Platform:
3DS
Publisher:
Nintendo
Developer:
MercurySteam
Release:
Rating:
Everyone 10+
Metroid is easily one of Nintendo’s underrated top-tier franchises; entries come few and far between compared to Mario, Zelda, and even Splatoon these days. It’s a series that rarely misses, with each entry ranging from a fun romp that’s worth playing to a consistently great experience than can be considered one of the greatest games of all time. Metroid has inspired an entire genre of games that mix platforming, action, discovery, and abilities unlocking even more options for the previous three pillars, and it even remains at the peak of that archetype in its latest entries. The mark Metroid has made on modern gaming is undeniable, so we’re here to celebrate the franchise surrounding gaming’s most beloved bounty hunter.
The following is our ranking of each official entry in the Metroid series, including the remakes and offshoots released throughout the years. Most of these games are exceptional in their own way, and your ranking may be different. If you have any thoughts on the order, feel free to share them in the comments below!
13
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
While not a disaster and actually quite fun at times, Federation Force was simply a Metroid game the public didn't want. Released in 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS, this offshoot of the Metroid Prime series is a four-player first-person cooperative shooter that puts players in the suits of Federation Marines to complete missions that task the team to complete puzzles or take out space pirates. The cardinal sin of Federation Force is simple: You didn't play as Samus, nor did it continue the series lore in a meaningful way. During an extended drought for mainline Metroid titles, Federation Force couldn't captivate audiences like Nintendo's adventurous bounty hunter.
12
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Hunters is a cool experiment, playing with where the Metroid series could go on the Nintendo DS. Rather than opting for the easy 2D route with the classic platforming gameplay set on the top screen and the series’ trademark map system on the bottom, Nintendo chose to push the limits of the handheld device. It opted to create a first-person shooter in the image of the GameCube Prime titles, utilizing the touch screen and stylus for aiming Samus’ arm cannon for precision shots.
Going back to Metroid Prime: Hunters is a cumbersome experience that's far less fun to play today than when the DS was in its heyday. The way the stylus mode works, there’s a feeling of needing three hands to control it properly because there are controls mapped to the D-Pad, face buttons, shoulder buttons, and the touch screen. It should be celebrated for giving faces and names to more bounty hunters in the Metroid universe, but Hunters is far less desirable to play if you’re looking to play a Metroid in modern times
11
Metroid II: Return of Samus
Following up on the original Metroid is a tough task to undertake, let alone doing it on Nintendo’s primary 90s portable, the Game Boy. Producer Gunpei Yokoi and the Nintendo R&D1 team packed an entire Metroid adventure on the primitive handheld, and in a lot of ways it looks and plays better than the NES-quality benchmark the studio was going for. Following the events of Metroid, Samus lands on planet SR388, the Metroids’ homeworld, to eliminate the biological menace.
Considering the technology of the Game Boy, Metroid II is often hard to read in its original green-screen format, where backgrounds and characters don’t stand out enough to tell what’s going on when the action gets going. It also suffers from having the camera a little too close to Samus, making the world feel more claustrophobic than it really is.
Metroid II is incredible in terms of fitting an ambitious Metroid adventure on the Game Boy, but it’s been made obsolete in and out of Nintendo. Metroid: Samus Returns on 3DS adapts the game for a new generation, and if you can find it, the fan-made game AM2R also makes for a better way to experience Samus’ sophomore outing.