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[a] 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 was released in 2021. 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]
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Release years by system: 1986 – Famicom Disk System[5] 1987 – Nintendo Entertainment System[5] 2004 – Game Boy Advance[7] 2007 – Wii Virtual Console[8] 2012 – 3DS Virtual Console[9] 2016 – NES Classic Edition 2018 – Nintendo Switch |
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Release years by system: 1991 – Game Boy[12] 2011 – 3DS Virtual Console[15] 2023 – Nintendo Switch |
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Release years by system: 1994 – Super Nintendo Entertainment System[17] 2007 – Wii Virtual Console[8] 2013 – Wii U Virtual Console[8] 2016 – 3DS Virtual Console (New Nintendo 3DS model only) 2017 – Super NES Classic Edition 2019 – Nintendo Switch |
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Release years by system: 2002 – Game Boy Advance[19] 2011 – 3DS Virtual Console[20][21] 2014 – Wii U Virtual Console[22] 2023 – Nintendo Switch |
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Release years by system: 2004 – Game Boy Advance[24] |
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Release years by system: 2010 – Wii[26] |
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Release years by system: 2017 – Nintendo 3DS |
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Release years by system: 2021 – Nintendo Switch |
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Release years by system: 2002 – GameCube[30] 2009 – Wii[31] |
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Release years by system: 2004 – GameCube[34] 2009 – Wii[31] |
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Release years by system: 2005 – Nintendo DS[39] |
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Release years by system: 2006 – Nintendo DS[42] |
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Release years by system: 2007 – Wii[46] |
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Release years by system: 2009 – Wii[49] |
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Release years by system: 2016 – Nintendo 3DS[51] |
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Release years by system: 2023 – Nintendo Switch |
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Release years by system: – Nintendo Switch[54] |
Title | Release date | Length | Label | |
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Super Metroid – Sound in Action | June 22, 1994[55] | 58:49 | Sony Records | |
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Metroid Prime & Fusion Original Soundtracks | June 18, 2003[58] | 2:12:00 | Scitron | |
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Game | Company | Publisher | Release date | ||||
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Metroid | Valiant Comics | Nintendo Comics System, issue #2 | July 1990[61] | ||||
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Super Metroid | Nintendo | Nintendo Power, issues #57–61 | February–May 1994[63] | ||||
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Metroid Prime | Dreamwave Productions | Nintendo Power, issues #164–166 | January–March 2003 | ||||
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Game | Publisher | Release date | |||||
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Metroid | Wanpakku Comics | 1986 | |||||
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Super Metroid | Shounen Oh Game Comic, issue #1 | August 1994 | |||||
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Metroid | Monthly Magazine Z | November 2003[68]–May 2004[69] | |||||
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Metroid Prime 2: Echoes | Comic Bom Bom | July 2005–January 2006 | |||||
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Samus and Joey | Comic Bom Bom | ||||||
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