Super Metroid is a 1994 action-adventure game created by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and released by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is the third game in the Metroid series, following the Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991). In the game, players control Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who travels to the planet Zebes to recover an infant Metroid creature that was stolen by the Space Pirate leader, Ridley.
The game uses a similar style to earlier Metroid games, focusing on exploration. Players search for power-ups to access new areas. It introduced features such as a screen where players manage items, a map that automatically updates, and the ability to fire in 8 directions. Developers from previous Metroid games, including Yoshio Sakamoto, Makoto Kano, and Gunpei Yokoi, worked on the game for two years. The team aimed to create a true action game and set the stage for Samus' return in future games.
Super Metroid received praise for its atmosphere, gameplay, music, and graphics. It is often considered one of the greatest video games of all time. The game sold well, with 1.42 million copies sold worldwide by late 2003. Alongside Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid helped create the Metroidvania genre, which inspired many indie games and developers. It was followed by Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime in 2002. The game has been re-released on several Nintendo consoles and platforms.
Gameplay
Super Metroid is a 2D side-scrolling action-adventure game that takes place mainly on the fictional planet Zebes, a large world with areas connected by doors and elevators. The player controls Samus Aran as she searches the planet for a Metroid that has been stolen by Ridley, the leader of the Space Pirates. Samus can run, jump, crouch, and fire a weapon in eight directions. She can also perform actions like wall jumping, which lets her move from one wall to another quickly to reach high places. The "Moon Walk" ability, named after a dance move, allows Samus to walk backward while firing or charging her weapon.
As the game progresses, the player can collect power-ups that improve Samus's armor, weapons, and abilities, giving her access to new areas. The Morph Ball lets Samus curl into a ball to fit into tight spaces; she can plant bombs in this form after obtaining the Bomb power-up. The Spring Ball adds the ability to jump while in Morph Ball form. The Speed Booster lets Samus run quickly to break barriers and defeat enemies. The Hi-Jump Boots allow her to jump higher, and the Space Jump lets her jump repeatedly in midair. The Grapple Beam helps Samus swing across open spaces. The X-ray Scope reveals hidden items and passages.
The heads-up display shows Samus's health, the status of Reserve Tanks (backup units that restore health automatically), weapon icons, and a map showing her location. The inventory screen lets the player activate or deactivate weapons and abilities. Beam weapons can be combined, but the Spazer and Plasma beams cannot be used at the same time. At the end of the game, Samus gains the Hyper Beam, a strong weapon powered by energy from the "super Metroid," the grown version of the creature she is searching for. Reserve Tanks automatically refill Samus's health when it runs out. The automap helps players navigate the world, and map computers in each area show unexplored locations. To save progress, players must use save stations scattered across the planet. They can also save, recharge health, and restock ammunition at Samus's gunship.
The game has three endings based on how long it takes to complete it, which determines whether Samus is shown wearing her suit or not. The best ending occurs if the game is finished in less than three hours. If the player rescues the Dachora and Etecoons, two friendly creatures Samus meets, they are shown leaving the planet in the distance.
Plot
Samus Aran takes the last Metroid larva to the Ceres space colony for scientific research. Scientists study the larva and discover its ability to produce energy, which could help society. Soon after, Samus receives a distress call telling her to return to the colony right away. She finds the scientists dead and learns the Metroid larva has been stolen by Ridley, leader of the Space Pirates. Samus escapes during the colony's self-destructing process and follows Ridley to the planet Zebes. She searches the planet and finds the Space Pirates have rebuilt their base there.
After defeating three bosses in different areas of Zebes, Samus confronts Ridley in his lair and defeats him. She discovers the capsule holding the Metroid larva is broken, and the larva is missing. Samus then travels to Tourian, the center of the Space Pirates' base, and fights several Metroids that have grown from the larva. She faces the Metroid, which has grown very large. It attacks Samus but stops when it sees her. Because Samus was present when the Metroid hatched on SR388, the creature recognizes her as its "mother."
Samus battles Mother Brain, a biomechanical creature that controls Zebes. Mother Brain defeats Samus, but the Metroid helps by weakening Mother Brain and healing Samus. Mother Brain attacks again and kills the Metroid. However, when the Metroid dies, it gives Samus the Hyper Beam, a powerful weapon that can destroy Mother Brain. Samus escapes Zebes as it self-destructs.
Development
Super Metroid was created by Nintendo R&D1, a team of 15 people led by Gunpei Yokoi. Yoshio Sakamoto was the writer and director, and Makoto Kano was the producer. Intelligent Systems, who helped create the original Metroid with R&D1, handled the programming. The game’s opening narration was done by Dan Owsen, an employee of Nintendo of America.
