Metroid: Zero Mission

Go all the way back to the very beginning and do it over again – better, more beautifully and more cleverly. That is exactly what Metroid: Zero Mission achieved, a remake of the very first Metroid from 1986 that is often called perhaps the best gateway into the whole series. Built on the refined engine of the previous game Metroid Fusion, it takes the iconic but, for its era, rough original and modernizes it from the ground up.

The Metroidvania genre – named after this very series and after Castlevania – rests on an interconnected world that gradually opens up depending on the abilities the heroine acquires. Bounty hunter Samus Aran explores the planet Zebes, collects suit upgrades, unlocks new areas and defeats bosses. Zero Mission perfects this loop: the controls are brisk and precise, the graphics are generations ahead of the original, and the map is finally clear, so the player does not get lost in a maze of corridors the way they once did.

The most interesting new element, though, is a completely new closing stretch that the original game did not have at all. In it Samus loses her powerful suit and must – vulnerable and all but defenseless – sneak through an enemy base. This stealth sequence lends the story tension and gives Samus, as a character, an unexpected humanity; it is a clever way to freshen up a familiar pattern and surprise even series veterans.

Zero Mission came out in 2004 from the legendary internal studio Nintendo R&D1, the cradle of the whole Metroid brand. It combines respect for the original with the courage to rewrite it where needed, and the result is a game that has not run out of breath even after years. For a newcomer it is ideal in how clearly it teaches the genre's principles without losing depth.

Anyone who wants to understand why the Metroid series inspired an entire genre, and at the same time enjoy polished handheld action with the atmosphere of lonely exploration, should not hesitate. It is a remake as one should look – faithful and bold at once.

Why play it: For a beautifully tuned Metroidvania and a cleverly reworked classic Metroid with a gripping new finale – the best entry point into the series.