Out of all smaller Nintendo franchises, Metroid really has all the potential in the world to be something truly BIG. And I really hope that potential is reached someday.
I think the thing holding Metroid back from that is how hard it is to use it for other genres. Mario and Kirby can be slapped on any kind of game, pokemon captured the creature catcher market decades ago and has tons of spin-offs, and even Zelda which stays more true to its roots overall still has a growing number of spinoffs. Metroid has its main games, an FPS series that takes its lead from the main series, and a pinball game no one really remembers. Outside of Smash Bros, there isn't much to keep the IP in the public consciousness.
@@jonesthemoblin1400 I don’t think that’s what holding it back, Nintendo is creative enough to make all sorts of Metroid spinoffs but until Dread the fanbase was just too small, especially in the eastern countries.
@@TheNightstalker80 Metroid Prime: Federation Force was made by Next Level Games the same team that made Mario Strikers and Punch Out Wii. Which is why they're not suited for a traditional Metroid game. Sad Fact: The reason it took so long for Metroid Return of Samus to come out is because Nintendo Research & Development 1, the company that made Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission was shut down. Therefore Yoshio Sakamoto needed more time to find a third party company to make a single Player 2d Metroid game, MercurySteam fit the bill. The reason they were chosen is because worked on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate.
As someone that grew up playing Metroid on NES, I can tell you that game was popular in its day, and for good reason. It had a creative weapons progression system that was unique for its time and encouraged exploration in a way that few games did. It was by no means “jank” for its time. Metroid II was a bit disappointing because it was released on Gameboy which made it feel like a step back with the innate hardware limitations on that platform. Super Metroid was highly anticipated and was a great game, but by this point I think people were seeing Metroid as a bit challenging, and for more mature players. And for a company like Nintendo that was known for prioritizing a child and family friendly image, it begins to make sense why we didn’t see a Metroid release on the N64. Fast forward to Metroid Prime on GameCube, and you can for sure see that this game was more mature than what Nintendo was doing with other franchises at the time (see Mario Sunshine and Windwaker). I think this may have been an attempt to win back some of the older audience that they were losing to PlayStation and Xbox at that time. That being said, Metroid Prime still garnered much critical acclaim at its release. Had it been released on PlayStation and Xbox, I think it would have been much more at home with that demographic, and would have done better sales. The franchise as a whole could have really blown up. But, now that we see Microsoft declining and Nintendo grabbing a lot more share of the market, we might be poised to see the franchise take off, especially as Prime 4 is looking to be a potential launch title for the highly anticipated Switch 2. Time will tell, and it looks like we won’t have to wait much longer.
My usage of "jank" was from a modern perspective. It doesn't do a lot of what gamers have come to expect games to do. But if you grew up in that era (or near enough to it) then those idiosyncrasies of the era have been burned into you and feel like second nature. It's something I had to recognize about the SNES when I was recommending A Link to the Past to some of my younger coworkers, and they came back telling me it was too "Janky". It's not janky to me because I played it every day from age 3 to, like, age 10. But to them it is.
Strongly disagree. ZM is a _modern_ Metroid game. If you start with the modern games which feature simplified controls and physics, then of course you're going to have a hard time with the older ones. That's why you get all these morons saying SM has "clunky" controls. Um, no it doesn't. In fact, the fluidity and nuance of the controls was one of the main things the game was praised for when it came out. No, SM has _advanced_ controls. It was released in a time when players were expected to practice and learn the ins and outs of the mechanics. Players now just want everything handed to them, which makes for a great roller coaster ride, but takes a lot of the immersion and satisfaction out of the experience. It's for this reason SM has never and likely will never be topped.
@ if you start with a game with controls that are more accessible to a modern audience you don’t risk alienating them before they have a chance to develop an interest in the series. Once they have decided whether or not they like it, then they can move on to something more complex. Some controls in super Metroid (mainly the item select) have the potential to be alienating to a modern player who isn’t already invested in the series.
