Pro A.
08-27-2010, 04:36 PM
Metroid's cult following is a little like Kubrick in movies, or, The Wire in television. Critically acclaimed, but not widely purchased. Those who are fans are devout and fanatic in their defense of the series. I suppose I'm one of them, thinking of the series as the third-best dynasty in gaming behind only Mario and Zelda. The series will turn 25 next year, but less than ten games have been released, and most of those games were released in the last decade. From 1986-2001 there were only three games released for the system and two of them were consistently ranked amongst the top 20. The recent glutton of Metroid games, happily, has not diminished the series and has helped Metroid, to some degree, gain a wider audience. Compared to the mega-dynasties, though, it is still in the shadow, but not in terms of gameplay or game design. Those remain first-rate: So, with that in mind, I shall rank the mainline Metroid games from worst to best (pinball won't be counted).
8. Metroid II: The Return of Samus, GB, 1991. This game could use a remake because it isn't nearly as compelling as the others. Challenging and fun, sure, but in the minor leagues by comparison. If nothing else, it proved in the early days of the Game Boy that compelling, challenging games could be made for the handhelds, as Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge in 1991, Mario Land 2 in 1992, and Link's Awakening in 1993 went on to prove.
7. Metroid Prime Hunters, NDS, 2006. I'm sure we all remember that the demo of this game took such a savage beating in the early days of the DS and we all thought Metroid's winning streak was over. Yeah, that didn't turn out to be true. Certainly has a few rough spots with the controls, but it's still classic Metroid design and throws in a few interesting wrinkles with the story by having Samus working with other hunters.
6. Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission, NES, GBA, 1986, 2004. This is sort of a cheat, putting them together, but its still the same basic idea. Zero Mission actually improved on the original in a few ways, namely giving the game a more generous learning curve. The original, while brilliant, is relentless and unforgiving. Zero Mission takes Fusion's basic concept and gives the gamer a chance to experience the original in a more modern tone. Even better: There's an extra hour of gameplay after the original's "ending." And you can play the original version when you're done with Zero Mission. Just be prepared. The original was still the best game of 1986, but that has more to say about the competition back then, which was non-existent.
5. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Wii, 2007. Corruption had such a brilliant start with a fast-paced, intense opening act that was more reminiscent of Halo than classic Metroid. Classic Metroid kicks in about two hours and it's a little jarring by comparison. The game also feels awfully... linear. There's exploration and all that, sure, but, it feels like they're spinning their wheels a little. Some first-rate boss fights and some cool gadgets make up for all of that, and even the wii controls work pretty well 95% of the time. It's no classic, though.
4. Metroid Fusion, GBA, 2002. This game keeps getting better for me over the years. The first time I played it, I enjoyed it, but thought it was a little too linear. That may be the point, though, since the game takes a few pages from the Alien/Aliens playbook by giving it a horror angle with the SA-X as the villain. The gameplay is still excellent and filled with inventive challenges, secrets, and, yes, boss fights. The story is quite good, too, even though it telegraphs a few plot points a little too much. Short, yes, but exciting every minute of the way.
3. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, GCN, 2004. Let's not acknowledge the multiplayer. It never happened. The main game, which owes a few nods to Zelda: A Link to the Past with the dual realities, ramps up the difficulty from the first and throws more than a few wrinkles to the classic Metroid formula by consistently stacking the deck against you in a poisonous reality with the Ing and Dark Samus at the forefront. Gamers may not like the rough difficulty and it does get close to unfair in a few spots, but the superior game design and clever boss fights will keep you going. I just wish the endgame (the keys) wasn't so long and convoluted.
2. Metroid Prime, GCN, 2002. Any hostile reaction to the initial play for Hunters was tame compared to the vitriolic reaction Prime got in 2001 and 2002. An FPS? Are you serious? Made by an American company? Are you out of your mind? Well, Retro and Nintendo had the last laugh, delivering a tour de force in game design and atmosphere that had all the classic Metroid moments there on display while throwing in a top-notch story that encourages exploration and a seamless control system that feels natural and unforced. Speed runs only add to the depth of this title, though I'm not sure Retro had that in mind. Either way, it adds new dimensions and appreciation to the kind of attention and brilliance that Retro put into this title. It was so good it was only the best game of 2002, but the best game of the 2000's, period. Few games deliver the kind of experience Prime did. It can't be described in words. You have to see and play for yourself.
