Metroid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Metroid
Logo since 2017
Genres	Platform Action-adventure First-person shooter Side scroller Pinball
Developers	Nintendo R&D1 (1986–2004) Intelligent Systems (1986–1994) Retro Studios (2002–present) Fuse Games (2005) Nintendo Software Technology (2006) Team Ninja (2010) Nintendo SPD (2010) Next Level Games (2016) MercurySteam (2017–present) Nintendo EPD (2017–present)
Publishers	Nintendo
Creators	Satoru Okada Gunpei Yokoi Hiroji Kiyotake Yoshio Sakamoto
Platforms	Famicom Disk System NES Game Boy SNES Game Boy Advance GameCube Nintendo DS Wii Nintendo 3DS Nintendo Switch
First release	Metroid August 6, 1986
Latest release	Metroid Prime Remastered February 8, 2023

Metroid is an exciting action-adventure game series made by Nintendo. In these games, you play as a brave space bounty hunter named Samus Aran. Her mission is to protect the galaxy from evil groups like the Space Pirates. These villains often try to control dangerous creatures called Metroids.

The Metroid games mix different styles of play. They have the jumping and climbing of games like Super Mario Bros. and the exploration of games like The Legend of Zelda. All of this happens in a cool science fiction world. Most Metroid games let you move sideways across the screen (called side-scrolling). However, some of the newer 3D games let you see the world through Samus's eyes (a first-person perspective). As you play, you fight alien enemies and find special power-ups to help Samus get stronger. The series is also known for its quiet, lonely feeling, as you usually don't meet many other characters.

The very first Metroid game came out in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Over the years, many more games have been released on different Nintendo consoles, like the Game Boy, SNES, GameCube, and Nintendo Switch. The series has sold millions of copies and has even inspired a whole new type of game called "Metroidvania" games. Samus Aran is also famous for being one of the first strong female characters in video games.

How to Play Metroid Games

Metroid games combine elements from different types of games. You'll find shooting, platforming (jumping and climbing), adventure, and sometimes first-person views. A key part of Metroid is exploring a large world without a clear path. You play only as Samus Aran, and there are usually very few other characters to talk to.

Samus's Abilities and Upgrades

As you explore, you'll find items and power-ups for Samus's special suit. These upgrades help her move through new areas or defeat tough enemies. Samus fights aliens using a cannon on her arm. A very famous upgrade is the Morph Ball. This lets Samus curl into a small ball, roll into tight spaces, and plant bombs.

Game Perspectives

The older Metroid games are 2D side-scrollers. This means you see Samus from the side as she moves left and right. The Metroid Prime games, however, use a first-person perspective. This makes it feel like you are Samus, looking through her eyes.

Inspirations for Metroid

The first Metroid game was inspired by other popular Nintendo games. It took the platform jumping from Mario and the open exploration from The Legend of Zelda. But Metroid added its own unique feel, which was more lonely and mysterious. It was also one of the first games where you could explore to the left, not just the right. You also had to go back to areas you'd already visited to find secret items or paths. This style of gameplay later became known as "Metroidvania".

Game Music and Sounds

The music in Metroid games is very special and often praised. The composer for the first game, Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka, wanted the music to make players feel like they were in a living, breathing world. He made the music and sound effects blend together. The main Metroid theme only plays after you defeat the final boss, Mother Brain. This is meant to make you feel a sense of relief and victory.

Later composers, like Kenji Yamamoto, continued this unique style. He often used strong drums, piano, and electric guitar to create a dark and exciting mood. The sound designers worked hard to make every sound effect high quality, even with limited memory. This helped make the games feel even more immersive.

The Metroid Story

The Metroid series takes place in a science fiction future. Humanity is part of a large group called the Galactic Federation. Other friendly alien races, like the bird-like Chozo, are also part of this group. The Chozo are very advanced and skilled at creating new technologies and life forms.

The main enemies are the Space Pirates. They are a group of bad aliens who don't follow the Galactic Federation's rules. Their leader is a dragon-like warlord named Ridley. The Space Pirates want to create powerful weapons from dangerous creatures and materials to take over the galaxy.