@@BlondeBarbarian I have very little desire to comb through the entries of the series to decide which one is “best”. It’s easier for me to determine which entry is better to start with by having the least accessibility barriers to a contemporary audience. Super is off limits for the more advanced requirements for navigation and the tough controls (mainly item select), fusion and a aM2r’s for the high level of difficulty in the combat, samus returns/metroid 2 for being heavily repetitive, an other m for being completely unlike any other game in the series. Dread is off limits as a starter for story reasons (also some people say it’s really difficult). So zero mission makes the most sense to me because it has the least amount of things that could frustrate or scare new players
@@joelsytairo6338 Yes because it's so difficult to hit select a few times. I love how Zelda fans never complain about constantly going in and out of menus to change equipment, while Metroid "fans" can't be bothered to press a single button more than once. Also, I've noticed a lot of players that have egoraptor syndrome. The game gives you a way to instantly return to beam mode with the press of a button but no one ever uses it. They then blame the game for their failure to utilize the mechanics properly. I know. It's a whole different button - super difficult stuff here, but its a great way to avoid overshooting while frantically mashing select and then having to cycle through again. But all of this nonsense could have been avoided in the first place if ZM were an actual REMAKE, as in to make the same game again, rather than the _re-imagining_ that it is. Hell even some of the most iconic elements from the original, like fake Kraid, were omitted, causing the entire mini Kraid fakeout in Super to no longer make sense. Such a shame that most modern players will never get to experience the classic trilogy the way it was intended. They'll never get to see how the series evolved. Instead they're going to keep getting generational whiplash by starting the series on GBA, then upgrading to 3DS and then finally moving on to the... SNES??? That's dumb and ugly and I think its high time alternatives are made known to new players.
I think if someone is interested in Metroid, I would want to ask them some questions to get a feel for what they want before recommending an order. How much do they care about starting where the story starts? How much do they care about smooth, modern gameplay vs retro jank? How much do they care about gaming history? Do they generally prefer 2d platformers or first-person shooters? etc. Several games could be the best starting point depending on who the interested audience is. And maybe this is a hot take, but I think for most people the answer will either be Prime or Dread. Super is great, but it's not the most beginner-friendly imo.
I will admit that this video starts from the assumption that a person would want to start from the earliest accessible point in the story. My biggest thing is I think Metroid is a series that's hard to go backwards in. Starting from Dread and then trying to play Super would make Super feel even more antiquated than it feels just from being as old as it is. But the fact that Super doesn't have a remake is why I lean toward it as a good jumping-in point: Starting at Super, you never have to go backwards in gameplay to get the whole story, and you never have to go back to the original two if you just can't handle their jank since Zero Mission, AM2R, and Samus Returns exist. If Super ever gets a remake, I'll probably bump my best entry point to Fusion for the same reasons I have it at Super now.
@@jonesthemoblin1400 I agree that starting with the newer entries would make it harder to go backwards and appreciate the older games. But (and maybe this is counter-intuitive) I think that's exactly what they should do. I think anyone who had even a moderate amount of experience with modern games will already have a hard time going back to those older games. And beginners who aren't gamers will not find them welcoming at all. So my assumption is that no one should play the early games at all, unless they're already a Metroid enthusiast who knows what they're getting into. The problem is that beginners are not Metroid enthusiasts. They're not going to commit to playing the entire series when they don't even know if they'll like it. If you give those early games to someone who isn't already highly invested in Metroid, I think there's a very high risk that they'll just bounce off it and not want to play any more Metroid at all. Super is kind of a transitional game between the early and middle periods of the series. It's not as opaque as the first two, but also not nearly as easy to get into as Dread or Prime. It doesn't have modern controls or modern graphics, and it poses a high risk of getting lost and not knowing what to do next. That may be great for those of us who already love Metroid, but for most beginners it's going to be frustrating. So I would rate it as a medium-to-high risk that they'll get turned off from the series.
This 100 percent. I had a friend ask recently, and I asked if they cared about experiencing the story in order, and how much jumping between old and new control schemes would bother them. Usually from there you can tell if they should play through in release order, or story order, or some mix of the two. My friend ultimately decided story order and started with Zero Mission.
Japanese Metroid other M is fine. There is a retranslation patch, so it can be played with original voice and original script correctly translated to English. If you don't know, the Japanese script is complete opposite of the localized one.
It's really good, tbh. Personally what I've got from Japanese Other M is that Samus lives with big self-deception and Adam's sacrifice was done for her sincerely comparing to Baby Metroid's sacrifice, which isn't something unique, because of shown comparison with MB. Samus was disappointed, that's why after Adam's death she found new thing to cherish.
Play Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (the demo) after Echoes, then play Prime Pinball, _and then_ play Prime Hunters if you could stomach the controlls.
