Original Concept: With the success of the side-scrolling platforming of Super Mario Bros. in 1985 and the free-form adventuring of The Legend of Zelda in early 1986, Nintendo wanted to combine the two winning elements to create a new franchise. Nintendo Research and Development 1 (R&D1) were given this task, the same team that was behind the making of Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. and Tetris. This team included Gunpei Yokio, who was also credited with designing the original Game Boy. Satoru Okada, who created and published the original Game Boy and Makoto Kano, who wrote the original story and is also known for his work with Kid Icarus and Famicom Wars.
Unlike previous titles, however, Metroid was to be given a darker narrative. The music and sound effects, worked on by Hirokazu Tanaka, were to be used to create a tense atmosphere while fighting and exploring your way through an alien world. The word "Metroid" is a portmanteau of "metro" and "android", which alluded to the dark, underground environments you explored as the seemingly robot protagonist.
The combat, compared to jumping on turtles or hitting moblins with a sword, was also intensified with the use of missiles, bombs and lasers to take down all manner of weird and twisted aliens that would try and hinder your progress.
Set in a 2D, side-scrolling world, you take control of Samus Aran. Mysterious bounty hunter and fighter of Space Pirates. Raised by an alien race, now believed to be wiped out, known as the Chozo. You're on Zebes to find out what the Space Pirates are up to and why they've been capturing Metroids. (Aye, those things from the title of the game) This is the perfect set up for the entire series. At some stage or another, you'll be fighting Metroids or Space Pirates (or "other" but we'll get to them). Here you're introduced to a few series mainstays such as the Morph Ball, a mode Samus' suit can enter that results in the player becoming a ball, able to roll through small gaps and eventually lay bombs to further exploration. There's also the Screw Attack that allows you to reach further areas and damage enemies in the process. (Basically, Samus' Power Suit is the tits. If I was into massive shoulder pads, I'd have one)
There are also various characters and organisations introduced that stand the test of time here. The Federation, for which Samus finds employment, is attacked and are the people that send Samus to investigate Zebes in the first place. Then there are the attackers, the Space Pirates. Native to Zebes, these guys aren't the sort you'll find sailing around space drinking space grog and singing space shanties. (In space, no one can hear you sing space shanties) They're ruthless and unyielding in their quest to plunder and conquer the galaxy. Their leader is the fearsome Mother Brain. (If you've never seen her, her name does her justice) The mastermind behind the Space Pirates operations from Zebes, it's she that orders the capture of the life-force draining Metroids to develop super weapons. (The brains of the outfit, you could say. But I won't. Because that's tacky) Last, but definitely by no means least, is Ridley. Space Dragon and Commander of the Space Pirates. This guy proves to be more difficult to kill than a concept. Responsible for the death of Samus' parents, he is defacto Arch-Nemesis for the series. (Plus, Space Dragon. You wouldn't scrap that idea after one game)
A lot of the design for the game was inspired by H. R. Giger's work and also Ridley Scott's 1979 "Alien". The character of Ridley is even named after the director. The game became popular with speedrunners as the ending you received depended on how fast you finished it. Like with Zelda, if you entered certain passwords, you unlocked various rewards. NARPAS SWORD gives you unlimited health and ammo, all the abilities and a powered up ice-beam. JUSTIN BAILEY allowed you to play the game in Samus' Zero Suit, the fetching blue onesy worn under the Power Suit. The last code was also a good way to discover Samus was, in fact, a woman. Something that wasn't revealed unless you finished the game fast enough.
Sequels and Innovations: November 1991. Metroid II: Return of Samus was released in North America for the original Game Boy. It was then released in January and May the following year in Japan and Europe respectively. This was the series first instalment on a handheld device and would prove to be an extremely popular addition. This time, you are solely fighting the titular Metroids. Each area you come across has a set amount of them that you must defeat in order to advance.
