I suspect that there’s a pretty sizable chunk of people who would gladly call Metroidvania their favorite video game genre, but who have never played aMetroidgame. That’s a problem. Sometimes, when a classic istooclassical, it can become a bit of a headache. Revisiting a really beloved game can become a chore when you’ve seen its best ideas executed better by games that came later.
Not so withMetroid. Nearly every 2DMetroidgame is still a great time, even when placed next to the wave of wonderful indie Metroidvanias we’ve seen recently. Unfortunately, “nearly” is the operative word in that sentence. There are definitely downright bad 2DMetroidgames, just as there are great ones. So allow me to walk you through every2DMetroidgame, from the clunky to the clever.
Metroid II: Return of Samus(1991)
The original Game Boy was an incredible piece of hardware. It was the first handheld gaming console to truly demonstrate the types of games people wanted to play on the go. It was home to some incredible third-party offerings and some even better first-party Nintendo games.
It was not the right place forMetroid II.
Metroid II: Return of Samussimply doesn’t play very well on the Game Boy. Exploring an uncharted planet without any semblance of guidance or direction was already a bit difficult in the originalMetroid, but at least areas were visually distinct.Metroid IIis beholden to the Game Boy’s monochromatic screen, which means it’s incredibly difficult to tell where you are most of the time.Metroid IIalso suffers from clunky controls and enemy design that makes Samus feel less like a mighty bounty hunter searching for deadly Metroids and more like a random lady who is stumbling on aliens at random. It’s a game with good ideas that simply couldn’t have worked on the original Game Boy.
you may play it on the Switch if you’re interested, having been ported onto the console in 2023. It’s a fun enough game, but like others on the list, it hasn’t aged all that well.
Metroid(1986)
Metroidis the rare series where even die-hard fans can mostly acknowledge that the first game isn’t all that playable. The originalMetroidlays some really solid foundations, but a lot of the series’ biggest problems are at their absolute worst here.
The biggest problem withMetroidis a pretty simple one: there’s no map. Some franchise purists are surely already readying their explanations (“It’s not supposed to have a map,” “You should make your own map,” and so on), but the simple fact of the matter is,Metroidfeels really bad without a map. Exploration doesn’t feel at all meaningful when you don’t know where you’ve been or where you’re going. It doesn’t help thatMetroidhas a pretty shoddy control scheme and fairly uninteresting traversal. Maybe I’m just too pampered by modern design philosophy, but this one is not very fun to go back to.
It has been re-released on a bunch of different consoles, however. You can play it on the following consoles (along with the year it was released):
It’s still the same old game though.
Metroid Zero Mission(2004)
Metroid Zero Missionis a remake of the originalMetroid, and hey, we’ve got a map now! We’ve also got… map markers. Oh boy. Yes,Zero Missionis a bit of an over-correction. It’s more readable than the originalMetroidthanks to its map, and it’s certainly more playable thanks to some necessary gameplay overhauls, but it’s also just a little too hand-holdy.
Every time you’re able to access a new area inZero Mission, the game loudly announces that fact with a bright flashing indicator on your map. It doesn’t ruin the game by any means (the originalMetroid‘s map is full of off-the-beaten-path things to do) but it does hamper the experience of exploration. If the original game was too vague, this one is just a touch too specific. It’s still a very good time, but one that would benefit from a bit less guidance.
Metroid Fusion(2002)
I actually likeMetroid Fusiona lot, but it’s not aMetroidgame. It’s a really good 2D platform shooter, and a really smart riff onAlien, but… it’s not aMetroidgame!
Fusionhas almost no exploration to speak of. At its most basic,Metroidis about finding your way around an uncharted place and discovering what lies at its center. It’s about coming up with new and interesting ways to use the tools at your disposal to reach previously inaccessible places. IfMetroid Zero Missiondidn’t have enough of that, thenMetroid Fusionhas absolutely none of it. There is a robot named Adam who constantly tells you where to go and how to get there, and he sucks.
Fusionis very good. It’s one of my favorite Game Boy Advance games. Every time I decide to replay theMetroidseries, though, I usually elect to skipFusion. In my mind, it’s its own (very good!) game with no relation to Samus’ continued adventures.
Super Metroid(1994)
Super Metroidwas a pretty incredible leap forward. Three years afterMetroid IIfound itself hampered by underpowered hardware, this undeniable classic took full advantage of the jump to the Super Nintendo. Even now, nearly thirty years later, it’s still a little hard to believe just how big this game is.
Super Metroidbrings Samus back to Zebes, the setting of the original game. This time, Zebes is infested by space pirates (the best kind of pirates) who want to use the power of the Metroids for themselves. Zebes is a lot more exciting to explore this time – Samus’ toolkit has gotten larger, and every weapon at her disposal feels like a piece in a massive puzzle. Solving that puzzle is the crux ofSuper Metroid. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:Metroidis about exploration, andSuper Metroidmakes exploring feel great.
You can relive this classic on the Nintendo Switch again, having been re-released all the way back in 2019.
Metroid Prime Pinball (2005)
Okay, so it’s not exactly a Metroidvania game, but this aMetroidlist, so the pinball game stays. Technically it’s 2D as well, so it double makes the list.
It’s a classic pinball game in every sense, except that it uses theMetroiduniverse as inspiration for it’s design and story, I guess. Despite not doing anything wildly different from other pinball games, it was well-received by both users and critics alike.
If you want to experience theMetroiduniverse but in pinball style, this is your game. Otherwise, stick to one of the others on this list for the classicMetroidexperience.
Metroid: Samus Returns(2017)
After a decently long time away from the spotlight, in 2017, Samus returned to Nintendo handhelds withMetroid: Samus Returns, a 3DS remake ofMetroid IIcourtesy of developer Mercury Steam. In a lot of ways,Samus Returnsis likeMetroid II, but it differs in one key area: it’s really good!
Samus Returnsis the first 2DMetroidgame where Samus actually feels like a bounty hunter. The majority of the game is spent hunting down Metroids by tracking their DNA. In the originalMetroid II, “hunting” the aliens wasn’t really possible because there was no way to see where you were. You either walked in on them or you didn’t. Here, you’re able to clearly see where the Metroids are hiding, and you can prepare to bring them down. When you catch them, the tools you have for exterminating them are pretty excellent.Samus Returnsis one of the onlyMetroidgames with truly great combat, and it makes Samus feel incredibly strong.Samus Returnslacks a bit of exploration, but the issue isn’t as bad as it is inFusionorZero Mission, and the game makes up for it with incredibly smooth and fun moment-to-moment gameplay.
Recency bias be damned,Metroid Dreadreally is that good. The first mainlineMetroidgame in nearly two decades and the first home-console 2DMetroidgame since 1994, against all odds, lives up to the hype. Mercury Steam returns here and gives Samus an even heftier arsenal of powerful weapons that make this game feel absolutely incredible.
Beyond that,Dreadabsolutely nails exploration. The game strikes a very impressive balance in that it’s very difficult to get lost but it also constantly feels like you’re finding something new. It feels likeMetroid, but without the headaches people often associate withMetroid. It’s the kind of game that I’d recommend to almost everyone – it’s a great action game for people who love action games, a great exploration game for people who love exploring, and a greatMetroidgame for people who loveMetroid.