1. Super Metroid, SNES, 1994. But nothing could beat Super Metroid, the top game of 1994. Taking a few notes from the original and Metroid II, creator Gumpei Yokoi and his crew threw everything they had and then some into this title, creating a game that endless depth and replay value. Challenging bosses, hidden exits, and a few surprises for an ending just barely scratch the surface. Art design and game design were never better, and the secret abilities you could unlock (just watch the demo videos after the opening title to see what I mean) only encouraged further exploration for the 100% fanatics. And did I mention you got to see a blond Samus in a bikini if you beat the game in under 3 hours? Okay, great.
8. Metroid II: The Return of Samus, GB, 1991. This game could use a remake because it isn't nearly as compelling as the others. Challenging and fun, sure, but in the minor leagues by comparison. If nothing else, it proved in the early days of the Game Boy that compelling, challenging games could be made for the handhelds, as Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge in 1991, Mario Land 2 in 1992, and Link's Awakening in 1993 went on to prove.
7. Metroid Prime Hunters, NDS, 2006. I'm sure we all remember that the demo of this game took such a savage beating in the early days of the DS and we all thought Metroid's winning streak was over. Yeah, that didn't turn out to be true. Certainly has a few rough spots with the controls, but it's still classic Metroid design and throws in a few interesting wrinkles with the story by having Samus working with other hunters.
6. Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission, NES, GBA, 1986, 2004. This is sort of a cheat, putting them together, but its still the same basic idea. Zero Mission actually improved on the original in a few ways, namely giving the game a more generous learning curve. The original, while brilliant, is relentless and unforgiving. Zero Mission takes Fusion's basic concept and gives the gamer a chance to experience the original in a more modern tone. Even better: There's an extra hour of gameplay after the original's "ending." And you can play the original version when you're done with Zero Mission. Just be prepared. The original was still the best game of 1986, but that has more to say about the competition back then, which was non-existent.
5. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Wii, 2007. Corruption had such a brilliant start with a fast-paced, intense opening act that was more reminiscent of Halo than classic Metroid. Classic Metroid kicks in about two hours and it's a little jarring by comparison. The game also feels awfully... linear. There's exploration and all that, sure, but, it feels like they're spinning their wheels a little. Some first-rate boss fights and some cool gadgets make up for all of that, and even the wii controls work pretty well 95% of the time. It's no classic, though.
4. Metroid Fusion, GBA, 2002. This game keeps getting better for me over the years. The first time I played it, I enjoyed it, but thought it was a little too linear. That may be the point, though, since the game takes a few pages from the Alien/Aliens playbook by giving it a horror angle with the SA-X as the villain. The gameplay is still excellent and filled with inventive challenges, secrets, and, yes, boss fights. The story is quite good, too, even though it telegraphs a few plot points a little too much. Short, yes, but exciting every minute of the way.
3. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, GCN, 2004. Let's not acknowledge the multiplayer. It never happened. The main game, which owes a few nods to Zelda: A Link to the Past with the dual realities, ramps up the difficulty from the first and throws more than a few wrinkles to the classic Metroid formula by consistently stacking the deck against you in a poisonous reality with the Ing and Dark Samus at the forefront. Gamers may not like the rough difficulty and it does get close to unfair in a few spots, but the superior game design and clever boss fights will keep you going. I just wish the endgame (the keys) wasn't so long and convoluted.
2. Metroid Prime, GCN, 2002. Any hostile reaction to the initial play for Hunters was tame compared to the vitriolic reaction Prime got in 2001 and 2002. An FPS? Are you serious? Made by an American company? Are you out of your mind? Well, Retro and Nintendo had the last laugh, delivering a tour de force in game design and atmosphere that had all the classic Metroid moments there on display while throwing in a top-notch story that encourages exploration and a seamless control system that feels natural and unforced. Speed runs only add to the depth of this title, though I'm not sure Retro had that in mind. Either way, it adds new dimensions and appreciation to the kind of attention and brilliance that Retro put into this title. It was so good it was only the best game of 2002, but the best game of the 2000's, period. Few games deliver the kind of experience Prime did. It can't be described in words. You have to see and play for yourself.
1. Super Metroid, SNES, 1994. But nothing could beat Super Metroid, the top game of 1994. Taking a few notes from the original and Metroid II, creator Gumpei Yokoi and his crew threw everything they had and then some into this title, creating a game that endless depth and replay value. Challenging bosses, hidden exits, and a few surprises for an ending just barely scratch the surface. Art design and game design were never better, and the secret abilities you could unlock (just watch the demo videos after the opening title to see what I mean) only encouraged further exploration for the 100% fanatics. And did I mention you got to see a blond Samus in a bikini if you beat the game in under 3 hours? Okay, great.