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The games are a series of video games produced by Nintendo. One of the company's most successful franchises, the series spans through several Nintendo systems, starting with Metroid (1986) on the NES, and sequels on the Game Boy, Super NES, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Nintendo DS and Wii.

The Metroid games chronicle the missions of bounty hunter Samus Aran in a science fiction setting which has been compared to that of the Alien movies. Central plot elements are the terrifying Metroid organisms, and the Space Pirates which try to exploit the Metroids' powers. The gameplay combines adventure based on exploration and item-gathering with platformer and shooter dynamics. The Metroid games are particularly associated with nonlinear gameplay.

As of June 2006, 9 games in the Metroid series have been released. Including 4 main games, (Metroid I-IV), an enchanced remake and expansion to the first title (Metroid: Zero Mission), two spin-offs (Metroid Prime: Pinball and Metroid Prime: Hunters), and a nearly complete trilogy (better known as the Metroid Prime series) with the third game in the trilogy underway for the Wii.

Themes

The Metroid games are set in the same fictional universe. They share most main characters and fundamental gameplay elements, with a few notable exceptions.

Setting and characters

The heroine, Samus Aran, is a bounty hunter. She wears an extremely powerful and adaptable armor suit made by the ancient Chozo race.

The eponymous in-game Metroids are large, jellyfish-like creatures with quadripartite nuclei. They are capable of siphoning an undetectable life energy from any living organism; generally causing the death of the victim in the process. Return of Samus established a five-stage life cycle in which those Metroids native to SR388 go through two stages of ecdysis followed by two stages of mutation, thus maturing through four previously unknown forms: Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and Omega. Metroid Prime introduced two new, Phazon-mutated forms: Hunter Metroids, which sport tentacles enabling long-range energy siphoning; and fission Metroids, which divide into two new Fission Metroids (with different elemental weaknesses) after absorbing a discrete amount of energy. Echoes has a Phazon-mutated subspecies of Metroid, the Tallon Metroid. Instead of siphoning all of their power from victims, they can feed directly off Phazon. They are born as Infant Metroids from cocoons and mature into adulthood when exposed to Phazon. The game also introduces Dark Tallon Metroids; Tallon Metroids corrupted by the Ing.

The main villains of many of the Metroid games are the Space Pirates. Mother Brain is the biomechanical defense of Zebes. Kraid appears as an important boss in Metroid, Zero Mission, and Super Metroid. Ridley, leader of the Space Pirates, is the most important Metroid staple: he appears in Metroid, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime, and twice in Zero Mission. He is also confirmed to be in Metroid Prime 3. The organization also includes a winged, mantis-like species, the KiHunters. The Space Pirates are very interested in Metroid research, especially in using Metroids for energy generation or as soldiers. Their Phazon experiments produced all the Metroid variants seen in the Prime games.

Gameplay

The gameplay of all Metroid games revolves around Samus collecting items, or power-ups, that give her the ability to overcome obstacles. Many of the items recur throughout the series, with some modifications, such as the Morph Ball, which allows her to curl into a small ball to access tight spaces and drop bombs.

The main enemies of the games in the Metroid series are divided into two groups: bosses and final bosses. Each game contains multiple bosses that are often encountered by entering a large sealed room and engaging in combat with a large creature. When successful, the room opens and allows further progress, usually resulting in the acquisition of an item. Final bosses are at the end of each Metroid game, and usually consist of a fight similar to a normal boss, and then a timed dash back to Samus' gunship to complete the game.

In Metroid and Super Metroid, Kraid and Ridley make appearances as bosses, and Mother Brain sometimes appears as a final boss. In some of the games, a Metroid in some form can take the role of a boss, and sometimes even a final boss. The combat model for bosses and final bosses is usually standardized, though there are a few exceptions throughout the series.

Evolution of Story Telling

While the majority of Nintendo franchises have remained relatively the same, barring their natural evolution, in the style and method of story telling, the Metroid series has changed substantially with its move to three-dimensions.

The first three titles featured little narration, with not much more than an opening title sequence, as well as the documentation that accompanied the software. With the release of Metroid Prime, the series took on a much more detailed plot, with a unique delivery system. The use of the Scan Visor allowed Samus to uncover information about the plot, nature, and ecological role of her enemies, the history of her environment, and many other features that truly fleshed out the story. This style also maintained the option for the player to immerse themselves in this information, or to opt out and play the game with little backstory, much like previous entries in the series.

This method was carried over, and even improved upon, in Echoes. It is safe to assume that this new style of story telling has become the de facto standard for the Metroid games, or at least the three-dimensional incarnations.