Certain additions are made to Samus' arsenal, such as the Spazer Laser Beam and Plasma Beam. One that splits into three and the other that allows you to fire through multiple enemies at once. There are also upgrades to the Morph Ball, like being able to jump and climb on walls and ceilings. As the game was in black and white on the Game Boy, the decision was made to make Samus' Power Suit and Varia Suit actually be shaped differently. (Originally, they could just change the colour in Metroid)
In 2017, Return of Samus was given the remake treatment with Metroid: Samus Returns. While the story stayed relatively unchanged, the graphics and controls were given a massive overhaul. Samus could now fire in any direction, she had access to new abilities that required a new Energy Bar to use. There were even additions from games that had been released after Return of Samus such as the Grapple Beam and Super Missiles. (Because who doesn't want Super Missiles?)
Widely regarded as a successful remake of a classic game, Samus Returns gives anyone who missed the opportunity to play Return of Samus on a handheld console the first time around. (Now with added extras)
March 1994. Super Metroid is released in Japan for the SNES. The game plays very similarly to in the original in that you're back on Zebes after Ridley kidnaps a baby Metroid that had been in your care. The Space Pirates have rebuilt and expanded there base there and even Mother Brain is back, dishing out the orders like it's 1986. Fear not, however, as Samus has access to more upgrades to get her through these tough situations. The Grapple Beam allows for swinging over massive gaps and for quickly traversing across rooms.
There's a Speed Booster for ramming into enemies and smashing through barriers. Then there are new jump boots that allow you jump higher and upgrade to let you jump infinitely. (Instantly disqualifying you from basketball, so I'm told) This is also the first 2D Metroid title that lets Samus fire in all directions while moving.
The HUD itself gets a new look as well. Health is displayed as a bar with units as opposed to a bare number. All your ammo is displayed at the top of the screen and most importantly, an automap is displayed in the top corner, showing where you've been and where you can potentially go. Save rooms are also introduced, where the player must get to in order to record their progress. These become a staple for the series and are a very popular feature in other Metroidvania games.
November 2002. (Over 8 years since Super Metroid) Metroid Fusion gets a worldwide release for the Game Boy Advance. (Though in Japan it's released in February the following year) However, November also saw the release of Metroid Prime worldwide for the Nintendo GameCube. (These were my first experience with the Metroid series)
Firstly, Fusion. The gameplay works a little differently with this instalment. It's more story driven for a start, as you are guided to "Navigation Rooms" in order to further the plot. While this doesn't eliminate the exploration aspect the series had been known for, it was noticeably more limiting initially. New enemies were introduced in the form of the X Parasite. The X has infected both the organic and mechanical on the space station you've found yourself on, including a clone of our old pal, Ridley. (I don't know why they were cloning him either, this is a Federation base) Even Samus is infected and this sets up the game's health and ammo replenishment system. By defeating enemies, they drop parasites that Samus can absorb, healing her and refilling her rockets. (It's sci-fi, shut up)
New abilities are also acquired this way by defeating bosses and absorbing their core. (A similar, though far more advanced, system is used in a set of Castlevania games. Much fun, highly recommend)
Now for Metroid Prime. It is the first foray away from the 2D sidescrolling the series had been known for and it was played from a first-person perspective. Prime is also the first game to explain why Samus mysteriously loses all her previously gained power-ups at the start of every game. (In this case, she get's hit with a massive explosion. Caused by Meta Ridley. Oh, you better believe he made it for the first 3D outing!)
True to form, you're given a massive world to explore. This time you're equipped with a scan visor that can be used to not only unlock devices and solve puzzles, but reveal lore about the Metroid universe that up until this point hs only been alluded to in game manuals and manga. (Yeah, there's a Metroid manga)
There are other unlockable visors that are used to see hidden enemies and objects. Combat is also helped with a new "lock-on" system. With the move to 3D, the combat could have suffered from the platform jumping and massive environments so the decision for lock-on was a very wise move. When going into the Morph Ball, the camera jumps to a third-person perspective, to make navigating these sections possible. Unlike previous games, where your beam upgrades stack and become more powerful, Prime gives you 4 that you can switch between. Each one useful for exploiting an enemies weakness.