Pretty good list. I agree with skipping NES metroid and Metorid II. They have not aged well. Play one of the remakes latter down the line. Super Metroid is still a great starting point and where most fans started naturally. It teaches you what a metroid game is and how things work. I started playing Metroid with super metroid back on Switch NSO back in like 2019, gave up cause it was too complicated for my call of duty, "Everything must be highlighted for me to progress and to play the game" mind. I then picked up Prime 1 on GCN a year after that and completed the game fairly quickly. After that i picked up a copy of Fusion and beat it on my DS. Then i got a Wii U and bought a bunch of E shop games before it closed, like Prime trilogy, Zero Mission, Hunters, and Super. Played through all of them and enjoyed it. Picked up Dread when it came out and loved it too. But there really isnt a wrong choice to start Metorid with. Super is good but it is still a game from the 90s, not a whole lot of modern quality of life feature. You can still have just as good as a time starting from Prime 1 or Dread. Those games hold your hand more when it comes to puzzles, secrets, and what to do next. Prime 1 mainly for the scan visor. And Dread is good because it gives you a whole story recap and marks on your map where items can be found
Super Metroid was my first Metroid game and it singlehandedly made me a lifelong fan of the series. Unfortunately I've had mixed success recommending that game as a starting point for newcomers. I think some of the dated controls, the necessity of backtracking, and the near lack of objective guidance turn some people off from it. The game is basically perfect for me personally, but maybe it would benefit from getting a modern remake at some point to make it more accessible.
I know this is one of those questions that doesn't necessarily have a right answer. (Which order to play) While I think starting with Super does make sense from a gameplay perspective. I have always liked that playing through in story order, is that you get a game in between returning to Zebes. I also think the opening of Super is a lot more impactful with a play through of Zero mission or OG Metroid under your belt. I also really like some of the foreshadowing they did in the 2 remake to make you wonder what is going on until 4/5. My main thing I stand by is that playing fusion too early is a mistake. I really think fusion and Dread need to be played back to back at the end personally, cause that's where the story REALLY ramps up. and making someone sit through 1,2or3 while waiting to see where fusion goes next is kinda a crime IMO. even though that's what Nintendo did to us for 19 years.
If your a causal player that likes sci-fi but find Metroid too intimidating. I recommend Mighty Switch Force! Collection. It's 2d platforming puzzle game.
I mostly disagree for the same reasons I suggest people play other franchises in release order - you get to see the natural progression in terms of graphics and development as it was intended. Starting with Metroid 3 ruins exposition laid out in Metroid II and without the knowledge that Metroids are dangerous given to you by NES Metroid, one might just be entirely confused as to what is happening. I would suggest NES Metroid, Metroid II, Super, Fusion, then maybe take a break to experience the Prime Trilogy, or take the trek down memory lane with Zero Mission to refresh your less than fond memories of the first game. Other M comes next so your visuals of Adam can be destroyed, then, if you haven’t played the MPT, do that for that critical bit of story between 1 and 2. MPH and Pinball can honestly be at player’s discretion, then go ahead and do MSR and AM2R if desired to get the full spectrum experience before playing Dread. And if somehow Prime hasn’t been played yet, go do that. Then, at least experience the story behind Federation Force; I’m not advocating tracking it down to play it. Finally, move onto Metroid Dread. I advocate for the originals because there’s still little bits of relevance to them. Playing NES Metroid gives you the “oh that’s so cool!” feelings when you play Super and see newer versions of old environments. Playing M2 is critical to me because it has a key piece that I think the remake forgets to touch on, which is the player’s experience of Metroids decimating an ecosystem (enemies get sparser and sparser the deeper you go) and the remake does NOT give you the quiet contemplative bit as you return to your ship. Apologies for the long stream of thought, but yeah - release order is always best in my opinion. Did I mention that the Prime games need to be played as well? 😂
Incidentally, I agree with every point here. The ideal order is release order, but my goal was less about finding the ideal metroid experience and more about finding the most accessible one. Metroid 1's age can easily turn a lot of people off, and my goal is to get people into the franchise overall. And I doubly agree with your point about Samus Returns. I think Mercury Steam dropped the ball with the ending of their remake (though I do enjoy the surprise added boss), which is why I brought up AM2R as the better remake.
@ totally understand your points there, and I understood a bit more after watching the video a second time. Playing everything in release order is a daunting task and you’re looking for the most accessible route. By the way, something I didn’t notice during my first watch but I wanted to point it out here - the Prime games, while largely disconnected from the main series of 1-5, are set between Metroid 1 and 2. Prime’s manual and lore firmly establishes it is after the fall of Zebes, and I’m certain Ridley’s final form in MSR was meant to indicate a transformative state from his mostly cybernetic seen in Prime to a more organic form at the end of MSR leading into Super. Anyway, I don’t want to keep boring you but I’m a huge lore nerd and technical nerd (just look at my PFP with Power Suit Samus at the end cutscene in Dread 😂) when it comes to these games. If you need help with anything please let me know!
