One of the foundational games in all of video gaming. Samus Aran in armor in a labyrinthine alien world to explore freely. Unique solitary and oppressive atmosphere. Revolutionary, timeless, absolutely essential.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player7+
Description
Action-adventure in which Samus Aran explores planet Zebes to destroy the Metroids and defeat Mother Brain. Published by Nintendo, released in Europe in 1987. Samus in side-scrolling view exploring Zebes non-linearly, power-ups to unlock for new zone access and Kraid and Ridley bosses. A founding metroidvania masterpiece on NES.
Metroid review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
Dark alien caverns, winding corridors and oppressive solitude: the game composes a science fiction of astonishing atmosphere for the 8-bit. The vertical exploration and the atmosphere of isolation stand apart from the rest of the library. This visual direction, austere and spellbinding, laid the foundations of a legendary saga.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Punishing"
Dropped without a map or guidance onto planet Zebes, the player must memorize a sprawling maze where each upgrade opens new passages. Tough enemies, backtracking and the lack of landmarks test one's sense of direction as much as skill. Spare but fascinating, this pioneer of exploration rewards the curiosity and tenacity of those who dare to get lost in it.
The European PAL NES edition of the Metroid lineage founder, distributed on a standard grey cart. The PAL print is markedly shorter than the US version, and CIB in the original cardboard box with poster and multilingual manual is one of the classic NES PAL grails. The cote climbs steadily over fifteen years, independent of recent Metroid releases, and stays structuring for any ambitious Nintendo PAL collection.
A cult cover
Visor down and arm cannon raised, the hunter Samus stands out against the organic depths of Zebes, in a cold, oppressive sci-fi painting. The metallic palette and the teeming background instantly convey the solitude and danger of underground exploration. A strikingly strange piece of art that concealed one of gaming's most famous twists.
Is Metroid still worth playing in 2026?
Metroid on NES is one of the founding games of video games. Samus Aran in her armour, exploring a labyrinthine alien world freely, a unique lonely oppressive atmosphere and Hirokazu Tanaka's unforgettable score, Nintendo's title invented an entire genre that bears its name. Controls demand patience today and the lack of an in-game map can disorient, but the satisfaction of mapping a dark hostile world stays intact. Absolutely essential to know today.
