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Boxes of the Metroid games, plus a Samus bobblehead figurine, and a T-shirt in its package.

Packaging for all Metroid games released prior to Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Metroid is a video game series published by Nintendo and primarily produced by the company's first-party developers, though second-party Fuse Games and third-party Team Ninja have also developed for the series. It debuted in Japan with Metroid[lower-alpha 1] on August 6, 1986, and was later released in North America (August 1987) and PAL regions (January 15, 1988). All Metroid video games have been developed exclusively for Nintendo video game consoles and handhelds, dating from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the current generation of video game consoles. The franchise consists of eleven video games, the latest of which released in 2017. Comics, manga adaptations ,and soundtracks have also been released.

The series revolves around Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who protects the galaxy from the Space Pirates and their attempts to harness the power of fictional organisms, especially the eponymous Metroids. The series' gameplay contains elements from shooter, platforming, and adventure games. It is known for its non-linear progression and solitary exploration.[1] The 2D Metroid games are side-scrollers, and the 3D Metroid Prime series gives the player a first-person perspective,[1] while Other M is a third-person shooter with the ability to switch to first-person view.[2] Metroid is one of Nintendo's most successful franchises, with over 17 million copies sold by September 2012.[3] The games have received varying levels of critical acclaim.[1][4]

Video games[]

Metroid series[]

Title Details

Original release date(s):
Release years by system:
1986 – Famicom Disk System[5]
1987 – Nintendo Entertainment System[5]
2004 – Game Boy Advance[7]
2007 – Wii Virtual Console[8]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[11][12][13]
  • NA: November 1991
  • JP: January 21, 1992
  • PAL: May 21, 1992
Release years by system:
1991 – Game Boy[11]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[15]
  • JP: March 19, 1994
  • NA: April 18, 1994
  • PAL: July 28, 1994
Release years by system:
1994 – Super Nintendo Entertainment System[15]
2007 – Wii Virtual Console[8]
2013 – Wii U Virtual Console[8]
2016 - 3DS Virtual Console (New Nintendo 3DS model only)
Notes:



Original release date(s):[17]
  • NA: November 17, 2002
  • PAL: November 22, 2002
  • JP: February 14, 2003
Release years by system:
2002 – Game Boy Advance[17]
2011 – 3DS Virtual Console[18][19]
2014 – Wii U Virtual Console[20]
Notes:
  • Japanese version had adjustable difficulty levels, international versions featured a single difficulty.[21]
  • Released simultaneously with Metroid Prime in North America.



Original release date(s):[22]
  • NA: February 9, 2004
  • PAL: April 8, 2004
  • JP: May 27, 2004
Release years by system:
2004 – Game Boy Advance[22]
Notes:
  • Remake of Metroid, with improved graphics, new gameplay features and areas to explore; also has the original game as an unlockable extra.[23]



Original release date(s):[24]
  • NA: August 31, 2010
  • JP: September 2, 2010
  • PAL: September 3, 2010
Release years by system:
2010 – Wii[24]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[25][26]
  • NA: September 15, 2017
Release years by system:
2017 – Nintendo 3DS
Notes:
  • Remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus.


Metroid Prime series[]

Title Details

Original release date(s):[27]
  • NA: November 17, 2002
  • JP: February 28, 2003
  • PAL: March 21, 2003
Release years by system:
2002 – GameCube[27]
2009 – Wii[28]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[31]
  • NA: November 15, 2004
  • EU: November 26, 2004
  • AU: December 2, 2004
  • JP: May 26, 2005
Release years by system:
2004 – GameCube[31]
2009 – Wii[28]
Notes:



Original release date(s):[36]
  • NA: October 24, 2005
  • AU: December 1, 2005
  • JP: January 19, 2006
  • EU: June 22, 2007
Release years by system:
2005 – Nintendo DS[36]
Notes:
  • Remake of Metroid Prime in pinball form.[37]
  • Bundled along with the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak.[38]