@neochozo I'll keep you in mind! I have some videos on the Prime trilogy I'm working on, and your comment has convinced me to take another look at the original versions of Metroid and Metroid 2. It's been a hot minute since I've played either of them, and usually opt for Zero Mission and AM2R. Also I thought I had mentioned the Prime games were placed between Metroid and Metroid 2, but I may have forgotten to add that. 😅 And yeah, the Ridley fight was the main thing I was thinking of when I mentioned "attempts to connect them in". There's also the Pirate Lore on the Orephon that talks about them fleeing Zebes following the events of Metroid 1 as well as the Trooper logs talking about Samus in Echoes.
@jonesthemobkin1400 that’s great to see that you’ll revisit the originals. Like I said they’re clunky compared to their modernizations but they do have their little bits that make them shine. One of my favorite little parts of the Prime games is those Pirate Data logs - some of them get downright hilarious like trying to reverse engineer the Morph Ball or my personal favorite - “our scanners detected the remains of Dark Samus, who has reformed herself in one of our storage bays. Surely we are cursed.”
They canonically do, they just don't have much connection to the series outside of a few minor mentions. I also find it hard to accept that with as much as Metroids have been shipped around the galaxy by the Space Pirates in the prime games that Samus wiping them out on Zebes and SR388 could have ended the species. Not to mention whatever the fuck Sylux is up to in Prime 4. 😂
Clicked off and disliked the second you started trashing the original. Judging something that came out in a different time with different expectations running on extremely primitive hardware through modern lenses is exactly why no one should give any validity to negative reviews of games that are multiple decades old. If you want to see a more nuanced and less pedestrian take on the original Metroid from someone who actually took the time to play the game and finish it, I recommend creators HPRshredder and Pipi DaFeces (yes I know). They both made videos examining the game in a good faith manner and wouldn't ya know it? They ended up liking the game. Also, if you just can't handle playing the original because of the "jank", Check out Metroid Planets. Its a fan game that faithfully recreates the OG with a map, tighter controls, and all sorts of other QOL features. Currently the best way to play the original IMO
I always bring that point up. Walking left was literally a technological breakthrough when Metroid was released. A 1976 Lamborghini Countach has a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. A 2024 Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab 4X4 accelerates faster than that. But that doesn't mean the old Lamborghini sucks now. It was just a product of its era. Judging it by modern standards would be absurd.
I wasn't trashing the original, I think it's a great game, and mention so in the video, but it's not a good entry point. It's a great game for its time, but the NES era is far, far removed from what modern gamers expect from games now. Starting at Metroid 1 is a pretty good way to put someone off the franchise as a whole, which is the point I was making there. If you are looking to get into the series and can handle the nuances of the NES era, the 100% the best place to start is Metroid 1. But seeing as how the NES era is mostly inaccessible to people who grew up after it, Zero Mission is a better way to experience that story with Metroid 1 living as a time capsule of the era. I would never recommend someone NOT play Metroids 1 or 2, I just think their age and inaccessibility to a modern audience makes bad starting points and the fact that they have remakes makes them not as necessary to play unless you are willing to immerse yourself in that era.
@@jonesthemoblin1400 which is why they need REAL remakes, not new games disguised as such. ZM in particular is a different _kind_ of Metroid game. The original is unique compared to the other entries because it's basically open ended and isn't so focused on item progression. Meanwhile ZM is basically baby Super Metroid but with heavily simplified controls and VERY different physics. This creates false expectations for how the older games should play. Example: I recently watched a retro game streamer who had the balls to play the original instead of ZM earning my respect. Yeah he had a hard time at points, but overall he liked it. When he got around to SM, he took to the game's controls like a fish to water. Before long he was wall jumping like a pro and sequence breaking like mad. He was gushing about how great the controls were. If he had played ZM first, he would have gotten blindsided by the game's more nuanced nature and would probably be saying a lot of the same things newer players always say.
Out of all smaller Nintendo franchises, Metroid really has all the potential in the world to be something truly BIG. And I really hope that potential is reached someday.
I think the thing holding Metroid back from that is how hard it is to use it for other genres. Mario and Kirby can be slapped on any kind of game, pokemon captured the creature catcher market decades ago and has tons of spin-offs, and even Zelda which stays more true to its roots overall still has a growing number of spinoffs.
Metroid has its main games, an FPS series that takes its lead from the main series, and a pinball game no one really remembers. Outside of Smash Bros, there isn't much to keep the IP in the public consciousness.
@@jonesthemoblin1400 I don’t think that’s what holding it back, Nintendo is creative enough to make all sorts of Metroid spinoffs but until Dread the fanbase was just too small, especially in the eastern countries.
