The galaxy is at peace

Eons ago, otherwise known as the NES and SNES era of gaming, people at my school were obsessed with the idea of "Nintendo's big three." What are the big three franchises that Nintendo has? In the days before Mario Kart, Pokémon, and Animal Crossing, all the kids could usually say Super Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. That's what I would say too, though sometimes you'd find the one kid who had to be a contrarian by saying Donkey Kong.

While Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda are both still two of the top-tier franchises for Nintendo, it's become clear to me that Metroid was never really as big as it might have seemed. It sold well, but not well enough to have skipped entire console generations without a new entry. And with the modern gaming landscape and Nintendo's focus on those best-sellers like Splatoon and Smash Bros., fans are almost lucky that Nintendo chooses to keep throwing this franchise a bone. But I'm glad it does because Metroid might be the best IP in Nintendo's pocket. Sure, the series has seen some bad games, but when it's good, it's really good.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the 10 best games in the Metroid series.

[caption id="attachment_365714" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Moby Games[/caption]

10. Metroid Prime Pinball

Consider Metroid Prime Hunters an honorable mention for this list, but if we're going to include one of the series' Nintendo DS outings on this list, it's going to be Metroid Prime Pinball. This wonderful adaptation of Metroid Prime shrunk the planet of Tall?on IV down into a couple of pinball tables with genuinely fun gameplay and some of the best graphics at the time on the Nintendo DS. Sure, it was a bit slight in terms of content, but just like any good pinball machine, it was the experience that kept players coming back long after they defeated Metroid Prime.

9. Metroid

There are so many great things about the original Metroid, launched in North America in 1987. The setting, the music (or lack thereof), and the puzzle that was the game's map; it was all unlike anything else you could get on the NES. Perhaps the best thing, however, was that Metroid was a Password Pak game, and it didn't take long for people to realize there were so many ways you could alter the game based on what was entered into the password screen. Justin Bailey, anyone? The game itself is one of the greatest on the NES, but in the days before the internet gave you everything you needed to know in the palm of your hand, sharing passwords for it on the playground wa?s an exciting experience in itself.

8. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

The renowned trilogy of Metroid Prime games came to a satisfying conclusion with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption on the Nintendo Wii. Not only was it the most talkative Metroid game (at the time), but it showcased the brilliance of the Wiimote and Nunchuck controller, giving players an FPS experience that was by and large superior to what a traditional controller could offer. It's also home to what might be the greatest moment of the Metroid Prime trilogy: fighting? Meta Ridley as he and Samus plunge down a seemingly neveren??ding shaft.

7. Metroid: Samus Returns

Metroid II: Samus Returns gets a bit of a bad rap because it was a game held back by its hardware. The Game Boy just couldn't do the isolated world of SR388 justice with its shades of grey. Samus Returns for the Nintendo 3DS rights the wrongs of the orig?inal release, giving players arguably the last great game from Nintendo on the handheld system??.

[caption id="attachment_365720" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

6. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Ignoring its dumb but fun multiplayer mode, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was a worthy follow-up to its ground-breaking predecessor. It took everything that worked in the first game and set it on the planet known as Aether, a unique world where light and darkness are at war. The boss battles of Echoes might be the most challenging the series? has ever seen, and its cruel lack of save points only added to its often hellish difficulty. But if you stuck with it and found all t??hose Sky Temple keys, you got to experience one of the most satisfying titles on GameCube.

5. Metroid Fusion

Like a lot of Nintendo franchises, just because Samus Aran jumped to 3D with Metroid Prime doesn't mean she was done with her side-scrolling adventures. On the same day the GameCube masterpiece dropped, Nintendo released Metroid Fusion, a sequel to Super Metroid that put Samus on a spaceship with a doppelganger known as SA-X. Fusion is one of the more lore-heavy entries in the Metroid franchise, cementing concepts like Samus' fusion with the Metroid DNA and introducing a character known as Adam M?alkovich to western audiences, who would go on to become an important person in Samus's backstory. As for the gameplay and design of the BSL Station, they were pretty close to perfect and ideal for the burgeoning ?speed-running scene.