  • The two most recent 2D games (Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission) have improved upon the earlier three in this aspect, with the addition of cut-scenes.

  • The series has been noted to be comparable to the Alien series of films. Metroid and Alien are named after the featured species of the series, and both star a female protagonist. The first sequel in both series, Aliens and Return of Samus, features a climax involving a confrontation with an egg laying queen. While Alien³ and Super Metroid do not share major similarities, the fourth in each series, Resurrection and Metroid Fusion both involve the heroine having the creatures' DNA within her body.* Also, the name of Ridley could be taken from Ridley Scott, director of the first Alien movie.

Release history

Series

The original Metroid was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1986, introducing Samus Aran (who at the time was unusual in being a female video game character; in fact, the advertisements and instruction manual described Samus as male in order to surprise players when the truth was revealed) and other characters that appear in subsequent Metroid games. Featuring a labyrinthine world in which the player chooses which direction to explore, it was notable for providing one of the first highly nonlinear game experiences on a home console. Because of the time required to play through it, a password save system (on the NES) and a saved-game slot system (on the Famicom) were implemented to let players take breaks and resume later. Metroid was among the first games with this feature. Subsequent Metroid games removed the password function, relying entirely on battery-backed or memory-card saves. It has remained one of the most popular games from the NES era.

The first sequel, Return of Samus, was released in 1991 for Nintendo's portable console, the Game Boy. Unlike Metroid, the goal is not primarily to collect items but to locate and kill Metroids. Metroid II contributed to the series' development by providing a set of new weapons and items, and also revealed some details about the Metroid species. Although it initially received positive reviews, its legacy has not been as enduring as that of either its predecessor or its successor in the series; possibly due to its grayscale graphics and relatively linear gameplay. Retro players should note that this game plays in full color on the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance (including SP) systems.

The third game in the series, titled Super Metroid, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1994. It returned to a gameplay style closer to that of the first game, however expanding the arsenal of power-ups available to Samus. Super Metroid is set on the same planet as the original game, but with help from the capabilities of the SNES (and an unusually large cartridge at 24 megabit) features larger and more diverse environments, as well as a more detailed in-game plot than was found in the first two games. Super Metroid was one of the most popular games for the SNES when it debuted, receiving praise for its graphics, sound, and size. It has remained popular, frequently occupying top positions in "greatest game of all time" lists, including a first spot awarded by Electronic Gaming Monthly.

Despite much speculation, no Metroid game was developed for the Nintendo 64, and some lost hope that the Metroid trilogy would be expanded. Nintendo however announced in 2000 that Retro Studios was developing a new Metroid game for Nintendo's next-generation console, the GameCube, and in 2001 that Nintendo itself was creating Metroid IV for the Game Boy Advance. Both games were released in 2002, Retro Studios' effort titled Metroid Prime and Metroid IV renamed Metroid Fusion. Fusion took place some years after Super Metroid ended, whereas Prime is an interquel between the series' first two installments. Released nearly simultaneously, the games also feature connectivity bonuses: players who beat Metroid Prime can play through Prime with Samus wearing the new Fusion suit; beating Fusion allows unlocking the original Metroid as a fully playable extra.

Although much-hyped, Prime was controversial before its release. The first Metroid game to be set in three dimensions, using a first-person shooter perspective, some worried that its gameplay would not preserve the qualities associated with the 2D platform action of the first three games. Although Nintendo had previously successfully transformed its two biggest franchises into 3D with Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, fears were reinforced by the fact that Prime was created by a second-party developer instead of an internal Nintendo team. Some pre-emptively complained that the game would simply be a Combat Evolved-esque "run and gun" shooter. Nintendo countered this by referring to Metroid Prime exclusively as a "first-person adventure".

When released, most journalists and fans found Prime to have preserved and developed the Metroid theme and gameplay, and it is among the most highly rated games of all time among game critics. Contrarily, Fusion is unpopular among some Metroid fans due to the unusually linear nature of the game, although others have praised it for its cinematic qualities.

Following Prime and Fusion, new Metroid titles have been produced with increased frequency.

A second Metroid game for the Game Boy Advance, Zero Mission, was developed by Nintendo and released in 2004. It is an enhanced remake and re-telling of the original NES Metroid story, featuring areas and gameplay elements from previous games as well as entirely new ones. The story, which sheds a little more light on the character background of Samus Aran, is much more detailed than in Metroid. Also of note is the fact that Zero Mission marks the first time two Metroid games were released for the same platform.

