Metroid II is often overlooked due to the fact that it debuted way back in 1991 on the original monochrome Game Boy handheld. As such, the game is severely limited by the hardware of the time. Many elements of the game are recycled or taken from its predecessor, with some new additions to the formula.

Despite its age and limitations, Metroid II is arguably one of the best titles on the original Game Boy. It presents a dynamic storyline that leads straight into Super Metroid, creating an effective sense of consistency between the original chapters in the franchise. It has also been the subject of numerous remakes over the years.

By far the worst game in the entire Metroid franchise, Other M effectively put Samus Aran on ice for several years. Team Ninja, known for the Dead or Alive franchise, created a sequel with little in common with its predecessors. Fans of the series could adjust to innovations in the gameplay if the world and atmosphere drew them in the same as they had in the Metroid Prime series.

Huge shade was thrown at the plot of the game and how it handled the character of Samus Aran, who for some reason had become far less capable and courageous than her previous outings. Other M managed to score decently with critics and is certainly not a terrible game, but it was a bit of a shock for longtime fans.

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The original Metroid is an atmospheric masterpiece that helped evolve the side-scrolling platformer genre in a big way. The combination of elements was simple and effective, focusing largely on a lone bounty hunter descending into the catacombs of an alien planet to defeat a monstrous antagonist.

While Metroid does show its age after so many decades, it helped lay the groundwork for everything that was to follow in the franchise. From the eerie tone to the action-oriented gameplay to the concept of Samus in a Power Suit, upgrading her abilities throughout the course of the game, this is where it all started.

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Metroid Fusion came out eight years following the release of Super Metroid, and it was met with universal acclaim from critics and fans, alike. The developers got clever with the existing foundation of the Metroid franchise and attempted to inject a horror element into the game in order to switch things up a bit.

Though a bit linear in terms of progression, Metroid Fusion was big on tension and scares, which drove a large part of its narrative. The action was superb, blending new abilities and weapons with a unique environment for the story to unfold in. It's a classic in every sense and one that every Metroid fan needs to play.

The Metroid Prime trilogy is often touted as one of the greatest gaming trilogies ever made, but every series has a low point. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is certainly not a terrible follow-up to the original Prime title, but it did fall short of its predecessor in a few key areas.

The multiplayer mode was largely ignored by fans, in favor of the single-player experience, which inadvertently ripped off a few gimmicks from the Legend of Zelda series. Nevertheless, Echoes gave gamers a solid 10+ hours of everything that made the first title such a hit.

The Metroid Prime trilogy is often touted as one of the greatest gaming trilogies ever made, but every series has a low point. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is certainly not a terrible follow-up to the original Prime title, but it did fall short of its predecessor in a few key areas.

The multiplayer mode was largely ignored by fans, in favor of the single-player experience, which inadvertently ripped off a few gimmicks from the Legend of Zelda series. Nevertheless, Echoes gave gamers a solid 10+ hours of everything that made the first title such a hit.

Zero Mission represents one of the best Metroid games in the franchise, particularly because it overhauls the original Metroid title in a big way. Graphically, the game has never looked better, with detailed textures, backgrounds, and character sprites, not to mention a reworked soundtrack, cinematics, and gameplay additions.

While staying true to the original Metroid game, Zero Mission also offers up a few surprises, particularly a new plot arc near the end of the game — a welcome surprise for longtime fans. This feels like the definitive version of the original Metroid, and that's probably close to the

The final chapter of the Metroid Prime trilogy, Corruption felt like a return to form. The updated Wii technology was a perfect fit to bring this chapter to life, and it took full advantage, particularly when it came to the console's motion controls. Subsequent re-releases of the Metroid Prime trilogy updated the prior games to incorporate the Wii-remote.

While it does avoid the gameplay pitfalls that befell Echoes (less padding, better puzzles), it did suffer from a few little imperfections such as increased loading times. Visually, it's the best in the series, and perhaps the greatest of the Prime games, at least until the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 manages to achieve completion.

The original Metroid Prime was the first to offer radically new gameplay mechanics, proving that Metroid could survive the migration from a side-scrolling platformer to a 3D world space. And it was a departure, to be sure. For the first time, gamers saw the world from Samus Aran's own perspective, which was a huge change.

Offering lush environments to explore, fascinating puzzles, and excellent action mechanics, Metroid Prime blew gamers away back in 2002. It has shown its age over the years, mostly when it comes to controls, but it's still a playable title with a lot to offer longtime fans.

In many ways, Super Metroid was the first title to drastically revolutionize the franchise, making the leap from 8-Bit consoles to the world of 16-Bit. The Super NES had all the hardware necessary to churn out a worthy sequel that took everything the original two titles did so well and amp them up to eleven.

Super Metroid has a special kind of magic: a blend of excellent side-scrolling action mechanics, eerie sound effects and music, imaginative environments, and larger-than-life boss encounters. It's a formula that Nintendo has tried hard to duplicate over the years, and may actually succeed in doing with the upcoming Metroid Dread. Thankfully, it's currently one of many classic Nintendo titles available on the Switch service right now.