What’s the Best Metroid Game of All Time?

The original Metroid released 35 years ago today! In honor of the milestone, we’re looking back at the franchise and talking about the games that we loved most. Share your thoughts with us in the comments and on Twitter!

I’m going to go ahead and be the champion for Super Metroid. Its story is quite memorable, allowing us to see the connection between Samus and the Metroid. There are so many power-ups that are placed well and make sense. The pacing is fantastic. It’s the perfect example of how to properly organize a game and establish ambiance. — Jenni

I’m sure some Siliconera readers who follow our opinions and know my love of the underappreciated might expect me to bust in here and defend the much-maligned Metroid Prime: Federation Force. Nah, not this time! (Though it doesn’t deserve all of its reputation.) Instead, let me talk about the actual best Metroid game: Metroid II: Return of Samus!

The remake is fun enough, but there’s something about the original’s simplicity that resonates with me. It somehow manages to create atmosphere on a monochrome handheld. It uses the Game Boy sound chip in some clever ways to help do that. And the limited environments and move set means it feels much more puzzle-like and less reflex-dependent, which aids its sense that all the successes and failures are yours to claim. — Graham

While I enjoy Super Metroid, as a horror fan, my favorite Metroid has to be Metroid Fusion. SA-X is a genuinely terrifying foe that moves at deeply unsettling speeds, easily mowing poor Samus down if it catches her. While SA-X isn’t around all that often, when it shows up, you’re in for a pulse-pounding chase that belongs up there with the most frightening horror game encounters. Now I know what it feels like to be a Metroid on the receiving end of Samus’ vast arsenal of weapons, I guess. — Joel

What do you think is the best Metroid game? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.