Super Metroid was released nearly ten years after the original Metroid. Sakamoto explained that the team wanted to wait until action games were more popular and to prepare for Samus Aran’s return. It took Nintendo six months to approve the project and two more years to complete it.
The developers aimed to create a strong action game. This was the first Metroid game where Samus could shoot in all directions while moving. It also featured one of the earliest open-world maps, showing room outlines and important locations. The team wanted a large map but faced challenges organizing the graphics, so they divided it into smaller sections. Some areas from earlier Metroid games were included to help players feel familiar with the world.
Before the game’s release, the North American Entertainment Software Rating Board was created to address concerns about violent content in games like Mortal Kombat (1992). Sakamoto said the game’s violence was meant to help Samus protect peace, not for its own sake. Super Metroid was shown at the Winter 1994 Consumer Electronics Show and was named the best Super NES game at the event by GamePro.
The music was composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano, using updated versions of music from earlier games. The Super NES had better sound hardware than the NES, allowing more channels for simultaneous sound playback. Yamamoto believed rich sounds, like a female chorus, were needed to make the game world feel real. He created the main theme by humming while riding his motorcycle to work.
Yamamoto also programmed the game’s sound and designed sound effects, including those for an infant Metroid to express emotions. His roles as composer, programmer, and sound effect creator helped him create a unique Metroid soundtrack. The music from Super Metroid was later used in Metroid Prime and its sequels to please longtime fans.
A soundtrack album called Super Metroid: Sound in Action was released by Sony Records on June 22, 1994. It includes 38 tracks and lasts 58 minutes and 49 seconds. The album features the original Metroid soundtrack by Hirokazu Tanaka and additional tracks arranged by Yoshiyuki Ito and Masumi Ito.
Release
The game was first released by Nintendo in Japan on March 19, 1994, in North America on April 18, and in Europe on July 28. It came on a 24-megabit cartridge. It was released again through the Nintendo Power service in Japan on September 30, 1997. Super Metroid became available as a Wii Virtual Console game in North America on August 20, 2007, in Japan on September 20, and in Europe on October 12. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it is one of the trial games in the "Masterpieces" section. This section uses Virtual Console technology to copy older game systems and includes time limits. The game was released on the Wii U Virtual Console in May 2013. It was first sold at a lower price during a trial period. Then, the price went back to normal the following month. The New Nintendo 3DS-specific Virtual Console also received the release in April 2016. In September 2017, Nintendo released the Super NES Classic Edition, which included Super Metroid among its games. Super Metroid and other Super NES games were added to the Nintendo Classics service in September 2019.
Reception
Super Metroid received very high scores on a website called GameRankings. Reviewers from Famitsu praised the game, saying it was as good as the Legend of Zelda series because of how fun it was to explore and how well the difficulty was balanced. Chris Slate from the Game Players magazine said he really enjoyed the game, calling it "easily up to everyone's high expectations." He liked how Nintendo combined smooth and complex gameplay with advanced graphics and sound. He thought the auto-mapping feature, which helps players keep track of their progress, was something the original Metroid should have had. He also said that even after beating the game, players would want to play it again because of the large world and many secrets to find. Nintendo Power said the game "may well be the best action adventure game ever," calling it "the wave of the future" and praising its graphics, sound, and controls. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game their "Game of the Month" award, saying it was better than the original Metroid and praising its graphics, weapons, items, and music. All four reviewers gave it scores of nine out of ten. GamePro said the controls were sometimes hard to use and that some power-ups were similar to those in other games, but they praised the game's size and the auto-mapping feature. Andy Robinson from GamesRadar said the game's soundtrack was "phenomenal" and called it "one of the best video game scores of all time."
Super Play critic Zy Nicholson said Super Metroid felt more like an experience than a game, comparing it to watching a late-night movie because of its cinematic style and atmosphere. He said the game was so engaging that he wanted to play it "without eating or sleeping." Super Play critic Tony Mott said the game's atmosphere was its best part, describing it as a mix of Aliens, Turrican, Exile, and Nodes of Yesod. He praised the controls and called the game "undoubtedly the best I've played this year so far" and "a game destined for classic status." James Leach agreed, saying Super Metroid had everything he looked for, like fun gameplay, hidden tricks, powerful weapons, and strong enemies. All three reviewers said Super Metroid was one of the best games for the SNES platform.
