Nintendo launched Metroid Prime for the GameCube in 2002. This game reimagined the Metroid series with a first-person viewpoint, but still maintained the franchise’s signature puzzles, fast-paced gameplay, and immersive worlds. Metroid Prime was a huge hit for Nintendo and is now considered one of the greatest games ever made. Building on this success, Nintendo created a new Metroid Prime sub-series, which led to several sequels and related games over the following years.
Now that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally here, and with a total of seven games in the series, it’s the perfect time to rank all the Metroid Prime games from least to most enjoyable.
7. Metroid Prime Pinball
Metroid Prime Pinball is a pinball game based on the Metroid series, where you control Samus in her Morph Ball form as she navigates different levels. It’s a well-made pinball game, especially for the Nintendo DS, but it doesn’t really capture the feeling of a traditional Metroid adventure. Because of this, it’s considered one of the lesser entries in the series.
6. Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Since its announcement, Metroid Prime: Federation Force has faced a lot of criticism from Metroid fans, and it’s easy to see why. The game just isn’t very good and doesn’t capture the feeling of a traditional Metroid Prime title. That said, the core idea – a multiplayer, level-based shooter on the 3DS – had potential. Sadly, the levels were often frustrating rather than enjoyable, and the game didn’t do the Metroid universe justice.
5. Metroid Prime: Hunters
Metroid Prime: Hunters successfully brings the core Metroid experience to a handheld device in a compact form. It also introduces Sylux, a character who becomes a recurring villain throughout the Metroid Prime story. Unusually for the series, Hunters includes a multiplayer mode that’s genuinely enjoyable. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the main console games, Hunters is still a solid title, and even better when played with friends.
4. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
While the latest installment, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, isn’t quite as strong as the previous Metroid Prime games, it’s still a good game. Retro Studios has once again created a beautiful and enjoyable world to explore, complete with impressive boss battles. However, the story feels weak, and the new open-world areas often feel empty, preventing it from reaching the level of the original trilogy. Despite these flaws, Metroid Prime 4 offers a lot of promising elements that Retro Studios can build upon in future games.
3. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
I’ve always jokingly called Metroid Prime 2 a “Metroidvania for people who really like a challenge,” and I still think that fits. It’s a genuinely great game, but it’s definitely the most complicated one in the Metroid series. The addition of light and dark worlds in Echoes can make it really confusing, especially as you get further in. However, it also features one of the most interesting stories in the entire Metroid franchise, leading to a truly unforgettable ending. While you might need a walkthrough to help you finish Metroid Prime 2, it’s still a standout title in the series.
2. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Compared to earlier games, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption introduced some significant changes, and for the most part, they were successful. The game benefited from the ability to travel to different planets and the addition of Samus’s ship, which could be upgraded to help with both fighting and solving puzzles. The way Samus’s own “corruption” develops throughout the game also adds some exciting new features, especially in combat. Plus, the Wii’s motion controls provided the most intuitive control scheme in the Metroid Prime series, so much so that the first two games were later updated to include it in Metroid Prime Trilogy. While Metroid Prime 3 is a bit more straightforward than its predecessors, its changes generally improved the overall experience.
1. Metroid Prime
Despite several Metroid Prime games being released over the last 23 years, the original remains the best. Metroid Prime is a shining example of excellent level design, creating a remarkably connected and immersive world – arguably more so than any other game. Its incredible atmosphere, music, and visuals combine to form truly unique environments. Importantly, the first game also established many of the core gameplay mechanics that defined the franchise, and these were so well-executed that they remained largely unchanged in subsequent installments.
Metroid Prime isn’t just the best game in the Metroid series; it’s one of Nintendo’s most important and well-made games ever. While a future Metroid Prime game might eventually surpass it, that hasn’t happened yet.
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2025-12-06 00:42