@@TheNightstalker80 Metroid Prime: Federation Force was made by Next Level Games the same team that made Mario Strikers and Punch Out Wii. Which is why they're not suited for a traditional Metroid game.
Sad Fact: The reason it took so long for Metroid Return of Samus to come out is because Nintendo Research & Development 1, the company that made Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission was shut down. Therefore Yoshio Sakamoto needed more time to find a third party company to make a single Player 2d Metroid game, MercurySteam fit the bill. The reason they were chosen is because worked on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate.
The SM intro... omg, I still get goosebumps, it's so epic and has literally burned itself into my brain
_"THE LAST METROID IS IN CAPTIVITY...
THE GALAXY, IS AT PEACE"_
@ ooooh yes! Countless hours of my youth went into this game, it’s such a masterpiece!
As someone that grew up playing Metroid on NES, I can tell you that game was popular in its day, and for good reason. It had a creative weapons progression system that was unique for its time and encouraged exploration in a way that few games did. It was by no means “jank” for its time. Metroid II was a bit disappointing because it was released on Gameboy which made it feel like a step back with the innate hardware limitations on that platform.
Super Metroid was highly anticipated and was a great game, but by this point I think people were seeing Metroid as a bit challenging, and for more mature players. And for a company like Nintendo that was known for prioritizing a child and family friendly image, it begins to make sense why we didn’t see a Metroid release on the N64. Fast forward to Metroid Prime on GameCube, and you can for sure see that this game was more mature than what Nintendo was doing with other franchises at the time (see Mario Sunshine and Windwaker). I think this may have been an attempt to win back some of the older audience that they were losing to PlayStation and Xbox at that time.
That being said, Metroid Prime still garnered much critical acclaim at its release. Had it been released on PlayStation and Xbox, I think it would have been much more at home with that demographic, and would have done better sales. The franchise as a whole could have really blown up. But, now that we see Microsoft declining and Nintendo grabbing a lot more share of the market, we might be poised to see the franchise take off, especially as Prime 4 is looking to be a potential launch title for the highly anticipated Switch 2. Time will tell, and it looks like we won’t have to wait much longer.
My usage of "jank" was from a modern perspective. It doesn't do a lot of what gamers have come to expect games to do. But if you grew up in that era (or near enough to it) then those idiosyncrasies of the era have been burned into you and feel like second nature.
It's something I had to recognize about the SNES when I was recommending A Link to the Past to some of my younger coworkers, and they came back telling me it was too "Janky". It's not janky to me because I played it every day from age 3 to, like, age 10. But to them it is.
@ I get it, just had to put it out there😅
I agree with list. Metroid 1(nes) and 2(gb) should be skipped. I personally enjoyed other M and wish they revamped the controls and fps aiming systen
hope this blows up, really good video
Zero mission and dread are basically the perfect starter pack
Strongly disagree. ZM is a _modern_ Metroid game. If you start with the modern games which feature simplified controls and physics, then of course you're going to have a hard time with the older ones. That's why you get all these morons saying SM has "clunky" controls. Um, no it doesn't. In fact, the fluidity and nuance of the controls was one of the main things the game was praised for when it came out.
No, SM has _advanced_ controls. It was released in a time when players were expected to practice and learn the ins and outs of the mechanics. Players now just want everything handed to them, which makes for a great roller coaster ride, but takes a lot of the immersion and satisfaction out of the experience. It's for this reason SM has never and likely will never be topped.
@ if you start with a game with controls that are more accessible to a modern audience you don’t risk alienating them before they have a chance to develop an interest in the series. Once they have decided whether or not they like it, then they can move on to something more complex. Some controls in super Metroid (mainly the item select) have the potential to be alienating to a modern player who isn’t already invested in the series.
@@BlondeBarbarian I have very little desire to comb through the entries of the series to decide which one is “best”. It’s easier for me to determine which entry is better to start with by having the least accessibility barriers to a contemporary audience. Super is off limits for the more advanced requirements for navigation and the tough controls (mainly item select), fusion and a aM2r’s for the high level of difficulty in the combat, samus returns/metroid 2 for being heavily repetitive, an other m for being completely unlike any other game in the series. Dread is off limits as a starter for story reasons (also some people say it’s really difficult). So zero mission makes the most sense to me because it has the least amount of things that could frustrate or scare new players
@@joelsytairo6338 Yes because it's so difficult to hit select a few times. I love how Zelda fans never complain about constantly going in and out of menus to change equipment, while Metroid "fans" can't be bothered to press a single button more than once.
Also, I've noticed a lot of players that have egoraptor syndrome. The game gives you a way to instantly return to beam mode with the press of a button but no one ever uses it. They then blame the game for their failure to utilize the mechanics properly.