Metroid Prime was given to Retro Studios, an American first-party developer and division of Nintendo. This was the first time that a Metroid game had, in any way, been developed outside of Japan. There was a link feature between Fusion and Prime that unlocked items in each with the use of the Game Boy Advance link cable. (A fun gimmick I tried in Prime to get the Fusion Suit)
February 2004. Metroid: Zero Mission is released for the Game Boy Avance. Essentially a remake of the original Metroid but with all the advancements the series had to offer thus far, such as the improved HUD and graphical capabilities. Though it did add new areas and mini-bosses as to keep the gameplay interesting for those who had played the original.
In November of the same year, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was also released for GameCube. Much like the first Prime, Echoes is a massive, open-world, first-person shooter with an emphasis on puzzle solving and platforming.
The world, the planet Aether, is presented in two versions, a Light and a Dark. Both present different problems, such as Dark Aether's atmosphere actually damaging Samus over time until a specific suit upgrade is unlocked. This can make for a frustrating experience, and at times the combat in Echoes could feel a little cheap, but overall the puzzle solving element of the game was what pulled it through.
This was the first game to introduce Dark Samus as a villain, a creature borne from the previous Prime's final boss. While Dark Samus has no dialogue (except for some screaming) it was an excellent addition to Samus' rogue gallery.
Echoes also feature a multiplayer mode for some reason. It had deathmatch and a point collecting mode. (It wasn't great)
March 2006. Metroid Prime Hunters is released for the Nintendo DS. Once again 3D, first-person perspective. This time the lock-on system has been removed and replaced with the touch screen being used to aim. (I didn't play this one. It didn't sound too inspiring)
Like Echoes, it has a multiplayer mode, now with "chat" capabilities. (Still don't care)
August 2007. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is released as for Nintendo Wii. With the move onto the Wii comes the use of motion controls. (It's actually alright, Corruption was my favourite entry in the series) It ran with all the same beats as the previous Prime entries, though this time it gave you multiple worlds to explore, rather that one or two. Even more lore was crammed in and it brought back Space Pirates that had been missing from Echoes.
A new "Hyper Mode" was introduced, that powered up Samus' attacks at the cost of her health. Too much use of this mode would result in a non-standard Game Over, as Samus is consumed by the energy she's using to boost her power.
A new visor is also introduced that allows Samus to remotely control her ship. This can be to do anything from transporting a heavy cargo to delivering a devastating missile barrage. (You don't get Link unleashing missile barrages, just sayin')
In 2009, all three Prime games were bundled together in the Metroid Prime Trilogy for Wii. (So hopefully we'll see it appear on the Switch at some point)
August 2010. Metroid: Other M is released for the Wii. While being set in a 3D environment, it plays much differently from the Prime series. For a start, there is melee combat, with dodge capabilities. While aiming in first-person, you can't move. This means you have to continually switch between modes to get anything done. (Again, I didn't play this specific title. For all intents and purposes though, it looked really shite) Enemies no longer dropped power-ups for health and ammo, instead, Samus has to reach save points or using a "Concentration" technique. (This is Ninja Theory, and as much as I like their games, I don't like the sound of this one bit)
In addition to that, Samus starts the game with most of her upgrades available, but "agrees" that she shouldn't use them unless given permission by commanding officer. (I cry. My tears are very real right now)
After finishing the game, there's a Theatre Mode, where the player can watch all the in-game cutscenes as a film. Because why not...
August (again) 2016. Metroid Prime: Federation Force is released for the Nintendo 3DS. For the first time in 30 years, you don't actually play as Samus Aran. Instead, you are placed in the boots of one of four Federation Marines. Unlike previous attempts at multiplayer, this is a cooperative affair. As a team of up to four, you're sent to different planets to take part in missions. Before missions, you can set up your loadout for a much more strategic approach to the game that has been seen previously. (As opposed to just having what you would need and working with it)
A mode within the game, Blast Ball, offers players a chance to essentially play football in mech suits. (That would be the only way you could get me to play/watch a football match)
Metroid is a first-party franchise I feel doesn't get the love it deserves from Nintendo. I'm super excited for Metroid Prime 4. With that, Zelda and Mario I have obtained the Triforce of "Justification to Buy a Nintendo Console" for the first time in 16 years. Yay!