4. Metroid: Zero Mission

If Metroid Fusion carried on the tradition of 2D Metroid games, then Zero Mission perfected it. This remake of the original Metroid brought all of the gameplay enhancements stronger hardware can offer and combined it with one of the most tightly designed Metroid maps ever. I don't think you could find a more perfectly designed game, where everything functions like clockwork. Plus, the added epilogue gave us Zero Suit Samus, who has been a staple of Smash Bros. and cosplay conventions ever since. That's more than enough reason to give Zero Mission a spot on this list.

[caption id="attachment_365715" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

3. Metroid Dread

For more than a decade, Metroid Dread was nothing more than a rumor, an in-game joke of a possible game that almost never came. When Metroid Prime 3: Corruption made reference to it back in 2007, it set the fandom on fire. Sadly, nothing would come of it until 2021 when Nintendo and MercurySteam released Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch. Whether or not this was the same Metroid Dread that Yoshio Sakamoto was dreaming up back in '07 doesn't matter. All that matters is this is one of the best games of its generation. And that's not recency bias talking. If we revisit this list in 10 years with all the Metroid games that are released between now and then, chances are Dread will be listed exactly where it is right now, if not higher.

2. Super Metroid

The original "Greatest Game of All-Time" is still absolutely stellar nearly 30 years after it was first released. Super Metroid was the first time the very idea of what a Metroid game could be was explored to its fullest potential. The power of SNES allowed for bigger sprites, better music, and some of the most action-packed boss battles the genre has ever seen. No other game at the time captured the feel of being alone on an alien planet as well as Super Metroid did. While some may say Fusion and Dread topped what Nintendo achieved in this game, I would argue that neither of those has a final boss battle as emotionally gut-wrenching as the one at the end of Super Metroid. That fight is video game royalty.

[caption id="attachment_365717" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

1. Metroid Prime (Remastered)

Whether you are playing it on GameCube, Wii, or Nintendo Switch with the recently released HD remaster, there is no better Metroid game to date than Metroid Prime. It was a bit of a gamble at the time with some arguing Samus might not make the jump to 3D as successfully as Mario and Link. But she absolutely stuck the landing with Retro Studios' deft hand guiding the experience and creating an adventure for the ages. More than 20 years later, Metroid Prime remains a masterclass in game design.

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Metroid: Samus Returns

Samus Returns. And how.

MercurySteam knocked it out of the park in 2017 with Metroid: Samus Returns. The Nintendo 3DS title took the 1991 Game Boy release Metroid II: Return of Samus, and re-env?isioned it into a gorgeous, aggressive and addictive adventure for a whole new generation of playe?rs.

The game takes the Game Boy's green-screen graphics of yore and replaces them with spectacular 3D visual effects. Just the right amount of nostalgia is drip-fed through memorable music (described by our own Chris Carter? ??as "hauntingly beautiful"), iconic weaponry, curiously familiar scenery and boss-battles past.

As September approached, fans got twitchy and vocally tentative, with many preparing themselves for what they were convinced could be a real disappointment. This fear, as we now know, was misplaced, as the game eventually launched to high praise from critics and Metroid-fans young and old.

Metroid: Samus Returns was able to pay homage to the early days of one of gaming's greatest heroes, whilst bringing her forgotten intergalactic adventures screaming into the modern age of gaming. Often imitated, but rarely bettered, when it comes to the?? namesake genre of Metroidvania, nobody does it better? than the gal in the Power Suit.

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Return to form?

I went into Metroid: Samus Returns with what can only ??be?? described as pure caution. With such a storied pedigree as a whole and given my personal history with the series, I wasn't sure that Nintendo and MercurySteam could pull it off.

Alas, the new Metroid is good. It does?n't redefine the series or take as many risks as it should, but it gives people what they've been wanting for what feels like ??eons.

Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
Developer: MercurySteam, Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: September 15, 2017
MSRP: $39.99

Its nostalgic as hell intro that recaps the original Metroid with that classic overture theme helps set the mood as Samus heads to planet SR388 to eliminate the Metroid menace. Just like the original Metroid II for which this "Returns" moniker takes after, this is an extermination mission, capped with stylish art (which sadly doesn't extend to the in-game engine), and haunting??ly? beautiful melodies. 

