Metroid

Metroid 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 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. Metroid games are mostly presented as either side-scrolling or from a first-person perspective. Players battle hostile alien enemies and obtain power-ups as they progress through the game world, with 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, drastically expanded the Metroid formula, with numerous new power-ups, an automap and a richer story. After a hiatus, the first 3D Metroid game, Metroid Prime, developed by Retro Studios, was released for the GameCube in 2002 alongside the Game Boy Advance game Metroid Fusion. They were 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. It was followed by Metroid Dread (2021) for the Nintendo Switch, the highest-selling Metroid game. Following a protracted development, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was released for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. Metroid Ravenous, developed by MercurySteam, is scheduled for Switch 2 in 2027. As of 2012, the Metroid series had sold more than over 17.44 million copies. It has been named among...