Certain additions are made to Samus' arsenal, such as the Spazer Laser Beam and Plasma Beam. One that splits into three and the other that allows you to fire through multiple enemies at once. There are also upgrades to the Morph Ball, like being able to jump and climb on walls and ceilings. As the game was in black and white on the Game Boy, the decision was made to make Samus' Power Suit and Varia Suit actually be shaped differently. (Originally, they could just change the colour in Metroid)
In 2017, Return of Samus was given the remake treatment with Metroid: Samus Returns. While the story stayed relatively unchanged, the graphics and controls were given a massive overhaul. Samus could now fire in any direction, she had access to new abilities that required a new Energy Bar to use. There were even additions from games that had been released after Return of Samus such as the Grapple Beam and Super Missiles. (Because who doesn't want Super Missiles?)
Widely regarded as a successful remake of a classic game, Samus Returns gives anyone who missed the opportunity to play Return of Samus on a handheld console the first time around. (Now with added extras)
March 1994. Super Metroid is released in Japan for the SNES. The game plays very similarly to in the original in that you're back on Zebes after Ridley kidnaps a baby Metroid that had been in your care. The Space Pirates have rebuilt and expanded there base there and even Mother Brain is back, dishing out the orders like it's 1986. Fear not, however, as Samus has access to more upgrades to get her through these tough situations. The Grapple Beam allows for swinging over massive gaps and for quickly traversing across rooms.
The HUD itself gets a new look as well. Health is displayed as a bar with units as opposed to a bare number. All your ammo is displayed at the top of the screen and most importantly, an automap is displayed in the top corner, showing where you've been and where you can potentially go. Save rooms are also introduced, where the player must get to in order to record their progress. These become a staple for the series and are a very popular feature in other Metroidvania games.
November 2002. (Over 8 years since Super Metroid) Metroid Fusion gets a worldwide release for the Game Boy Advance. (Though in Japan it's released in February the following year) However, November also saw the release of Metroid Prime worldwide for the Nintendo GameCube. (These were my first experience with the Metroid series)
Firstly, Fusion. The gameplay works a little differently with this instalment. It's more story driven for a start, as you are guided to "Navigation Rooms" in order to further the plot. While this doesn't eliminate the exploration aspect the series had been known for, it was noticeably more limiting initially. New enemies were introduced in the form of the X Parasite. The X has infected both the organic and mechanical on the space station you've found yourself on, including a clone of our old pal, Ridley. (I don't know why they were cloning him either, this is a Federation base) Even Samus is infected and this sets up the game's health and ammo replenishment system. By defeating enemies, they drop parasites that Samus can absorb, healing her and refilling her rockets. (It's sci-fi, shut up)
New abilities are also acquired this way by defeating bosses and absorbing their core. (A similar, though far more advanced, system is used in a set of Castlevania games. Much fun, highly recommend)
Now for Metroid Prime. It is the first foray away from the 2D sidescrolling the series had been known for and it was played from a first-person perspective. Prime is also the first game to explain why Samus mysteriously loses all her previously gained power-ups at the start of every game. (In this case, she get's hit with a massive explosion. Caused by Meta Ridley. Oh, you better believe he made it for the first 3D outing!)
True to form, you're given a massive world to explore. This time you're equipped with a scan visor that can be used to not only unlock devices and solve puzzles, but reveal lore about the Metroid universe that up until this point hs only been alluded to in game manuals and manga. (Yeah, there's a Metroid manga)
There are other unlockable visors that are used to see hidden enemies and objects. Combat is also helped with a new "lock-on" system. With the move to 3D, the combat could have suffered from the platform jumping and massive environments so the decision for lock-on was a very wise move. When going into the Morph Ball, the camera jumps to a third-person perspective, to make navigating these sections possible. Unlike previous games, where your beam upgrades stack and become more powerful, Prime gives you 4 that you can switch between. Each one useful for exploiting an enemies weakness.