Some of this iconography is re-used, and that's fi?ne, especially the core formula of hunting down Metroids one by one. Yes, that means repeat bosses as there are only a few Metroid evolutions, but the arenas mix things up to the point where I was never frustrated fighting the same type twice. There's only one big encounter near the end I didn't like actually, and it wasn't even a Metroid.

To beat off the Metroid menace you'll be using the newly acquired Aeion powers, which bring a form of magic (complete with an MP meter) in the fray. Scan Pulse (which shows off hidden areas) is the first, followed by a shield, more powerful bullets, and a time-slower. All of these but the scanner can be useful in combat, and all four funnel back into exploration. Oh, you can still morph into a ball, stick to walls, shoot missiles, jump really high (with an upgrade), take teleporters around, replenish your ammo and health with the appropriate station -- all of that Metroid stuff.

Except this time it's coupled with a handy free aim feature (using the L button), and a melee system. You can hold your sigh in right now (I know you're doing it!), because MercurySteam did not turn this into a hack and slash, far from it. Instead the melee trick is actually a riposte counter, only used at certain points when foes (from regular trash to bosses) prepare to charge, christened by a gleam telegraph animation. This melee doesn't annoyingly pause the game, and the ?tells are challenging enough in terms of timing that it's always satisfying to get a counter off, even against the basest of? baddies. It's a great compromise that keeps things honest without devolving into a melee-fest, as you don't even have to use it if you don't want to (I'd say I finished most, if not nearly all of the major fights without it).

You might want to though, because while getting around is easier with a perpetual map and a scanner power, enemies hit hard as hell. Even regular denizens, when entering a new area, can lop off half an E-Tank or more, and save points do not bring you back to full health. Occasionally you may even be in the position where you need to farm a bit of energy or head to a health station, and re-save, which might be a little too old school for some. Personally I like that health is a resource, and it's a design choice befitting of a Metroid game.

With that in mind it's easier to complete than Metroid II, which is both good in terms of besting some of its more archaic elements, and disappointing. The original gave off survival horror vibes because of how easy it was to get lost and how fierce everything is. Now, you only really have to worry about the latter, and only if you're not prepared -- something that was never really an option in the first as you could never truly anticipate what's around the corner. So that stings occasionally, and the engine doesn't look as good as it could. I'm not expecting Fusion-level spritework brilliance after a massive hiatus, but there were a lot of concessions made with Returns, I'll tell you that much.

The whole amiibo affair is going to be contentious to some, but I was able to ignore without feeling the need to get my pitchfork out and burn my cart. It's kind of confusing, as hard mode is a pure unlock after completion, but "Fusion Mode" (read: Very Hard) is tied to an amiibo (the actual Metroid, to be precise). Then there's a reserve E-Tank, a sound test mode, and a reserve Missile Tank tied to the new crouched Samus, Zero Suit, and standard Smash Samus amiibo respectively. I did not have access to the Metroid and crouched Samus figures, but I can say for sure that the other two don't add anything of worth other than pointless minor cheat codes. That's way more than I wanted to talk about when it comes to amiibo in a review in 2017, but i??t's a thing.

Maybe the next 2D Metroid will take more chances, but Returns is far better than I expected ?it to be. The faux magic system, while shallow, adds some panache to the action, as do the combat animations that? work within the confines of the engine.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. No amiibo were provided.]}

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A theme and some discounts

Ah My Nintendo. I love to keep people updated on it because people ask, but I rarely use the service. It's a stark contrast to Club Nintendo, which had some ??amazing, once in a lifetime style rewards. As? I've said many times, I can only hope that the Switch actually gets incorporated into the program soon.

So back to My Nintendo -- there's new rewards, and they're Metroid themed! WE have an Other M 50% off discount (80 Gold Coins), a 30% off discount for Metroid II (10 Gold Coins), 50% off Metroid (250 Platinum Coins), a Samus Returns theme (20 Gold Coins), and two Returns wallpapers (50 Platinum Coins).

Man it kills me that after you fork out a ton of coins you still have to pay! And the Gold currency can only be earned by buying stuff.