About the Metroids

The creatures called Metroids are like jellyfish that eat a special kind of life energy. The Chozo originally created Metroids to fight another dangerous alien race called the "X" parasites. While Metroids stopped the X, they became a threat themselves when they started to evolve into more dangerous forms. Many Metroid games are about different groups trying to use Metroids as weapons, and the conflicts that follow.

Samus Aran's Adventures

The story of Metroid follows the adventures of Samus Aran. She fights the Space Pirates and the Metroids. Samus was raised by the Chozo after her parents were killed by Ridley and the Space Pirates. She first worked for the Galactic Federation, then became a bounty hunter. She often faces Ridley and the evil Mother Brain.

• In the first Metroid game, Samus goes to planet Zebes. She needs to stop the Space Pirates from using Metroids as weapons. She defeats Mother Brain and its guardians, Kraid and Ridley.
• The Metroid Prime games happen between the first Metroid and Metroid II. In Metroid Prime, Samus goes to Tallon IV to stop Space Pirates from using a dangerous substance called Phazon. She defeats a Phazon-infected Metroid.
• In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Samus explores a planet called Aether, which has a "light" and "dark" side. She battles Dark Samus and the Ing aliens.
• Metroid Prime 3: Corruption sees Samus fighting other bounty hunters who are infected with Phazon, while she also gets slowly corrupted. She eventually gets rid of all the Phazon.
• Metroid Prime: Federation Force is different because you don't play as Samus. Instead, you play as Federation soldiers who try to rescue Samus after she is mind-controlled by Space Pirates.

• In Metroid II, Samus goes to the Metroid home planet, SR388, to destroy all Metroids. But she saves a baby Metroid that becomes attached to her.
• In Super Metroid, Ridley steals the baby Metroid and takes it to Zebes. The Space Pirates try to clone Metroids. Samus defeats Ridley, but Mother Brain nearly kills her. The now-grown baby Metroid saves Samus by sacrificing itself. Samus then destroys Mother Brain and escapes as Zebes explodes.

• Metroid: Other M takes place after Super Metroid. Samus investigates a broken space station with Galactic Federation soldiers. They fight many bioweapons created by a Federation science group, including clones of creatures Samus fought before.
• In Metroid Fusion, Samus faces the X parasites again on SR388. She gets infected by an X parasite but is saved by a vaccine made from the baby Metroid's cells. She discovers the Federation has been secretly cloning Metroids. She crashes the space station into SR388 to destroy the X parasites.
• Metroid Dread continues from Fusion. The Federation sends robots to planet ZDR because X parasites were seen there. Samus goes to the planet when contact is lost. She fights the X and a Chozo warrior named Raven Beak, stopping them from spreading across the galaxy.

How Metroid Games Were Made

The First Metroid Game (1986)

In Metroid (the first game in the series), released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the player controls Samus Aran who fights alien monsters on the fictional planet Zebes.

The first Metroid game was made by Nintendo's Research & Development 1 (R&D1) team. It came out in Japan in 1986 and later in North America and Europe. The game was directed by Satoru Okada, who also created the series.

The creators wanted to make a shooting game that combined the jumping of Super Mario Bros. with the exploration of The Legend of Zelda. They also wanted it to have a darker, more serious feel. The name "Metroid" comes from "metro" (like an underground train) and "android" (a robot). This hints at the game's underground settings and its robot-like hero.

Halfway through making the first game, someone on the team suggested, "What if the person inside the suit was a woman?" Everyone liked the idea, and that's how Samus Aran became a female character. The movie Alien (1979) was a big influence on the game's scary alien world. The character Ridley was even named after the movie's director, Ridley Scott.

New Games and Breaks (1991–2002)

Metroid II: Return of Samus was released for the Game Boy in 1991. This game helped define Samus's look, especially her bulky Varia Suit and different arm cannons.

Nintendo then brought in another company, Intelligent Systems, to help make Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). This game came out in 1994 and greatly expanded the Metroid world. It added many new power-ups and a richer story. Super Metroid was highly praised and is considered one of the best games on the SNES. Yoshio Sakamoto, who designed characters for the first game, directed Super Metroid and most of the 2D Metroid games since.

After Super Metroid, there were no new Metroid games for eight years. Nintendo thought about making a game for the Nintendo 64, but they couldn't come up with good ideas. Samus did appear in the fighting game Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64.

The Metroid Prime Era (2002–2009)

Metroid Prime, released in 2002 for the GameCube, introduced 3D graphics and first-person shooter gameplay to the series.

