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However, the story continues in 2004’s Zero Missionfor Game Boy Advance (an expanded remake of the original game) where Samus is unceremoniously shot down before crashing onto another part of Zebes. She makes it back to her gunship, where, in the original 1986 version of Metroid, she flies off after seemingly foiling the Space Pirates’ plans. Cut to Samus racing back through debris and back to the surface in an attempt to escape. With them out of the way, Samus faces up against their leader, Mother Brain: a mysterious mixture of both a real brain and artificial intelligence.ĭefeating Mother Brain in her final form sets off Planet Zebes’ explosive self-destruct sequence. Areas such as Brinstar, Norfair, and Tourian slowly open up to her until she must eventually fend off two of the most dangerous Space Pirate commanders: Kraid and Ridley. Sent there by the Galactic Federation after several other failed attempts, her mission is to help prevent an evil faction of “Space Pirates” from creating dangerous biological weapons by harnessing the unique energy of Metroids: an alien species with origins dating back thousands of years (more on that later).Īs the enemy’s chief stronghold, Samus is forced to traverse through Zebes’ many maze-like passageways and structures as she gains new skills, power-ups, and suit upgrades along the way. The Metroid story begins with Samus Aran touching down on the atmospheric planet Zebes in the year 205X. So in case you haven’t had the chance to experience this entire series for yourself (or if you just need a refresher), this is the Metroid timeline so far… Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission In this article we’ll break down every mainline Metroid installment in chronological order, covering their basic plot elements and explaining in detail how each game leads into the next. Don’t know where the Metroid timeline begins and ends? You’ve come to the right place. After all, by the time Metroid Dread launches for Nintendo Switch on October 8, it will have been a staggering 19 years since Samus was asked to save the galaxy in 2002’s Metroid Fusion. You’d be forgiven for not knowing all of that, though.


The adventures of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran are actually connected and impact one another in ways that you just don’t see in even Nintendo’s most celebrated series.

In addition to being one of the most underserved first-party Nintendo franchises, Metroid is also one of the few Nintendo franchises to have a strong, consistent, and cohesive narrative canon.