Metroid [My Nintendo]

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Expect our review closer to launch

I'm not nearly as worried as I once was. I've been playing Samus: Metroid Returns, and although I'm fairly limited in what I can say about it, I can say that it's been an enjoyable trek so far.

Though I think it's a little more retro-minded than a lot of people ??are used? to.

One huge thing that I noticed right away is how much damage enemies dish out. In many areas, even some of the initial zones before you have E-Tanks, they can knock off half of Samus' life bar in seconds. A lot of this is predicated on failing the counter-attack mechanic, which is a new melee strike that lets Samus swat away enemies at certain intervals (usually a tell, like a gleam on the enemy character model). It's hard to get used to, espe?cially if a foe is charging at you from off-screen, so you really need to get used to sound cues or constantly being aware of your surroundings.

Another big element that adds to the game's difficulty is the lack of health restoration when using a save point. While a lot of even old school games (some Metroid titles included) would give you full health at any given sav??e point, you'll need to earn it?? through defeating enemies or by locating a health station throughout the game's overworld. There are concessions like checkpoint saves right before you enter a boss room or directly after you finish off a big bad, but frequently I would find myself lost in lengthy gauntlets with no respite in sight.

And you know what, in an era of Super Guides (which have their proper place and time), that's actually kind of refreshing. Some will call it outdated game design, but of all action adventures, Metroid II is perfect for this type of mentality. The original felt like a ?survival horror? title at points, and this 3DS re-imagining really nails the idea that Samus is completely alone, taking on the entire brunt of the Metroid menace.

Metroid: Samus Returns is shaping up to be a whole lot better than I though it would be. Expect? our full review shortly before launch.

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Memories...

While Metroid is a fairly popular series, many gamers haven't actually played the Game Boy iteration, Metroid 2. Not only is it relatively obscure (though available on the eShop for 3DS), but Super Metroid eclipses it in nearly ?every regard and often? dominates the conversation about the series.

In an effort to catch everyone up to speed, Nintendo has uploaded an overview trailer for Metroid: Samus Returns, their remake of Metroid's Game Boy incarnation. If not??hing else, it gives up another look at this wonderful looking experience, which I'm definitely anticipating pretty hard.

This trailer also serves to remind me that amiibo exist and that I'm still a bit ticked off that extra features are being locked behind them. If you thought that "Fusion" difficulty was just a costume swap, this trailer certainly makes it sound like an "Extra Hard" mode. Even with that crap, I still want Samus Returns, so I guess I'll just have to put these extra modes out of m??y mind.

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At least in this case

This past week I've been really thinking about what Metroid producer Yoshio Sakamoto had to say about the future of 2D Metroid. While you'd assume it would be one of the least risky ventures for Nintendo to handle in-house, they opted to go with MercurySteam for the 3DS-bound Samus Returns.

On paper, it all seems fine. Tasking third party studios with spinoffs and side projects is something Nintendo has been doing for years (and has worked out when studios are proven to produce results, like in the case of Sonic Mania), but this time, it's a little different. Sakomoto is hitching the entire future of 2D Metroid titles to Returns, and by proxy, a developer that ??has had issues in the past.

All I have to ask in return is "why?"

You don'?t need to flip too bar back in the h?istory books to see a potential disaster scenario in waiting.

Castlevania was basically killed off with a one-two punch, delivered by MercurySteam itself. Not only did they produce the underwhelming Lords of Shadow 2 (which director Enric Alvarez even admitted they made mistakes with), but the uneven Mirror of Fate, a 2D game that was supposed to resurrect a franchise after long laying dormant -- sound familiar? Fast-forward three years later, and Nintendo has hitched its wagon to MercurySteam for the future of the 2D Metroid series. Now, as an overseer, Nintendo is a way better boss than Konami (plus Ninte??ndo EPD is credited as a c?o-developer), but there's still plenty of cause for concern.

