Metroid

This article is about the video game series. For the first game in the series, see Metroid (video game). For the fictional species, see Metroid (fictional species).
Not to be confused with Matroid or Meteoroid.

Metroid
Logo since 2017
Genre(s)
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Creator(s)
Platform(s)
First releaseMetroid
August 6, 1986
Latest releaseMetroid Prime Remastered
February 8, 2023

Metroid[a] is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the power of the parasitic Metroid creatures.

Metroid combines the platforming of Super Mario Bros. and the exploration of The Legend of Zelda with a science fiction setting and an emphasis on nonlinear gameplay. Most Metroid games are side-scrolling, while the 3D games use a first-person perspective. Players battle hostile alien enemies and obtain power-ups as they progress through the game world. The series is known for its isolated atmosphere, featuring few non-player characters.

The first Metroid was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. Metroid II: Return of Samus was released for the handheld Game Boy in 1991. Super Metroid (1994), released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, received acclaim. After a hiatus, Metroid Fusion (2002) and Metroid: Zero Mission (2004) were released for the Game Boy Advance.

The first 3D Metroid game, Metroid Prime (2002), was developed by Retro Studios for the GameCube and received acclaim. It was followed by Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004) and the Wii game Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007). Metroid: Other M (2010), developed by Team Ninja for the Wii, received weaker reviews. After another hiatus, MercurySteam developed a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, Metroid: Samus Returns (2017) for the handheld Nintendo 3DS, followed by Metroid Dread (2021) for the Nintendo Switch. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is scheduled for 2025.

As of September 2012, the Metroid series had sold over 17.44 million copies.[2] It has been represented in other Nintendo media, including the Super Smash Bros. series. Additional media includes soundtracks, comic books, and manga. Along with the 1997 Konami game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the early Metroid games defined the Metroidvania subgenre, inspiring other games with continuous, explorable side-scrolling levels. Samus was one of the first prominent female video game characters.

  1. ^ Olivares, Vladimir (September 15, 2020). "Metroid: The Unsung Hero of Nintendo's Trinity". CBR. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference GWR2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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