The third Metroid game for the Game Boy Advance is a direct port of the original Metroid. It was released as Famicom Mini: Metroid in Japan, and Classic NES Series: Metroid in North America.

The GameCube title Echoes was also released in 2004. Like its predecessor, Metroid Prime, it was developed by Retro Studios. It is a first-person adventure in the style of the first Prime, but introduced a new device: the concept of the light and dark worlds, somewhat similar to that seen in A Link to the Past but in terms of different dimensions rather than magical worlds. It also introduced a new ammo system, but many fans of the series didn't like the addition.

Metroid Prime Pinball, a pinball video game for the Nintendo DS, deviates significantly from previous game installments. Although it is not part of the official Metroid timeline, the game borrows many story and graphical elements from the Prime series.

  • Hunters, a Metroid game on the Nintendo DS, was the first 3D Metroid game for a portable console. Metroid Prime: Hunters and its earlier demo was developed by Nintendo Software Technology Corporation. A demo dubbed Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt was bundled with the first shipment of the Nintendo DS system, featuring the gameplay modes "Regulator", "Morph Ball", "Survivor", and "multiplayer". This demo was considered a technical demonstration and advertising gimmick for the Nintendo DS, as it offered very little gameplay value. The final version of the game released in the United States on March 20, 2006, * boasting a single player adventure and a multiplayer mode (Compatible with Nintendo's online multiplayer service, Nintendo WiFi Connection). The retail version of Hunters features Samus adventuring in an unknown galaxy named the Alimbic Cluster to find the ultimate power, while competing with other bounty hunters. This game has received mixed feelings from Metroid fans, primarily because it focuses more on first person shooting rather than adventuring. It also received criticism because its single player experience felt rushed to some fans. The game's multiplayer mode has received excellent reviews, however, and most critics consider it one of the best multiplayer first person shooters on a handheld system.

  • Corruption is currently in development by Retro Studios. Prime 3: Corruption has been hinted to be the last in the Prime series and will take advantage of the Wii's new features, such as the controller. Nintendo illustrated how Metroid Prime 3 might work with the Wii's controller with a modified version of Echoes at the Tokyo Game Show in 2005*.

Chronology

The chronology of the Metroid fictional universe does not match the release order of the games. According to the official timeline released by Nintendo"History". Metroid Zero Mission Official Site (Japanese version). Accessed on August 21, 2005.Ice27. "Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Bonus Disc FAQ/Walkthrough." GameFAQs. Accessed on August 21, 2005., the games currently released are ordered as follows:

  1. Metroid: Samus travels through the caverns of the planet Zebes to stop the Space Pirates from exploiting the Metroid species for galactic domination. She confronts the cybernetic lifeform Mother Brain, as well as its guardians, Kraid and Ridley.
  2. Zero Mission: After a retelling of the events of the first game, Samus is ambushed by Space Pirates, and her ship crash-lands back on the surface of Zebes. Stripped of her Power Suit and her ship destroyed, she is forced to infiltrate the Space Pirate Mother Ship in order to find a way off the planet.
  3. Metroid Prime: Samus receives a distress signal in her new ship and she travels to Tallon IV to stop the Space Pirates from exploiting a powerful radioactive substance known as Phazon. She discovers that the ancient people who raised her and bestowed her with the Power Suit, the Chozo, once settled on this planet, and their disappearance, as well as the Phazon, is somehow linked to a meteor that crashed into the planet's surface.
  4. Hunters: When the Federation receives an unusual telepathic message, Samus is sent to the remote Alimbic Cluster in the Tetra Galaxy to uncover the rumored "Ultimate Power." Six rival bounty hunters that also heard the message actively attempt to secure the power before anyone else, including Samus.
  5. Echoes: The Space Pirates again try to make use of Phazon, this time on the planet Aether, a world split into light and dark dimensions by a meteor similar to that on Tallon IV. Samus is pursued by a mysterious look-alike known as Dark Samus, a remnant from the first Prime game.
  6. Corruption: Retro has announced that this is the third and final chapter of the Metroid Prime three-part series. Mark Pacini, the game director at Retro, states that "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a direct sequel to Metroid Prime 2, and the goal of the game is to wrap up the storyline that involves the material Phazon."
  7. Return of Samus: Samus travels to SR388, the home planet of the Metroids, to exterminate the species entirely, but saves a single Metroid hatchling for research.
  8. Super Metroid: Samus receives a distress signal from the research lab where she took the Metroid hatchling. She returns just in time to see Ridley stealing the hatchling. She then follows Ridley to the rebuilt base on Zebes to stop the Space Pirates in their new plan to clone the Metroids and use them as a weapon.
  9. Metroid Fusion: While acting as a bodyguard for researchers on the planet SR388, Samus is infected by a creature known as the X Parasite, the original prey of the Metroid species. Doctors surgically remove her Power Suit and infuse her body with Metroid DNA, allowing her not only to survive the parasite but to absorb its life energy and use it as her own. She is then sent to investigate a disturbance at the space research facility, Biologic Space Labs, where researchers attempted to contain the infected Power Suit.

