Metroid Video Game Series

The action of the games in the Metroid series takes place in the distant future. Players get to know the adventures of Samus Aran, a bounty hunter who protects the galaxy from space pirates who want to use the power of the titular metroids. Inspiration for the creators of the series came from, among others, the film Alien: The Eighth Passenger of the Nostromo and the works of Hans Geiger.

In terms of gameplay mechanisms, the series is often referred to as a combination of Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. This refers primarily to the platform elements and the emphasis on terrain exploration and non-linear gameplay. Interestingly, the games in the series were the only one of the first in which the main character could move to the left and return to previously visited locations in search of secrets. With the release of Metroid Prime (2002), there were fundamental changes to the gameplay. The developers used a first-person perspective (FPP) view, and introduced elements of dynamic shooting.

Limiting the series to hardware platforms produced by Nintendo allowed developers to design games strictly for the capabilities of specific consoles. This translates, above all, into the high quality of the audiovisual setting, compared to competing productions.

Metroid is among the most important brands in Nintendo's portfolio. According to information made public by the Japanese industry giant, by August 2012 the games in the series had sold more than 17 million copies. The popularity of the series is also evidenced by the fact that the characters associated with it have repeatedly been featured in other games, as well as lived to see their own manga comics.