Metroid Dread is finally real, after 19 years since Metroid Fusion, the Metroid fanbase all around the world is celebrating that another 2d Metroid is coming, and not only is it the official Metroid 5, but it’s Metroid Dread, which has been stuck in development for 15 Years. However, this is going to be the first Metroid for a lot of fans, and while the game is going to include a prologue that explains the story of Samus Aran up until Metroid Dread, a lot of new fans of the series want to get their hands on the previous games to experience what the Metroid series is all about before jumping into Metroid Dread when it launches in October. 

However, there are 4 Metroid titles before Metroid Dread, but the series has also had its fair share of remakes as well. If players want to get their hands on the Metroid series and start from the beginning, here are all the games that players are going to have to finish before jumping into Metroid Dread. 

The first entry in the Metroid series, the original Metroid for the Nintendo Entertainment System was considered a pioneer of gaming as the game wasn’t entirely linear, with the game being opened completely to the player, albeit some of the areas were blocked off by the use of certain abilities that Samus doesn’t have at the start of the game, as the player continues through the planet Zebes, Samus will find herself working through the world and opening it up slowly with more abilities that she finds. After the development of Fusion, Metroid series director Yoshio Sakamoto found himself wanting to return to the Metroid series in a remake, while some of the team mentioned that a remake of Super Metroid would be a good option, Sakamoto decided to turn his attention to the beginning of the story, making a remake of the original game on the new engine that Metroid Fuzion ran on. All while retelling the story of Samus’ original mission. The remake of Metroid also includes a slew of new weapons and abilities that were used in Fusion and Super Metroid, making the game more accessible than its NES counterpart. Many also claim that Zero mission is a more linear version of the original game, which is true, however, Samus is still able to sequence break during the game. Two new areas, as well as a section in the game where players are able to play as Zero Suit Samus, are featured in the title, as the story of Zero Mission is brought more to the forefront of the remake.

Metroid Zero Mission is available on the Gameboy Advance, as well as the WiiU Virtual Console. The Original Metroid is also available on Nintendo Switch Online, through their NES Library. If player’s want to play Zero Mission on Physical Hardware, a copy of Metroid Zero Mission Used is going to run players anywhere from $80 to $300 a copy of the game. For WiiU players, Metroid Zero Mission is available on the eShop as a virtual console title.

The second game in the series continues the story of Samus Aran, and for the original game, it was the first time that players we able to take Samus on the go, as the game launched for the original Game Boy. The story of Metroid 2 takes place after the original, as Samus Aran is sent to the planet known as SR388. The Homeworld of the Metroids. The goal of the second game was similar to the original one on the NES, with the player having an explorable world, however, the task in this game is different, as stopping the space pirates is no longer the main objective, instead, Samus attempts to eradicate all the Metroids from existence. However, being a game on a handheld console, Samus’ progression is not determined by the items she acquires, rather, through the number of Metroids she disposes of.

However, a remake of the game was put onto the 3DS in 2017. Originally, a remake of Metroid 2 wasn’t thought of yet, however, when Sakamoto started work with MercurySteam, they asked to remake Metroid Fusion rather than 2. However, Sakamoto shut this down, and instead offered to make a remake of Metroid 2 with MercurySteam, stating that since Metroid 2 is 20 Years old, it’s more deserving of a remake. Sakamoto also chose Metroid 2 as the game to be remade based on the fact that it’s the only game in the 2D Metroid series he was uninvolved with. The game was announced on the same day that Metroid Prime 4 was announced, yet the game wasn’t going to come to the Switch, instead of being put on the 3DS, when asked about this decision, Sakamoto mentioned that he had always wanted to make a Matroid game with 2 screens to visualize the map on the bottom while keeping the action on the top. This specific intention was also something that carried over from development on Metroid Dread, being the fact that it was a DS prototype, before being shelved once again until 2021, where the developers behind the Metroid 2 remake would be put in charge with Sakamoto to make Metroid Dread transition from idea to reality. In the same vein as Zero Mission, this game brought a lot of mechanics from other Metroid titles into the series, with players being able to use melee counters in the game to quickly dispatch enemies, as well as Samus being able to aim in 360 degrees while moving, only if the player has the second analog stick attachment for the 3DS or a New 3DS. Samus Returns also introduced the Charge Beam, Grapple Beam, Super Missles, Gravity Suit, and Power Bombs in the game. The Ice beam, which was used in the original game is also modified to damage all Metroids, as in the original game they were unable. It’s fair to say that players looking to play Metroid 2 after playing Zero mission should aim to get the game on 3DS. As it’s still available on the eShop. For players who want to experience the original Metroid 2 on the Gameboy, a copy of the game runs players about $35 loose.

