Metroid

METROID

Welcome back! I hope you all didn't miss me too much. Now, let us get started on the single best space-based Nintendo franchise (No hate to Starfox). The whole thing started off with Metroid for the NES, a 2D platforming game that had you backtracking multiple times through a big map, picking up items that let you get through to another section of the map that you couldn't access before, a style of gameplay soon dubbed Metroidvania, for the two franchises that helped define it.

The first game followed Samus Aran, a bounty hunter tasked with infiltrating a space pirate compound and eradicating the super-parasites they had engineered to overthrow the Galactic Federation. She starts out with her basic power suit and a power beam projectile. As she goes along, she picks up the ability to morph into a ball, missiles, a long beam, bombs, the ice beam, boots that let her jump higher, a stronger Varia Suit, a spinning energy move called the Screw Attack, and the wave beam that can go through walls. In the end of the game, if you've earned enough points, she'll remove her suit to reveal that she's (gasp!) a girl. You can then play the game over again in her unarmored form, but its pretty much the same.

There are basically no supporting good characters, so let's move on to the villains. Mother Brain is your final boss, a giant brain in a jar that fires lasers at you, is protected by a glass casing, and is protected by energy rings called Rinkas. Her two main bosses are Ridley and Kraid, both two prolific names that will crop up time and time again from here on out. Ridley hops around and spits fireballs, while Kraid fights with blades and shoots spikes from his chest.

Obviously, the most important enemies are the titular Metroids themselves, who appear in the final area, and mostly float around or latch on to Samus and drain her energy. Other such enemies include: Zoomers and Zeela, who crawl on the walls; Skrees, Rios, Wavers, Mellows, Gerutas, Holtzes, and Zebbos, who can fly; Rippers, Ripper IIs, Gamets, and Zebs, who float in the air; Novas, Dragons, and Polyps, that attack with fire; Squeepts, that leap; Violas and Multiviolas, who bounce; and Sidehoppers, Geegas, and Dessgeegas, who hop around. Most are pretty basic, filling specific niches to challenge Samus. Not too much to say on really any of them.

As for the stages, most of the game takes place on Planet Zebes, with three distinct zones including Brinstar, containing Kraid's lair, Norfair, containing Ridley's lair, and Tourian, where Mother Brain awaits. And really, that's about it.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Samus Aran: power suit, power beam, morph ball, missile, long beam, bomb, ice beam, high jump boots, Varia Suit, Screw Attack, wave beam

Zero-Suit Samus: All listed above (except suits of course)

Mother Brain: laser, glass casing, Rinkas, energy barriers

Ridley: hop, fireballs

Kraid: blades, spikes

Metroid: float, drain energy

Stages:

Planet Zebes

Brinstar

Norfair

Tourian

Thanks for reading! Next up, the game's handheld sequel!