If this game bombs, either critically or commercially, Nintendo can just blame the series. They've done it once already with Team Ninja's Other M, citing low sales as a reason to ignore Metroid for a while. Now, I'm not suggesting that Nintendo unprofessionally throw these developers under the bus -- a reputable Japanese company wouldn't dream of doing that even if I did. But putting so much stock in them and then killing off (even temporarily) a storied series that internal Nintendo developers put their heart and souls into (again), isn't a good look. And for the record, Retro Studios handling Metroid Prime wasn't as big of a risk as you remember -- it was founded as a Nintendo p??artner and quickly eased into a first-party role.

I hope that Samus Returns lives up to the legacy of Metroid. While some spinoffs and 3D games have been uneven, the 2D portable line has been fairly rock solid for decades -- it deserves the full resources Nintendo has to offer. Or in this case, potentially a second chance. We'll see for ourselves when it arrives in ?mid-September. As always, I'm fine with being pleasantly surprise and having my fears be unfounded!

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Not my 2D Metroids!

In a recent interview with Game Informer, Yoshio Sakamoto spoke about his desire to work on another 2D Metroid. Sakamoto, who is the producer for the upcoming Samus Returns, stated that he would love to work on another 2D title, however it comes down to a major fact?or.

That factor being whether or not you go out and buy Metroid: Samus Returns.

To give the exact context,? here is that? portion of the interview.

"Through the development of Metroid: Samus Returns, I was able to really grasp the possibility and fun of a 2D Metroid. Like when I finished the first game, if there is another opportunity to make another Metroid, that is something that I would love to do. Of course, that really depends on how much people really want to buy a 2D Metroid."

Obviously, it's a no-brainer. If you want more of something to happen, you go out and buy it. However, it always rubs me the wrong way when it's said before reviews are out. Sure, it shows confidence in your product by saying this, but at the same time, people will still potentially skip an entry despite their love for a franchise if they do not like its contents or reviews say it is not a good game. Surely what happened with Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash and the poorly timed Federation Force would've ??sent that message loud and clear, but apparen??tly not.

Metroid: Samus Returns will be releasing worldwide on September 15.

The ??future of 2D Metroid to be determined by sales of Samus Returns [Shinesparkers]

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Between a rock and a hard place

Nintendo's insistence on locking content behind amiibo purchases has gotten people pretty angry at them. While it sometimes leads to pointless crap in a game (Mario Kart 8's Mii costumes, for example), the fear was that these hard to find toys would start acting like physical DLC and eventually render a game incomplete years down the line. For as exciting as the prospect of a Metroid 2 remake i?s, it became a victim of the amiibo situation.

Last we heard about the amiibo unlocks for Metroid: Samus Returns, you were required to have all four Metroid themed toys to get everything the game offered. While ??its fine to not ha?ve access to a gallery mode (at least for me), gating "Hard" mode behind a purchase is pretty asinine.

Thankfully, it turns out Nintendo is planning to include a regular, unlockable "Hard" mode in addition to the amiibo's "Fusion" difficulty. Whether or not this is in reaction to backlash, at least fans won't have to shell out money to get a more difficult version of the game (*cough* Breath of the Wild *cough*).

Nintendo Addresses the Metroid: Samus Returns Amiibo Controversy [USGamer]

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Look at that spread

You can't always get what you want, but we are getting two Metroid titles -- one for 3DS, another for Switch -- an?d that makes me so very happy. I honestly wasn't expecting ??that news out of E3.

Metroid: Samus Returns is getting a collector's edition in North America that's about what you'd expect, but in Europe, Nintendo is going a step further. Or se?veral steps furthe??r, I should say. Look at this!

I don??'t know who suggested making the cas??e resemble a Game Boy cart, but good on you.

[Via Go Nintendo]

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The surprise of E3?

Nintendo held their E3 Spotlight conference yesterday, which went off without a hitch in less than 30 minutes. But not many people expected so many reveals afterward from the Treehouse segment, much less a brand new 2D Metroid.

Alas MercurySteam (under the guidance of Nintendo) is working on a 2D remake of the second game titled Metroid: Samus Returns, which looks all sorts of wonderful. Let Yoshio Sakamoto explain the project better by way of this developer diary, where he takes the time to? break down the new mechanics like the melee system.

I'm into it. Cautiously into it, granted, given MercurySteam's shoddy history (including that not so great 2D Castlevania), but thi?s video does instill a little more confidence.

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