Metroid Prime was given to Retro Studios, an American first-party developer and division of Nintendo. This was the first time that a Metroid game had, in any way, been developed outside of Japan. There was a link feature between Fusion and Prime that unlocked items in each with the use of the Game Boy Advance link cable. (A fun gimmick I tried in Prime to get the Fusion Suit)
February 2004. Metroid: Zero Mission is released for the Game Boy Avance. Essentially a remake of the original Metroid but with all the advancements the series had to offer thus far, such as the improved HUD and graphical capabilities. Though it did add new areas and mini-bosses as to keep the gameplay interesting for those who had played the original.
In November of the same year, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was also released for GameCube. Much like the first Prime, Echoes is a massive, open-world, first-person shooter with an emphasis on puzzle solving and platforming.
The world, the planet Aether, is presented in two versions, a Light and a Dark. Both present different problems, such as Dark Aether's atmosphere actually damaging Samus over time until a specific suit upgrade is unlocked. This can make for a frustrating experience, and at times the combat in Echoes could feel a little cheap, but overall the puzzle solving element of the game was what pulled it through.
This was the first game to introduce Dark Samus as a villain, a creature borne from the previous Prime's final boss. While Dark Samus has no dialogue (except for some screaming) it was an excellent addition to Samus' rogue gallery.
Echoes also feature a multiplayer mode for some reason. It had deathmatch and a point collecting mode. (It wasn't great)
March 2006. Metroid Prime Hunters is released for the Nintendo DS. Once again 3D, first-person perspective. This time the lock-on system has been removed and replaced with the touch screen being used to aim. (I didn't play this one. It didn't sound too inspiring)
Like Echoes, it has a multiplayer mode, now with "chat" capabilities. (Still don't care)
August 2007. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is released as for Nintendo Wii. With the move onto the Wii comes the use of motion controls. (It's actually alright, Corruption was my favourite entry in the series) It ran with all the same beats as the previous Prime entries, though this time it gave you multiple worlds to explore, rather that one or two. Even more lore was crammed in and it brought back Space Pirates that had been missing from Echoes.
A new "Hyper Mode" was introduced, that powered up Samus' attacks at the cost of her health. Too much use of this mode would result in a non-standard Game Over, as Samus is consumed by the energy she's using to boost her power.
A new visor is also introduced that allows Samus to remotely control her ship. This can be to do anything from transporting a heavy cargo to delivering a devastating missile barrage. (You don't get Link unleashing missile barrages, just sayin')
In 2009, all three Prime games were bundled together in the Metroid Prime Trilogy for Wii. (So hopefully we'll see it appear on the Switch at some point)
August 2010. Metroid: Other M is released for the Wii. While being set in a 3D environment, it plays much differently from the Prime series. For a start, there is melee combat, with dodge capabilities. While aiming in first-person, you can't move. This means you have to continually switch between modes to get anything done. (Again, I didn't play this specific title. For all intents and purposes though, it looked really shite) Enemies no longer dropped power-ups for health and ammo, instead, Samus has to reach save points or using a "Concentration" technique. (This is Ninja Theory, and as much as I like their games, I don't like the sound of this one bit)
In addition to that, Samus starts the game with most of her upgrades available, but "agrees" that she shouldn't use them unless given permission by commanding officer. (I cry. My tears are very real right now)
After finishing the game, there's a Theatre Mode, where the player can watch all the in-game cutscenes as a film. Because why not...
August (again) 2016. Metroid Prime: Federation Force is released for the Nintendo 3DS. For the first time in 30 years, you don't actually play as Samus Aran. Instead, you are placed in the boots of one of four Federation Marines. Unlike previous attempts at multiplayer, this is a cooperative affair. As a team of up to four, you're sent to different planets to take part in missions. Before missions, you can set up your loadout for a much more strategic approach to the game that has been seen previously. (As opposed to just having what you would need and working with it)
A mode within the game, Blast Ball, offers players a chance to essentially play football in mech suits. (That would be the only way you could get me to play/watch a football match)
Metroid is a first-party franchise I feel doesn't get the love it deserves from Nintendo. I'm super excited for Metroid Prime 4. With that, Zelda and Mario I have obtained the Triforce of "Justification to Buy a Nintendo Console" for the first time in 16 years. Yay!
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