--- Metroid ---

The Metroid Series:

Metroid

Metroid II: Return of Samus

Super Metroid -- click to go to the Super Metroid page

Metroid Fusion

Metroid Prime -- click to go to the Metroid Prime page

Metroid: Zero Mission

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Metroid Basics - things you need to know about Metroids, Metroid games, and Samus Aran.

Metroid is a game that's as unique as its name.  And though it's come a long way, it still holds true to its roots.  No other game combines shooting, exploration, and unique ability upgrades like Metroid does.  And what other game has a character anything like Samus, the space age bounty hunter / archaeologist, who was raised by an extinct race of Bird People and who always works alone?  :-)

The first Metroid game (and the only one we DON'T think is hot shit) was pretty ambitious for its time.  In a videogame market full of side-scrolling, one-way games, Metroid was one of only a few games that gave you an entire, seamless world to play in and allowed to to go anywhere.  That concept is still being celebrated, copied, and re-invented to this day with clones of the extremely successful Grand Theft Auto series of "sandbox" games.

But Metroid 1 was a pain in the ass, although that didn't stop us from playing it for weeks.  The cool science fiction setting and theme were (and still are) compelling and fun.  Metroid 2 improved the game in some ways, even though it was done on the low-tech Game Boy.  The third game, Super Metroid, perfected the series in just about every way.

Then everything went quiet.  The Metroids were hibernating or something.  Their creator, Gumpei Yokoi, was living Metroid-free as he invented the Virtual Boy (it's okay, we forgive him, since he also invented the Game Boy), and then he left Nintendo and died in a car crash.  For a long time, it seemed like Samus and the Metroids were resting in peace along with him.

But finally, after years of fans pleading and crying, Nintendo went ahead with two new Metroid projects--a 2D game and a 3D game.  The 2D game was done by the original Metroid team (Metroid Fusion), and the 3D one was done by a new developer called Retro Studios (Metroid Prime).  Both turned out great.  And so did their follow-ups.

This page will eventually have some stuff from all the Metroid games, but we're starting with Super Metroid.  Click here or click the link at the top of the page to see the Super Metroid page.

And here's one more link: Metroid2002.com has some amazing stuff on the Metroid games, especially their videos on sequence breaking (getting items before you're 'supposed' to), game glitches, and speed runs.

If you want to drop us a line, send it to "webmaster" AT "gameswelike.com".