The next game in the title is easy to come by, Super Metroid is a game for the SNES. Super Metroid is the one game that fans point to as the series had really come into its own with this title. While the previous games were made for lesser hardware, the Super Nintendo allowed for the world to be completely non-linear, helping in defining the “Metroidvania” genre of games. With this in mind, this Metroid title has become the go-to Metroid game for speedrunners. 

The story of the game follows after Metroid 2, as Samus escapes SR388 with a single infant Metroid who has imprinted on Samus, thinking it’s their mother. Samus returns the Metroid to the Galactic Federation, in which the Space Pirates attack, steal the Metroid, and Samus travels back to Zebes to finish what she started in the original game. 

Super Metroid is actually the first game in the series to allow for a map feature, something that would be implemented in every entry in the series following the SNES title. Some of the items used in Metroid 2 would also make their appearance in the game, such as the Gravity Suit, Speed Booster, Grapple Beam, and many more. This also allowed for Samus to be able to combine her weapons, using 2 beams at the same time to increase her firepower. Although, The Spazer and Plasma Beams are unable to be stacked in the game.

Playing Super Metroid is actually very accessible if players happen to own a Nintendo Switch, as the game is on the Nintendo Switch Online SNES Library, meaning that players can enjoy the game to its full capacity with their Nintendo Switch, However, it’s also available on the SNES Mini, if players are willing to pay the cash to find one second hand. 

Considered to be the black sheep of the franchise, Metroid Other M is not a traditional 2d Metroid Game, although Other M is part of the Metroid story, being an interquel between Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion. Other M is a beat-em-up game and is played with a sideways Wii controller making the control scheme similar to the NES control scheme. The game also focuses more on the story of the Metroid universe, as this is the one and only time that Samus is voiced by an actress, the game also includes cutscenes, however many players complain that the title’s cinematics are too long. On the first playthrough of the game, these cutscenes are unskippable, and only when the game is completed, on the second playthrough, the game will allow players to skip the cutscenes without having to wait through them. 

Another issue many players found with the game is the portrayal of Samus, being that from the first game up until Other M, Samus has been a character that plays by their own rules, in this title, this side of Samus’ character seems to have gone missing, as the game is not only linear but most of Samus’ items are locked behind authorization from a superior. Samus is willing to be hindered from her full potential and continues the mission without having access to integral abilities that she could have used earlier in the game. This, plus many fans complaint about Samus’ Voice Actress’ bland Monotone voice, which is heard throughout the majority of the game is the reason that many fans of the series find Other M to be the Black Sheep of the Metroid series, despite its story significance. 

The Game was also directed by Sakamoto once again, who wanted to make a Metroid game that focused on Samus as a character, due to the fact that most of the fanbase who played Metroid Prime has their own ideas of what Samus’ character was supposed to be. This got away from the consistency of Samus’ character, and Sakamoto wanted Samus’ personality to be consistent throughout the rest of the series, thus, the creation of Other M began. The fact that Other M was also supposed to integrate cutscenes into the gameplay meant that the story for Other M and the development of the gameplay were done simultaneously. Sakamoto also considers Other M to be part of the 2D Metroid series, being that the gameplay is simple and elegant, as it plays with the sideways Wii controller, an intentional decision, as weapons like the Ice Beam from the original game were made due to technical limitations, Sakamoto insisted on this controller handicap for Other M specifically so that the development team could discover workarounds to their limitations without having to brute force a fix to their issues.

For Players who want to Experience Metroid Other M, the game is available on the WiiU eShop, or if players want to experience the game on the original console a copy of the game can be bought second-hand for around 15 dollars complete. 

