off title that continued the series' hiatus since the release of the controversial Metroid: Other M. The game shows a careless disregard for what makes a Metroid game, and the otherwise fine multiplayer experience serves as a slap in the face to fans that were excited for a new entry in the franchise.
#12 - Metroid Prime Pinball
While Metroid Prime: Federation Force is the worst Metroid game, Metroid Prime Pinball can barely even be considered one. While relatively inoffensive to the series itself, the game is just pinball with a Metroid paint job. Any Metroid fans excited for a new release in the series and being met with this game were presumably upset about it, and many felt like the effort making this game could have gone elsewhere.
On top of that, Metroid Prime Pinball is actually a somewhat mediocre pinball game. The Nintendo DS screen makes it easy to lose track of the ball in play, meaning that the actual Pinball experience suffers. The game would have been better served as able content for another, better Nintendo pinball game.
#11 - Metroid Blast Ball
Metroid Blast Ball was featured in Nintendo land as one of many classic Nintendo mini-games and was also released on July 21, 2016, on the Nintendo 3DS store. The game was really just a multiplayer demo for Metroid Prime: Federation Force, but contained only the game's Blast Ball game mode, so it's understandable why the game received few and dismal reviews. The game was a 3v3 team battle arena but didn't receive online until the 3DS store release in 2016, meaning that for the longest time it was a multiplayer game without online . Even when it went online, it was a pretty underwhelming experience, and there's not much to say about it beyond that.
#10 - Metroid: Other M
Metroid: Other M is the eleventh Metroid game, made by Team Ninja and Nintendo and announced at E3 2009. The game takes place between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion, filling in the gap in the story between the two. The story has an increased focus on Samus' character, which is a big reason why the game received so much criticism. It essentially rewrote Samus to be a weak, easily frightened person and removed a lot of the character's edge, basically undoing all of the beloved Samus' character development.
The gameplay itself is so perfectly fine, that it's almost forgettable. Metroid: Other M features a mix of classic Metroidvania sidescrolling and first-person elements from Metroid Prime; however, the story is such a prevalent part of the game that it's impossible to ignore, and the character assassination of Samus Aran is really what pushed fans away.
#9 - Metroid II: Return Of Samus
Metroid II: Return Of Samus is the second game in the Metroid series, and the only one to be released for the Game Boy. Samus Aran is tasked with the mission to exterminate the Metroids on their home planet, SR388, so that the threat can once and for all be dealt with. Although it is the second mainline Metroid game, the story takes place after Metroid Prime: Federation Force and before Super Metroid, creating a somewhat confusing timeline for fans.
The game doesn't quite translate Metroid's dreary tone, and the black and white landscape ironically makes the game feel empty in all the wrong ways. The game received a remake later on that touches on some of these problems, but as a stand-alone experience Metroid II: Return Of Samus is, again, just not really worth playing. Metroid: Samus Returns is a better option for fans looking to experience the game and its story, being a remake that does everything about the game better.
#8 - Metroid
A team of researchers is sent by the Galactic Federation to retrieve a new lifeform discovered on Planet SR388, dubbed "Metroid."As they return, the vessel is attacked by Space Pirates, who stole the capsule containing the Metroid and took it to their fortress on Planet Zebes. Recognizing the danger of this Metroid used as a weapon by the space pirates, the Federation hires bounty hunter Samus Aran to stop them.
Metroid is the first game in the series, both chronologically and by release, and as such is the catalyst of everything the series has become. While some games may have been more responsible for setting the tone of the Metroid series, at the end of the day there can be no inspiration for the series without the original. While it is undeniably classic, it certainly shows its age as an NES game. Metroid: Zero Mission serves as a simply better version of the game. The remake takes everything wrong with the original and fixes it, while also adding new features such as a map and the ability to save, and does all this without removing anything from the original game itself.
#7 - Metroid Prime Hunters
In Metroid Prime Hunters, the Galactic Federation sends Samus Aran to investigate a mysterious message in the Alimbic Cluster, which is eerily communicating with powerful criminals that the secret to ultimate power lies at the Alimbic Cluster's heart. With many tempted into the Alimbic Cluster by the message, the Federation needs Samus to shut down the source of the message - and keep the ultimate power from falling into the wrong hands.
Metroid Prime Hunters is a first-person, multiplayer Metroid game that did everything Metroid Prime: Federation Force wanted to do, but did it right. Metroid Prime Hunters featured stable, fun online play, something that was considered rare for both the franchise and the game's platform, the Nintendo DS, which really stood as the prime selling point for the game. The single-player wasn't bad either, with a short and linear story that managed to recreate the Metroid Prime atmosphere pretty well.
