It still surprises me that Metroid is approaching its fourth decade. Compared with franchises like Mario — which have proliferated across dozens of entries — Metroid’s catalog is relatively lean: roughly 15 titles divided between the classic 2D games, the Prime trilogy and offshoots. Long stretches between releases give the impression the series has been around for less time than it actually has.
The last ten years have reshaped the franchise. After an attempt to pivot Metroid toward cooperative multiplayer faltered, MercurySteam revitalized the series’ signature 2D platforming, and Retro Studios returned the Prime saga to prominence with a thoughtful remaster and an ambitious, if uneven, Metroid Prime 4. Those developments change how you view the whole lineup, so it feels like a good moment to reassess every entry in 2025. Where do Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond rank now? Strap on your visor and start scanning.
15
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
I want to say Federation Force was merely a victim of expectations, but revisiting it makes that argument hard to sustain. The 3DS title is a string of perfunctory co-op missions tied together by a forgettable plot. Once controversial visuals feel even less appealing with time, and what few ideas it has are outshone by how little it resembles what many players wanted from a Metroid entry. Today it mostly stands out for the surprising narrative role it later plays in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
14
Metroid: Other M
Mechanically, Other M has merits that some later entries don’t—its blend of first- and third-person perspectives gives the Wii game a distinctive feel. But its narrative is widely regarded as misjudged: Team Ninja’s attempt to deepen Samus’s backstory leans into a melodrama that undermines her agency and introduces tone-deaf character beats. Plot inconsistencies and an unpopular portrayal of Samus have left many fans ambivalent about whether Other M belongs in series canon.
13
Metroid
Image: Nintendo via PolygonDon’t misread its spot on this list: the original Metroid is foundational. It helped define a style of exploration-driven platforming that inspired later hits. At the same time, the NES game’s controls and enemy design can feel unforgiving today; the movement is stiff and the difficulty is relentless. You can revere its historical importance while admitting it’s a trying play experience for modern tastes.
12
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Image: NintendoHunters deserves a second look. The DS experiment swapped the Prime series’ open-ended exploration for a more linear, multiplayer-focused approach and introduced stylus-driven aiming. It’s uneven and often ranked low among Metroid titles, but it offers inventive control ideas, a surprisingly offbeat sci-fi narrative, and the debut of Sylux. Taken on its own terms, Hunters is more interesting than its reputation suggests.
11
Metroid 2: Return of Samus
Image: Nintendo via PolygonLike its predecessor, Metroid 2 bears the marks of hardware limitations, but it also solidified many of the series’ defining traits. Its tone is darker and more atmospheric, leaning into haunting exploration and a surprisingly grim ending: Samus executes a brutal mission and leaves with a small, poignant remnant that alters her path. In several ways, Metroid 2 deepened the franchise’s emotional palette more effectively than the original.
10
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Image: NintendoPrime 4 is the most uneven entry on this list: it alternates between moments of genuine brilliance and stretches of frustration. Its level design delivers some of the franchise’s most inspired 3D environments, weaving classic Metroidway biomes into spaces that feel like narrative-driven dungeons. The melancholy plot about an alien race trying to preserve itself is a highlight, but intrusive NPCs, a clumsy open-hub design, and a squandered Sylux subplot leave the game feeling less cohesive than it could be. Still, the visuals rank among the best Nintendo has produced in recent years.
9
Metroid Prime: Pinball
Image: NintendoI’ll defend this oddball spin-off: Metroid Prime: Pinball is a genuinely clever pinball game that borrows the Prime trilogy’s best motifs and turns them into engaging table design. Using Samus’ morph ball as the ball itself is a whimsical, effective choice, and the stages reinterpret boss encounters into satisfying pinball set-pieces. It’s a bizarre concept that actually works.
8
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Image: Retro Studios/NintendoMany of the criticisms leveled at Prime 4 mirror issues in Corruption: an eagerness to add more dialogue and world context that sometimes diminishes the series’ hallmark solitude. Corruption integrates motion controls thoughtfully, injecting a tactile, physical feel into combat without completely undermining the atmosphere. It doesn’t overstay its welcome with chatter and keeps the focus largely on strong level design and immersive encounters.
7
Metroid: Samus Returns
Image: MercurySteam/NintendoReimagining Metroid 2 for modern hardware was a tall order, and MercurySteam largely succeeded. Samus Returns rethinks the original’s structure with contemporary movement, free-aiming and a counter mechanic that make combat feel more dynamic. While it softens the ambiguity of the Game Boy ending, the remake paved the way for the fast, fluid 2D action that Metroid Dread would later perfect.
6
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Image: NintendoEchoes tackled the sequel challenge with an inventive light-versus-dark mechanic that changed the way you approached exploration and combat. It added strategic tension and some of the series’ most memorable suit designs, while also delivering a satisfying payoff to Metroid Prime’s hidden ending by elevating Dark Samus into a genuine threat. It’s a darker, bolder follow-up that expanded the Prime formula in meaningful ways.
Source: Polygon