Edge said the game's graphics were not as good as expected and that it was too short, but they called it "intensely playable" and full of memorable moments. IGN said the Virtual Console version of the game was a "must-own," even though it came out nine months after the Wii launched. They said players who had never played Super Metroid should try it because it was worth the wait. Frank Provo from GameSpot said it was surprising that Nintendo waited 13 years to make the game available again, but he said players could now enjoy it without needing the original SNES cartridge or emulators. He called the Virtual Console version a basic version of a 13-year-old game but still said Super Metroid was "one of the best 2D action adventure games ever produced."
In Japan, Super Metroid was the ninth-best-selling video game of 1994, with 531,000 copies sold that year. In North America, even though the game was highly praised, it was released when the SNES platform was ending. Nintendo's marketing helped the game sell well, and it topped the Super NES sales chart in May 1994. A year later, Nintendo labeled it as a "Player's Choice" game. By late 2003, the game had sold 1.42 million copies worldwide.
Super Metroid won many awards. Electronic Gaming Monthly named it "Game of the Month" for May 1994, gave it an Editors' Choice award, called it the Best Action Game of 1994, and named it the best game of all time in 2003. IGN ranked it 3rd in 2003, 10th in 2005, and 7th in 2007 in their top 100 games of all time. IGN readers also ranked it 11th in 2005 and 4th in 2006. Richard George of IGN said the game was 3rd on his list of top SNES games, praising its perfect action, level design, atmosphere, and large world to explore. GamesRadar called it the best SNES game ever, and Nintendo Power said it was the best game in the Metroid series, beating out Metroid Prime and Metroid: Zero Mission. GamePro listed it as one of the top 15 must-play retro games on the Wii. Game Informer ranked it 29th on their top 100 games of all time in 2001. In 2018, Complex listed it 3rd on their "Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time" list, calling it a "tour de force from Nintendo" with perfect gameplay. In 1995, Total! ranked it 17th on its "Top 100 SNES Games" list, and Flux listed it 62nd on their "Top 100 Video Games" list, praising its challenging gameplay and atmosphere but saying it was too similar to its predecessor.
Legacy
Super Metroid is often considered one of the greatest video games ever made. Jeremy Parish from USgamer said that Super Metroid is a game players can return to many times and always learn something new. Chris Hoffman from Nintendo Power called it "truly one of the best," noting that it set a new standard for side-scrolling adventure games. Andrew Webster from Ars Technica praised the game's atmosphere and said the developers improved the theme of solitude, which first appeared in the original Metroid game. Joe Juba from Game Informer highlighted the game's ending as one of the most memorable and powerful moments in gaming history. In 2009, Official Nintendo Magazine described the game as "challenging, deep, and undeniably epic," ranking it 24th on a list of the greatest Nintendo games.
Super Metroid gives players rewards based on how quickly they complete the game. Its open-ended design allows players to complete tasks out of order, making it a popular choice for speedrunning, a type of play where players aim to finish the game as fast as possible. Alongside Konami's 1997 game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Super Metroid helped create the "Metroidvania" genre. It influenced later games such as Shadow Complex and Axiom Verge.
Fans created ROM hacks, which are modified versions of the game with new features. One example is Super Metroid: Redesign, made by "drewseph" in 2006, which includes new items, expanded areas, and changed physics. In 2011, a Japanese hacker named "SB" released Metroid: Super Zero Mission, combining elements from Super Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission. Later hacks, like Hyper Metroid by "RealRed" and Super Junkoid by "P. Yoshi," added new mechanics, graphics, and storylines.
Nintendo did not release another Metroid game for eight years because the series had not reached the same success as the Mario and Legend of Zelda franchises. Yokoi left Nintendo in August 1996 after the Virtual Boy's failure and died in a car accident in October 1997.
Fans eagerly awaited a Metroid game for the Nintendo 64 (N64). Shigeru Miyamoto, a Nintendo producer, said the company could not develop a Metroid game for the N64 because they lacked clear ideas. Sakamoto said he could not imagine how to use the N64 controller to control Samus. Nintendo asked another company to make an N64 Metroid game, but the offer was refused because the developers felt they could not match the quality of Super Metroid.
In late 2002, Nintendo released Metroid Fusion, a 2D sequel for the Game Boy Advance made by Nintendo R&D1, and Metroid Prime, a first-person game for the GameCube made by Retro Studios. Prime was the first Metroid game to use 3D graphics. Both Fusion and Prime received praise, with Prime winning several Game of the Year awards. Prime had three sequels: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007), and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (2025). In 2010, Metroid: Other M was released, set between Super Metroid and Fusion.
After a long development period, a fifth 2D game and sequel to Fusion, Metroid Dread, was released in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch. It received critical acclaim and was developed by MercurySteam, the team behind Metroid: Samus Returns.