Original release date(s):[39]
  • NA: March 20, 2006
  • EU: May 5, 2006
  • AU: May 25, 2006
  • JP: June 1, 2006
Release years by system:
2006 – Nintendo DS[39]
Notes:
  • Preceded by Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, which was a multiplayer demo included as a pack-in title with the launch of the original Nintendo DS in all regions except Japan.[40]
  • First game in the series with online multiplayer.[41]
  • First Nintendo DS game to allow voice chat between players over the internet.[42]



Original release date(s):[43]
  • NA: August 27, 2007
  • PAL: October 26, 2007
  • AU: November 8, 2007
  • JP: March 6, 2008
Release years by system:
2007 – Wii[43]
Notes:
  • The first Metroid game for the Wii.
  • First game in the series to include a preview accessible online via a console.[44]



Original release date(s):[45]
  • NA: August 24, 2009
  • EU: September 4, 2009
  • AU: October 15, 2009
Release years by system:
2009 – Wii[46]
Notes:
  • Contains Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Prime 3, all with Wii Remote controls.[47]



Original release date(s):
  • NA: August 19, 2016
  • JP: August 25, 2016
  • EU: September 2, 2016
  • AU: September 3, 2016
Release years by system:
2016 - Nintendo 3DS[48]
Notes:
  • The first Metroid game for the Nintendo 3DS.
  • Contains a game titled Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, a soccer-themed multiplayer minigame.[49]



Original release date(s):
Release years by system:
- Nintendo Switch[50]
Notes:
  • The first Metroid game for the Nintendo Switch.


Soundtracks[]

Title Release date Length Label
Super Metroid – Sound in Action June 22, 1994[51] 58:49 Sony Records
Notes:
Metroid Prime & Fusion Original Soundtracks June 18, 2003[54] 2:12:00 Scitron
Notes:

Printed media[]

Comic books[]

Game Company Publisher Release date
Metroid Valiant Comics Nintendo Comics System, Issue #2 July 1990[57]
Notes:
  • Consists of three short stories across one issue, themed after, but not directly adapting the game:[58]
    • The Coming of a Hero (2 pages), by George Caragonne, James Brock, Bob Layton, Jade, Kathryn Bolinger.
    • Metroid (1 page), by George Caragonne, Mickey Ritter, Jan Harpes, Jade.
    • Deceit Du Jour (10 pages), by Mark McClellan and Bill Vallely, Vince Mielcarek, Bob Layton, Jade, Joe Q and The Gradations.
Super Metroid Nintendo Nintendo Power, Issues #57–61 February–May 1994[59]
Notes:
  • Five-part adaptation of the game by Benimaru Itoh.[60]
Metroid Prime Dreamwave Productions Nintendo Power, Issues #164–166 January–March 2003
Notes:
  • Two-part adaptation of game.[61]
  • Written by Kato Li (script), Sigmund Torre (art, with one page by Pat Lee), Gary Yeung and Alan Wang (colors).

Manga[]

Game Publisher Release date
Metroid Wanpakku Comics 1986
Notes:
  • 195 page Manga/Strategy Guide, released only in Japan.[62]
Super Metroid Shounen Oh Game Comic, Issue #1 August 1994
Notes:
  • 18-page adaptation, consisting of comedic strips with four panels.[63]
Metroid Magazine Z November 2003[64]–May 2004[65]
Notes:
  • Two-volume manga, tells the backstory of Samus Aran, written by Kouji Tazawa (script) and Kenji Ishikawa (art).[64][65]
  • The first two chapters of Volume 1 received an online version with color and sound effects.[66][67]
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Comic Bom Bom July 2005–January 2006
Notes:
  • Adaptation of the game, written by Hisashi Matsumoto across seven issues of the magazine.[68]
Samus and Joey Comic Bom Bom
Notes:
  • 5 part manga involving the adventures of Samus Aran and a boy called Joey from a frontier planet.[69]

Notes[]

  1. Japanese: メトロイド Hepburn: Metoroido?
  2. Japanese: メトロイドプライム2: ダークエコーズ Hepburn: Metoroido Puraimu Tsū: Dāku Ekōzu?

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External links[]

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