Important people

Metroid, Return of Samus, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission were all developed by Nintendo's internal R&D1 section. The games which have been developed by separate teams are Metroid Prime 1–3 by Retro Studios, Hunters developed by Nintendo Software Technology Corporation, and Metroid Prime Pinball by Fuse Games.

The central figures in the creation and development of the Metroid series are Yoshio Sakamoto who has directed or supervised the development of all the games (excluding Metroid II), Gunpei Yokoi who headed R&D1 and produced the three first games before his death in 1997, Makoto Kanoh who directed and designed scenarios for the first three games, and Hiroji Kiyotake who designed the characters for the original game. Shigeru Miyamoto, who created the Mario and Legend of Zelda series, has not been involved with the creation of Metroid, but he did act as producer for both Metroid Prime and its sequel.

The Metroid series has been noted for its music and has had several composers during the years:

Franchise spin-offs

Comic books have been released based on Metroid, Super Metroid and Metroid Prime. Samus Aran and other Metroid characters also feature in the The Game Master comic books.

A live-action movie version of Metroid was reportedly in development by Lion Rock Productions, based around Samus Aran, along with her early battles with the Metroids and the Mother Brain. It was scheduled to be released in theaters around 2006, but either has been cancelled or remains in development hell. *

Speedrunning

The Metroid games have been a popular target for speedrunning, the art of completing a game in the fastest time possible. In addition to the nonlinear level design that allows alternate routes to be taken through the games, the Metroid games encourage speedrunning by displaying item collection and completion time statistics at the end of the game. Speedrunning is also encouraged by the fact that completion time is one of the primary factors determining what ending the player sees.

To finish a game as quickly as possible, speedrunners exploit glitches and secrets that provide shortcuts. There are many of these in all games, both unintentional glitches and features added deliberately by the developers. For an example of the latter, the key to speedrunning in Super Metroid is the wall jump move, which is not described in the instruction manual but revealed in a secret room in the game. Wall jumping, as well as the shinespark move, also appears in Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, and Zero Mission.

See also the Metroid series section of the speedrun article for Metroid-specific speedrunning terminology.

Shinespark

The Shinespark is an ability that debuted in Super Metroid, where it was known as the Super Jump. It has more recently been used in two other Metroid games as well, Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission. The name "Shinespark" was officially given to the technique in Metroid Fusion during a "secret" conversation that, to witness, requires the player to perform a complicated series of Shinesparks, or exploit a glitch in the European and US versions. The technique requires the Speed Booster upgrade and allows Samus to break through Speed Booster Blocks as well as some blocks that can be destroyed with Bombs and the Power Beam. Metroid: Zero Mission takes the move one step further by allowing the player to do the move while in Morphball form as well. In Super Metroid, using the Shinespark inflicts damage on Samus.

The Shinespark is performed by running over a distance until Samus glows, crouching and then jumping. The run must be uninterrupted, and the charge lasts only for a few seconds. After crouching, Samus can stand up and move around as normal while the charge lasts, with the exception of normal jumping, which activates the shinespark. Spin jumps do not activate the Shinespark. The Shinespark can be performed vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. In addition, if a horizontal Shinespark is performed into a slope, Samus will begin running along the slope at full speed. This technique debuted in Metroid Fusion, and is key in performing multiple Shinesparks in a row.

Trivia
  • The Shinespark may be an allusion, reference, or homage to the ultimate ability of the Getter Robo, specifically the Getter Dragon of Getter Robo G (and now the Shin Getter Robo as well...albeit in a far more enhanced form.) While this has never been outright stated by any of the staff who have worked on these games, the similarities between Samus's Shinespark and the Getter's is hard to ignore. The Shinespark had the Getter accelerate to near super sonic speeds, creating a field of pure white energy around it. Upon impact, few...if any enemies survive a direct hit of the Shinespark. The move is quite famous...and Getter Robo itself is a rather legendary series in Japan, so a link between the two seems quite possible.

See also

References

External links

Official

Fan sites

Other resources

Computer and video game franchises | Metroid | Computer and video game franchises

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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Metroid series".

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