I know. It's a whole different button - super difficult stuff here, but its a great way to avoid overshooting while frantically mashing select and then having to cycle through again.
But all of this nonsense could have been avoided in the first place if ZM were an actual REMAKE, as in to make the same game again, rather than the _re-imagining_ that it is. Hell even some of the most iconic elements from the original, like fake Kraid, were omitted, causing the entire mini Kraid fakeout in Super to no longer make sense.
Such a shame that most modern players will never get to experience the classic trilogy the way it was intended. They'll never get to see how the series evolved. Instead they're going to keep getting generational whiplash by starting the series on GBA, then upgrading to 3DS and then finally moving on to the... SNES??? That's dumb and ugly and I think its high time alternatives are made known to new players.
Jones the Moblin upload was NOT on my 2025 bingo board. Welcome back!
Hoping to have more this year!
I think if someone is interested in Metroid, I would want to ask them some questions to get a feel for what they want before recommending an order. How much do they care about starting where the story starts? How much do they care about smooth, modern gameplay vs retro jank? How much do they care about gaming history? Do they generally prefer 2d platformers or first-person shooters? etc. Several games could be the best starting point depending on who the interested audience is. And maybe this is a hot take, but I think for most people the answer will either be Prime or Dread. Super is great, but it's not the most beginner-friendly imo.
I will admit that this video starts from the assumption that a person would want to start from the earliest accessible point in the story.
My biggest thing is I think Metroid is a series that's hard to go backwards in. Starting from Dread and then trying to play Super would make Super feel even more antiquated than it feels just from being as old as it is.
But the fact that Super doesn't have a remake is why I lean toward it as a good jumping-in point: Starting at Super, you never have to go backwards in gameplay to get the whole story, and you never have to go back to the original two if you just can't handle their jank since Zero Mission, AM2R, and Samus Returns exist.
If Super ever gets a remake, I'll probably bump my best entry point to Fusion for the same reasons I have it at Super now.
@@jonesthemoblin1400 I agree that starting with the newer entries would make it harder to go backwards and appreciate the older games. But (and maybe this is counter-intuitive) I think that's exactly what they should do.
I think anyone who had even a moderate amount of experience with modern games will already have a hard time going back to those older games. And beginners who aren't gamers will not find them welcoming at all. So my assumption is that no one should play the early games at all, unless they're already a Metroid enthusiast who knows what they're getting into.
The problem is that beginners are not Metroid enthusiasts. They're not going to commit to playing the entire series when they don't even know if they'll like it. If you give those early games to someone who isn't already highly invested in Metroid, I think there's a very high risk that they'll just bounce off it and not want to play any more Metroid at all.
Super is kind of a transitional game between the early and middle periods of the series. It's not as opaque as the first two, but also not nearly as easy to get into as Dread or Prime. It doesn't have modern controls or modern graphics, and it poses a high risk of getting lost and not knowing what to do next. That may be great for those of us who already love Metroid, but for most beginners it's going to be frustrating. So I would rate it as a medium-to-high risk that they'll get turned off from the series.
This 100 percent. I had a friend ask recently, and I asked if they cared about experiencing the story in order, and how much jumping between old and new control schemes would bother them. Usually from there you can tell if they should play through in release order, or story order, or some mix of the two. My friend ultimately decided story order and started with Zero Mission.
Japanese Metroid other M is fine. There is a retranslation patch, so it can be played with original voice and original script correctly translated to English. If you don't know, the Japanese script is complete opposite of the localized one.
I may have to look into that. I assume it subtitles the better translation over the Japanese audio?
@@jonesthemoblin1400 correct
It's really good, tbh. Personally what I've got from Japanese Other M is that Samus lives with big self-deception and Adam's sacrifice was done for her sincerely comparing to Baby Metroid's sacrifice, which isn't something unique, because of shown comparison with MB. Samus was disappointed, that's why after Adam's death she found new thing to cherish.
Play Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt (the demo) after Echoes, then play Prime Pinball, _and then_ play Prime Hunters if you could stomach the controlls.
1:08 just made a bunch of timeline fanboys cry
Pretty good list. I agree with skipping NES metroid and Metorid II. They have not aged well. Play one of the remakes latter down the line. Super Metroid is still a great starting point and where most fans started naturally. It teaches you what a metroid game is and how things work.