The Penultimate game to Metroid Dread, this entry in the series is available on the Gameboy Advance and sees the consequences of Metroid 2 come into full fruition. The Story is as follows while bodyguarding a laboratory on SR388, Samus is attacked by an alien, and after killing it, a yellow organism emerges from the enemy, and latches onto Samus and her suit, feeling nothing at first Samus continues her job, however on the flight back from SR388, Samus falls unconscious, and is saved after her ship ejects her while crashing into an asteroid belt, Samus is saved by the federation, but the least of her worries are over. As it turns out, by eradicating all the Metroids in Metroid 2, their prey, the X-Parasite are able to exponentially reproduce, taking over any lifeform on the planet, by the time that Samus is in the operating room, the parasite has merged the power suit with Samus’ body, and parts of it have to be surgically removed, while the doctors think that Samus will be unable to survive, Someone in the Galactic Federation proposed that since the Metroid’s were the X-Parasites natural predator, making a cure with some of the remaining cells of the Metroid Samus saved during the events of Metroid 2 would save Samus’ life. This worked, however it altered Samus’ DNA, making her Part Metroid. While she’s now able to absorb and replenish her life and ammo with the X Parasite, she’s also gained the Metroid’s one weakness, Cold. On top of this, parts of Samus’ infected suit were sent back to SR388, and now have come back to life, turning themselves into a warped version of the bounty hunter named SA-X. Now, much like Metroid 2, Samus is sent back to SR388 and tasked with the removal of the X-Parasite. 

This game is more linear than any other Metroid title, being the fact that Samus is given clear objectives from a computer she’s in contact with named Adam, as the computer reminds her of her Commanding Officer from when she worked for the federation, based on the fact that it keeps bossing her around, something she doesn’t enjoy. Sequence breaking, which is a staple of games like Super Metroid and to an extent the original Metroid Game, are impossible in Metroid Fusion until near the end of the game, as the computer is able to lock and unlock doors based on what objective Samus is going for. However, some of the world changes throughout the gameplay based on what Samus has done before in previous missions. Much like the upcoming Metroid Dread, Samus is stalked by the SA-X and due to her natural weakness to cold from the Metroid Vaccine, Samus will be bombarded by the SA-X’s ice beam and Super missile, with these attacks doing so much damage to Samus, the only option for players is to run and hide. 

The game also boasted some link cable goodies if linked with either Metroid Prime or Zero Mission, connecting the game with Prime after completing the title would allow the player to don the Fusion suit from the GBA game in Metroid Prime, connecting the game to Zero Mission would unlock a gallery of images from Metroid Fusion in Zero Mission.

There are multiple ways that players could play Metroid Fusion now before the release of Metroid Dread. One such way is playing the game on the 3DS through the ambassador program, as the game was given to players for free if they purchased a 3DS before the price drop that occurred months after the release of the console. Another option is to play the game through the WiiU virtual shop console. As many fans picked up Metroid Fusion after the announcement of Dread, making the game the most purchased eShop item of June 2021. Lastly, if players want to fork over the cash for the cartridge on Gameboy Advance, it’s going to run them around $70.

The Short answer is no, but the real answer is more complicated. Metroid Prime is considered to be a sub-series by many, but is actually canon to the 2D Metroid Story, albeit it’s something that Sakamoto was going to originally make as a non-canon-contained sub-story. However, after deliberation, Sakamoto decided that it would be better if the series was canon, thus working through the lore Metroid Prime 1, 2, and 3, are put in between Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid 2. 

Playing the Metroid Prime series is optional, as the 4^th game in the series was announced during E3 2017, and hasn’t had any more information about the game brought to light yet. With the series still continuing, playing Zero Mission, and then Samus Returns would be the best course of action comparative to playing Prime, which can be done if players are still itching for more Samus after beating fusion. 

It’s all a matter of taste, if players want to experience the entirety of the Metroid Story, playing Metroid Zero Mission and Samus Returns would be the best bet, especially Samus Returns. As the game is made by MercurySteam, the developers behind Metroid Dread, meaning that a lot of the mechanics from Samus Returns are going to be included in Metroid Dread, such as the melee counter, and 360 aiming. Both of the remakes also recontextualize the series story as well, including extra sections and boss fights, Samus Returns has a boss that makes the Prime storyline canon to the main story. However, coming across copies of Zero Mission and Fusion would be a daunting task for not only the player, but their wallet, so finding an alternative to playing the game, such as the WiiU eShop, will most likely be necessary.

Regardless, the Metroid series is finally Letting Players continue the story of Samus Aran, while this has been something that players all over the world are going to enjoy, the announcement of not only Metroid 5, but Metroid Dread is something that the Metroid community needed, and is going to bring about many more Metroid fans in the coming years, bringing the series back into the hearts of those who have played it since the beginning, and those who are now about to pick it up for the first time.