It all began with just a few steps to the left...
After 25 years, Metroid is still one of the best of Nintendo's classics, introducing the legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran and her chief opponents the Space Pirates. The series has grown well beyond the original game and contains it's own unique story within the games and through the manga.
In Metroid, Samus had to fight her way through Zebes to find and destroy the Metroids that the Pirates had stolen, as well as the Pirate's operating base and leaders. She fought the infamous Kraid and Ridley, then finishing off the leader, Mother Brain, to save the galaxy.
The NES game was enjoyed by people of all ages everywhere, inspiring the production of it's sequel, Metroid II, which brought Samus to the homeworld of the deadly Metroids, SR388, to eradicate them for the galaxy's protection. She traveled under the world, looking in all the catacombs of the planet, killing all the Metroids she came across. She destroyed all of them but one: a baby that had just hatched and saw Samus as it's mother. Together they returned to the Galactic Federation.
Super Metroid, often viewed as the true classic, was released for the SNES. Comforted that her "baby" was safe in GF hands, Samus left to find another bounty. But when the colony with the Metroid was attacked, she quickly raced over only to find that Ridley, her arch nemesis, had stolen the baby. Her chase with Ridley brought her back to Zebes, where she discovered the Pirates had developed a second base. Samus stormed the planet in search of the baby Metroid and eventually killed Ridley, but shebcould not find it. She decided she would destroyed the base again as her revenge. In the second Tourian she found several Metroids, and one three times as large as any other. It almost killed her before it stopped and made a familiar chirp before flying away. Samus finally fought Mother Brain again, but was quickly overwhelmed by her power. Just before the killing blast was released, the large Metroid flew in and attacked Mother Brain, then proceeded to restore Samus. It was the Metroid hatchling! It sacrificed its life to save her. Using the power given to her by the baby, she quickly laid waste to Mother Brain, destroying the planet in the process. With all the Metroids dead and the Pirates obliterated, her missions were complete.
Years later, Metroid Fusion was released. Samus visited SR388 again to collect specimens for studies. However, she was infected by an extremely deadly creature, the X Parasite. Only a vaccine created with the last Metroid DNA from the baby would save her, but she would be permanently part-Metroid. She was called to the BSL station, where the specimens and her infected suit were sent, to investigate a mysterious explosion. It soon became apparent that the X were spreading throughout the entire station and infecting every living creature. Within the station, a powerful being was helping the X, which was quickly discovered to be the X mimicking Samus. Samus had to rid the station of the X and avoid the indestructable SA-X at all costs. She finally managed to destroy the station and SR388 before the X could leave and destroy the galaxy, marking her last mission for now.
Several other games were released, such as the Prime series and Other M. But for now, we eagerly await the 5th installment to the Metroid series.
Happy 25th Anniversary!