I started playing Metroid with super metroid back on Switch NSO back in like 2019, gave up cause it was too complicated for my call of duty, "Everything must be highlighted for me to progress and to play the game" mind. I then picked up Prime 1 on GCN a year after that and completed the game fairly quickly. After that i picked up a copy of Fusion and beat it on my DS. Then i got a Wii U and bought a bunch of E shop games before it closed, like Prime trilogy, Zero Mission, Hunters, and Super. Played through all of them and enjoyed it. Picked up Dread when it came out and loved it too. But there really isnt a wrong choice to start Metorid with. Super is good but it is still a game from the 90s, not a whole lot of modern quality of life feature. You can still have just as good as a time starting from Prime 1 or Dread. Those games hold your hand more when it comes to puzzles, secrets, and what to do next. Prime 1 mainly for the scan visor. And Dread is good because it gives you a whole story recap and marks on your map where items can be found
Super Metroid was my first Metroid game and it singlehandedly made me a lifelong fan of the series. Unfortunately I've had mixed success recommending that game as a starting point for newcomers. I think some of the dated controls, the necessity of backtracking, and the near lack of objective guidance turn some people off from it. The game is basically perfect for me personally, but maybe it would benefit from getting a modern remake at some point to make it more accessible.
I do agree with that. I love Super, but even I find it a bit of a chore to play.
I know this is one of those questions that doesn't necessarily have a right answer. (Which order to play) While I think starting with Super does make sense from a gameplay perspective. I have always liked that playing through in story order, is that you get a game in between returning to Zebes. I also think the opening of Super is a lot more impactful with a play through of Zero mission or OG Metroid under your belt.
I also really like some of the foreshadowing they did in the 2 remake to make you wonder what is going on until 4/5.
My main thing I stand by is that playing fusion too early is a mistake. I really think fusion and Dread need to be played back to back at the end personally, cause that's where the story REALLY ramps up. and making someone sit through 1,2or3 while waiting to see where fusion goes next is kinda a crime IMO. even though that's what Nintendo did to us for 19 years.
It just gives newcomers a taste of what we had to go through.
Waiting forever for the next entry is a core part of the experience! 😂
If your a causal player that likes sci-fi but find Metroid too intimidating. I recommend Mighty Switch Force! Collection. It's 2d platforming puzzle game.
I mostly disagree for the same reasons I suggest people play other franchises in release order - you get to see the natural progression in terms of graphics and development as it was intended. Starting with Metroid 3 ruins exposition laid out in Metroid II and without the knowledge that Metroids are dangerous given to you by NES Metroid, one might just be entirely confused as to what is happening.
I would suggest NES Metroid, Metroid II, Super, Fusion, then maybe take a break to experience the Prime Trilogy, or take the trek down memory lane with Zero Mission to refresh your less than fond memories of the first game. Other M comes next so your visuals of Adam can be destroyed, then, if you haven’t played the MPT, do that for that critical bit of story between 1 and 2. MPH and Pinball can honestly be at player’s discretion, then go ahead and do MSR and AM2R if desired to get the full spectrum experience before playing Dread. And if somehow Prime hasn’t been played yet, go do that. Then, at least experience the story behind Federation Force; I’m not advocating tracking it down to play it. Finally, move onto Metroid Dread.
I advocate for the originals because there’s still little bits of relevance to them. Playing NES Metroid gives you the “oh that’s so cool!” feelings when you play Super and see newer versions of old environments. Playing M2 is critical to me because it has a key piece that I think the remake forgets to touch on, which is the player’s experience of Metroids decimating an ecosystem (enemies get sparser and sparser the deeper you go) and the remake does NOT give you the quiet contemplative bit as you return to your ship.
Apologies for the long stream of thought, but yeah - release order is always best in my opinion. Did I mention that the Prime games need to be played as well? 😂
Incidentally, I agree with every point here. The ideal order is release order, but my goal was less about finding the ideal metroid experience and more about finding the most accessible one. Metroid 1's age can easily turn a lot of people off, and my goal is to get people into the franchise overall.
And I doubly agree with your point about Samus Returns. I think Mercury Steam dropped the ball with the ending of their remake (though I do enjoy the surprise added boss), which is why I brought up AM2R as the better remake.
@ totally understand your points there, and I understood a bit more after watching the video a second time. Playing everything in release order is a daunting task and you’re looking for the most accessible route.
By the way, something I didn’t notice during my first watch but I wanted to point it out here - the Prime games, while largely disconnected from the main series of 1-5, are set between Metroid 1 and 2. Prime’s manual and lore firmly establishes it is after the fall of Zebes, and I’m certain Ridley’s final form in MSR was meant to indicate a transformative state from his mostly cybernetic seen in Prime to a more organic form at the end of MSR leading into Super.
Anyway, I don’t want to keep boring you but I’m a huge lore nerd and technical nerd (just look at my PFP with Power Suit Samus at the end cutscene in Dread 😂) when it comes to these games. If you need help with anything please let me know!
