Classic video game Metroid celebrates its 30th anniversary this month

Thirty years ago this month—in an age when video games experienced reinvigoration thanks to the 8-bit wonder that is the Nintendo Entertainment System—a little action-adventure game that dared to bend the boundaries of space adventure and science fiction was born.

That game is Metroid, a legendary Nintendo franchise that is just as iconic as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda series. The game introduced us to the space-faring bounty hunter Samus Aran, who embarks on a mission to retrieve parasitic organisms known as Metroids from Space Pirates who have stolen them to use against the galaxy.

Released on August 6, 1986, Metroid was played on Nintendo’s Famicon Disk System before it eventually made its way into the familiar NES 8-bit cartridge.

Combining the platform elements of Super Mario Bros. with the quest and RPG mechanics of the Legend of Zelda, Metroid explored the regions of space and put players in the shoes of the bounty hunter, Samus Aran—who is revealed to be a woman at the end of the game.

Metroid was also known for its ability to unlock seemingly inaccessible areas with power ups and abilities that highly encouraged exploration in the game.

Additionally, there were multiple endings that were unlocked depending on how fast you completed the game.

Becoming one of the best-selling titles in the NES library, Metroid went on to influence several other games down the line, including Konami’s Castlevania series and its Playstation-era hit wonder title, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Samus would eventually return in several sequels released on subsequent Nintendo platforms, including Metroid II: Return of Samus, where her armor sported the definitive and iconic look it still has today. The Super NES would see a souped-up sequel with Super Metroid in the 90’s, but the franchise would take a complete evolutionary turn with the release of Metroid Prime for the Gamecube—the first of the Metroid Prime Trilogy and directing the series towards a first-person type of adventure game.

With Metroid still going strong 30 years on and with plenty of opportunities to reignite the fire of the franchise, fans are looking forward to Nintendo’s next move in the development of this classic game. Happy 30th anniversary, Metroid! — BM, GMA News