In 2000, Nintendo asked a new company called Retro Studios to make a Metroid game for the GameCube. This led to Metroid Prime, the first 3D Metroid game, released in 2002. It kept the exploration style of Super Metroid but changed to a first-person perspective. Nintendo said it was a "first-person adventure," not just a shooting game. Metroid Prime was a huge success and sold millions of copies.

In 2002, Nintendo also released Metroid Fusion, a 2D game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It was similar to Super Metroid but had a more mission-based story. The next GBA game was Zero Mission (2004), which was a remake of the very first Metroid. Both GBA games were very popular.

More Prime games followed: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004) and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) for the Wii. Corruption added motion controls and focused more on shooting. These Prime games were later put together in a collection called Metroid Prime: Trilogy.

Nintendo also released some spin-off games. Metroid Prime Pinball (2005) was a pinball game for the DS. Metroid Prime Hunters (2006) was a multiplayer game for the DS.

Other M and Another Break (2010–2016)

A new 3D Metroid game, Metroid: Other M, was released for the Wii in 2010. It was made with a Japanese studio called Team Ninja. This game had a third-person view and focused more on story and action. However, Other M received mixed reviews. Some players didn't like how Samus was shown as timid, and they missed the focus on exploration.

A small Metroid game called "Metroid Blast" appeared in the Wii U game Nintendo Land (2012). In this game, one player controls Samus's ship, and others control characters wearing Samus's suit.

In 2016, Nintendo released Metroid Prime: Federation Force, a multiplayer game for the 3DS. This game also received criticism because it focused too much on multiplayer and had a lighter tone.

The Series Returns (2017–Present)

In 2017, Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 for the Nintendo Switch. However, in 2019, Nintendo decided to restart its development with Retro Studios, the team that made the earlier Metroid Prime games.

Metroid: Samus Returns, released in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS

A remake of Metroid II, called Metroid: Samus Returns, was released for the 3DS in 2017. It kept the original gameplay but added 3D graphics and new features like melee combat. The same team, MercurySteam, then developed Metroid Dread for the Switch. This game was a new version of a Metroid project that was planned for the Nintendo DS years ago. Metroid Dread came out in 2021 and quickly became the best-selling Metroid game ever.

In 2023, Nintendo released Metroid Prime Remastered, a high-definition version of the first Metroid Prime game for the Switch.

Metroid's Impact on Gaming

The early Metroid games, along with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, helped create a new type of game called "Metroidvania". These games are side-scrolling adventures with one big, connected map instead of separate levels. Players need to find items and go back to old areas to unlock new paths. Other popular Metroidvania games include Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest. Metroid is one of the few game series that has a whole genre named after it!

Metroid in Other Games

Super Smash Bros. Games

Samus is a playable character in all five Super Smash Bros. fighting games. In some games, you can also play as Zero Suit Samus, which is Samus without her power suit. Other Metroid characters like Ridley, Mother Brain, and Dark Samus also appear in Super Smash Bros. games as bosses, trophies, or even playable fighters. Many battle stages in Super Smash Bros. are based on locations from the Metroid universe.

Other Nintendo Games

Samus has also appeared in other Nintendo games like Super Mario RPG, Tetris DS, and Kirby Super Star. In Kid Icarus, there's an enemy that looks a lot like a Metroid.

Metroid in Other Media

TV Shows

There were plans for a Metroid animated TV series in the 1980s, but it was never made. Interestingly, early ideas for this show showed Samus as a male character. Mother Brain was a main villain in the Captain N: The Game Master TV show.

Comic Books and Manga

Metroid stories have been told in comic books and manga (Japanese comics). These stories were based on different Metroid games and sometimes explored Samus's past. One manga series in Japan, Metroid: Samus and Joey, even influenced later game plots.

Proposed Movie

In the early 2000s, there were plans to make a live-action Metroid movie. The director John Woo was involved for a while. The movie would have shown Samus's origin story and how she became a bounty hunter. However, Nintendo was very careful because of a past movie based on Super Mario Bros. that didn't do well. Nintendo didn't want the movie team to make up details about Samus's personal life. Because of this, the movie was never made.

Images for kids

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  Metroid: Samus Returns, released in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS

See also

In Spanish: Metroid para niños