@neochozo I'll keep you in mind! I have some videos on the Prime trilogy I'm working on, and your comment has convinced me to take another look at the original versions of Metroid and Metroid 2.
It's been a hot minute since I've played either of them, and usually opt for Zero Mission and AM2R.
Also I thought I had mentioned the Prime games were placed between Metroid and Metroid 2, but I may have forgotten to add that. 😅
And yeah, the Ridley fight was the main thing I was thinking of when I mentioned "attempts to connect them in". There's also the Pirate Lore on the Orephon that talks about them fleeing Zebes following the events of Metroid 1 as well as the Trooper logs talking about Samus in Echoes.
@jonesthemobkin1400 that’s great to see that you’ll revisit the originals. Like I said they’re clunky compared to their modernizations but they do have their little bits that make them shine.
One of my favorite little parts of the Prime games is those Pirate Data logs - some of them get downright hilarious like trying to reverse engineer the Morph Ball or my personal favorite - “our scanners detected the remains of Dark Samus, who has reformed herself in one of our storage bays. Surely we are cursed.”
Nice Video ! Sub & Big Like ! Love Metroid Game !
I always thought the Metroid Prime games take place between Metroid I and II.
They canonically do, they just don't have much connection to the series outside of a few minor mentions.
I also find it hard to accept that with as much as Metroids have been shipped around the galaxy by the Space Pirates in the prime games that Samus wiping them out on Zebes and SR388 could have ended the species.
Not to mention whatever the fuck Sylux is up to in Prime 4. 😂
Never start with Dread. It pains me all the time when people start with Dread. It's legit the culmination of the previous games.
yeah, i love other m! 😅
Agree with your order. Solid.
Skip all the FPS games.
Great video, thanks
I'm actively working on a video about why I love Metroid Prime, so I'm gonna have to disagree with you on skipping the FPS games. 😂
There's only one FPS game in the franchise, and that's Metroid Prime Hunters. It's perfectly fine to skip that one. 👀
Clicked off and disliked the second you started trashing the original. Judging something that came out in a different time with different expectations running on extremely primitive hardware through modern lenses is exactly why no one should give any validity to negative reviews of games that are multiple decades old.
If you want to see a more nuanced and less pedestrian take on the original Metroid from someone who actually took the time to play the game and finish it, I recommend creators HPRshredder and Pipi DaFeces (yes I know). They both made videos examining the game in a good faith manner and wouldn't ya know it? They ended up liking the game.
Also, if you just can't handle playing the original because of the "jank", Check out Metroid Planets. Its a fan game that faithfully recreates the OG with a map, tighter controls, and all sorts of other QOL features. Currently the best way to play the original IMO
I always bring that point up. Walking left was literally a technological breakthrough when Metroid was released.
A 1976 Lamborghini Countach has a 0-60 time of 6.8 seconds. A 2024 Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab 4X4 accelerates faster than that. But that doesn't mean the old Lamborghini sucks now. It was just a product of its era. Judging it by modern standards would be absurd.
I wasn't trashing the original, I think it's a great game, and mention so in the video, but it's not a good entry point.
It's a great game for its time, but the NES era is far, far removed from what modern gamers expect from games now. Starting at Metroid 1 is a pretty good way to put someone off the franchise as a whole, which is the point I was making there.
If you are looking to get into the series and can handle the nuances of the NES era, the 100% the best place to start is Metroid 1. But seeing as how the NES era is mostly inaccessible to people who grew up after it, Zero Mission is a better way to experience that story with Metroid 1 living as a time capsule of the era.
I would never recommend someone NOT play Metroids 1 or 2, I just think their age and inaccessibility to a modern audience makes bad starting points and the fact that they have remakes makes them not as necessary to play unless you are willing to immerse yourself in that era.
@@jonesthemoblin1400 which is why they need REAL remakes, not new games disguised as such. ZM in particular is a different _kind_ of Metroid game. The original is unique compared to the other entries because it's basically open ended and isn't so focused on item progression. Meanwhile ZM is basically baby Super Metroid but with heavily simplified controls and VERY different physics. This creates false expectations for how the older games should play.
Example: I recently watched a retro game streamer who had the balls to play the original instead of ZM earning my respect. Yeah he had a hard time at points, but overall he liked it. When he got around to SM, he took to the game's controls like a fish to water. Before long he was wall jumping like a pro and sequence breaking like mad. He was gushing about how great the controls were.
If he had played ZM first, he would have gotten blindsided by the game's more nuanced nature and would probably be saying a lot of the same things newer players always say.