Metroid

Overview

Metroid is a 1986 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The first installment in the Metroid series, it was originally released in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System in August 1986. North America received a release in August 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, with the European release following in January 1988. Set on the planet Zebes, the story follows Samus Aran as she attempts to retrieve the predatory Metroid organisms that were stolen by Space Pirates, who plan to replicate the Metroids by exposing them to beta rays and then use them as biological weapons to destroy Samus and all who oppose them.

The game was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 (Nintendo R&D1) and Intelligent Systems. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi, directed by Satoru Okada and Masao Yamamoto, and scored by Hirokazu Tanaka. It pioneered the Metroidvania genre, focusing on exploration and searching for power-ups used to reach previously inaccessible areas. Its varied endings for fast completion times made it an early popular title for speedrunning. It was also lauded for being one of the first video games to showcase a female protagonist.

Metroid was both a critical and commercial success. Reviewers praised its graphics, soundtrack, and tight controls. Nintendo Power ranked it 11th on their list of the best games for a Nintendo console. On Top 100 Games lists, it was ranked 7th by Game Informer and 69th by Electronic Gaming Monthly, and has been considered one of the best video games of all time. The game has been rereleased multiple times onto other Nintendo systems, such as the Game Boy Advance in 2004, the Wii, Wii U and 3DS via the Virtual Console service, and the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Classics service. An enhanced remake of Metroid featuring updated visuals and gameplay, Metroid: Zero Mission, was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004.

Official trailer

Gameplay video. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

Metroid (NES) Playthrough - NintendoComplete, NintendoComplete. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Shooter, Platform, Adventure

Developer

Nintendo R&D1

Publisher

Nintendo

Series

Metroid

Platforms

Arcade, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo Entertainment System

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

CERO

A

CLASS IND

10

PEGI

7

ESRB

E

Release dates

Editions

Check out the store

Space and patches

Update patchNo patch

DLC

No DLC. NES games had no downloadable content.

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single player only, with no online features. The cartridge runs on any NES, and the game is on Nintendo Switch Online.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
GameRankings	NES	63	100

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
AllGame	5	5
Computer and Video Games	80	100
Beep	3	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developers	Nintendo R&D1, Intelligent Systems
Publisher	Nintendo
Director	Satoru Okada
Producer	Gunpei Yokoi
Programmers	Hiroyuki Yukami, Yase Sobajima, Toshio Sengoku, Kenji Imai
Artists	Hiroji Kiyotake, Hirofumi Matsuoka, Yoshio Sakamoto
Writer	Makoto Kano
Composer	Hirokazu Tanaka

Notes for collectors

• First released in Japan on the Famicom Disk System in 1986.
• The NES cartridge uses a 24-letter password to continue instead of the disk saves of the Japanese version.
• One of the first games with a female lead: Samus is revealed as a woman at the end.
• Faster completion times give different endings, which made it an early speedrun favourite.
• 2.73 million copies sold by 2004.
• Unlockable in full inside Metroid Prime and Metroid: Zero Mission.

Credits

Publisher

Nintendo

Developer

Nintendo R&D1

Director

Satoru Okada

Released

1987-08-01

Age rating

ESRB E

Region

US

Time to beat

about 6.4 hours