Nintendo's Metroid Series Celebrates 37th Anniversary

Nintendo's Metroid series, a name synonymous with exploration and alien landscapes, turned 37 today. Can you believe it? All without a midlife crisis, too.

It's been 37 years since that iconic game cartridge found its way into our hands and captivated us with its eerie alien atmospheres and surprises.

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Metroid's History

Let's jump right into the time machine. Back in the day - 1986, to be exact - Japan witnessed the birth of the first Metroid game on their Famicom Disk System. This exceptional game made its journey to North America and Europe a bit later, gracing the NES in 1987 and 1988, respectively.

At its core, Metroid wasn't your typical platformer. Oh no. Drawing heavy inspiration from the 1979 sci-fi horror classic, Alien (yup, think Sigourney Weaver and face-huggers), it was clear that the Metroid series had a different, darker palette in mind. There's even a theory floating around that Ridley, the game's menacing antagonist, got its name from Ridley Scott, the director of Alien. Neat, right?

Metroid - Samus and Ridley | Image: Nintendo Supply

While Mario was all about jumping on goombas and Zelda had us pulling the Master Sword from its stone, Metroid plunged players into the depths of the planet Zebes. Here, our hero – or should I say heroine? – Samus Aran, embarked on a mission to retrieve stolen parasitic Metroid organisms from the hands of malevolent Space Pirates.

At the culmination of the original Metroid, Nintendo pulled off one of the most iconic twists ever. After several playthroughs, gamers worldwide found out that Samus, the person behind that power suit, was, in fact, a woman! This made her one of the earliest female protagonists in video game history.

History of Metroid Releases

Now, here's an interesting tidbit. While Metroid and The Legend of Zelda share the same lifespan – both series have been with us for an impressive 37 years – Zelda's Hyrule has seen a lot more action. Metroid has notably fewer titles under its belt, with only five mainline instalments. And it's been quite the wait for fans; the newest title, Metroid Dread, released a whopping 19 years after its predecessor, Metroid Fusion, which graced our Game Boy Advances.

But hey, it's not all about quantity. Quality matters too, and it's great timing with Metroid Dread recently setting the record as the Highest Selling Metroid game in the franchise thus far.

Conclusion

As we celebrate 37 years of Samus, her power suit, and her epic adventures across the galaxy, it's clear that Metroid's legacy is one of innovation, groundbreaking narratives, and gameplay that keeps us coming back for more.

Fan Inspired Merch

Check out some of this cool, fan inspired, Metroid merch!

Metroid T-Shirts | TeePublic

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As Metroid celebrates it's 37th anniversary, we only have one question: Which game is your favorite from the Metroid franchise?

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