#6 - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Samus Aran receives a mission from the Galactic Federation informing her that with Squad Bravo was lost eight days prior. Samus travels to Planet Aether to assist them, but the poisonous atmosphere and a mysterious race of aliens create more trouble than the mercenary asked for. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has the distinct honor of being both the hardest game in the Metroid Prime trilogy and the darkest atmosphere of any Metroid game. It can feel like a struggle to survive, with the environment feeling far more hostile than in other Metroid games. Plenty of backtracking and constant combat can make Prime 2 feel somewhat tedious, but it works in the game's favor, really reinforcing the feeling that Samus is in a dangerous place and might be in over her head this time.
#5 - Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Half a year after the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Samus Aran boards the Galactic Federation Ship G.F.S. Olympus and meets three other bounty hunters: Ghor, Rundas, and Gandrayda. The group of mercenaries is quickly dispatched to the nearby planet Norion to defend against a space pirate attack, where the team is attacked by Dark Samus and infected with the dangerous Phazon corruption.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the last game in the Metroid Prime series before Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and if players ignore the latter release, then it makes a pretty great finale to the series. Though a bit lacking in exploration, the game controls great, and its linear story is not a chore to experience. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption does what every good Metroid game does well; It captures the series' atmosphere and gives a good story about Samus Aran, one that's true to her character and brings a nice end to her Prime story arc.
#4 - Metroid Fusion
Following the events of Metroid: Other M, Samus Aran is acting as a bodyguard for a research team on planet SR388 when they are attacked by an alien creature. Samus is infected by a strange organism during the battle, which is soon identified as a parasite named X. Upon recovering, Samus finds herself with the new Fusion Suit, and soon discovers that the X parasite has infected and mimicked parts of her armor, creating the terrifying SA-X.
Terrifying is a great word to use for Metroid Fusion. The game steers even harder into Metroid's dark atmosphere and goes full horror. Not only is Samus stripped of her iconic power suit, the suit itself is chasing her, a terrifying doppelganger that is hellbent on killing the player who has no choice but to simply run in the other direction. The game feels isolated, like it's just the player and SA-X sharing the environment, and it really works in favor of the game's survival horror vibes.
#3 - Metroid Prime
Samus Aran, after destroying the Space Pirate stronghold on Zebes during her Zero Mission, intercepts a distress signal coming from one of the Space Pirate frigates that escaped her attack on Zebes. The ship, the Orpheon, is full of dead or sick pirates, in no condition to fight, and after some exploring Samus discovers the source of their ailment; The Parasite Queen.
Metroid Prime was a controversial release, looking and playing almost nothing like what Metroid had become known for at this point. The game had stepped away from the 2D side-scrolling nature of past franchise entries in favor of becoming a first-person shooter, and fans were anxious about the release. Regardless, the game ended up a huge success, and spawned its own insanely popular mini-series within the franchise, each one using the same style of gameplay.
#2 - Metroid Dread
Though the Metroid Prime series popularized the first-person shooter format, fans were eager for a return to the franchises' roots, particularly with 2D sidescrolling. After 19 years, fans got the return to form they were asking for with Metroid Dread, the newest release in the franchise and one of the most critically acclaimed entries in the series.
The game features nods to plenty of pre-Dread Metroid games, including a revamp of Fusion's horror chase scenes, making the whole thing feel like a love letter to the franchise. While the game stands on its own, playing as a Metroid fan has players feeling like their nostalgia is being catered to, creating a uniquely fun experience while also reminding them of great Metroid memories of the past. It has an excellent piece of storytelling that doesn't rely on nostalgia or knowledge of past games for people to enjoy it. Though plenty of callbacks cater toward fans of the series, Dread can easily be picked up by new players and serves as an excellent introduction to the Metroid series for a new generation of fans.
#1 - Super Metroid
After exterminating the Metroids on SR388, Samus Aran brought an infant Metroid to the Ceres Space Colony to be studied. The scientists' findings showed that the powers of Metroids could be used for the benefit of mankind, but shortly after Samus leaves the colony is attacked. Samus quickly discovered Ridley in possession of the baby Metroid, and though initially overpowered, she gives chase to the fleeing Ridley to get the infant back.
Though just barely inching above Metroid Dread's critical ratings, it's hard to choose which game deserves the number one spot. While Metroid Dread is the franchise's return to form, Super Metroid is the form being returned to and is the peak Metroidvania experience that defined a lot of what the rest of the series would be. The game is at the top of its genre, especially for the time it was released, with a fantastic soundtrack and great level design brilliantly complemented by some of the best controls in the Metroid series.
The game offers a fair amount of difficulty too, offering players a good challenge while not becoming overwhelmingly hard just for the sake of being challenging. The platforming is good, the world feels big and full of things to discover, and everything just feels right. While Super Metroid can be argued as the franchises' gold standard for all Metroid games, the expansive series has a lot to experience outside of it. With a huge list of titles in the series, there's something for everyone, and while some titles might be worse than others, most have something that makes the time spent playing them worth it.