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For a newcomer, a remake-friendly story order is the clearest way into Metroid: start with Metroid: Zero Mission, follow the Prime trilogy, then play Metroid: Samus Returns, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion and Metroid Dread. Treat Metroid: Other M as optional, and add Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid if you want the newest Prime chapter. This is a practical recommendation, not an order Nintendo requires.
The recommended Metroid order for a first playthrough
This route uses the modern remakes for the first two story chapters, places the Prime adventures in their broad chronological position, and then follows the numbered 2D story to its current chapter. You do not have to play every spin-off to understand the central sequence.
- Metroid: Zero Mission — a remake of the original Metroid, and the best starting point for this route.
- Metroid Prime — begins the first-person Prime branch after the opening story.
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes — continues that branch.
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption — completes the original Prime trilogy.
- Metroid: Samus Returns — a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, the next main 2D chapter after the opening story.
- Super Metroid — the game Nintendo labels METROID 3 in its opening video.
- Metroid: Other M — optional; play it here if you want the additional story between Super Metroid and Fusion.
- Metroid Fusion — labeled METROID 4 in its opening video.
- Metroid Dread — the chapter identified as METROID 5.
For the newest Prime entry, insert Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid and before Fusion. Post-launch reporting on a developer interview places it there in the chronology. Its story involves another dimension and is not necessary for following the numbered 2D sequence. The game launched on December 4, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
If you play both Prime 4 and Other M, their relative order is not established by the chronology information available here. Both can be treated as additional stories in the stretch after Super Metroid and before Fusion; you do not need to solve that ambiguity to follow the main sequence.
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- Become intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran and explore an alien planet in this critically-acclaimed first-person adventure
- Use and upgrade abilities like the Morph Ball, Missiles, and an array of beams to survive the harsh environments and lethal creatures of the planet Tallon IV
- Gain abilities and revisit areas to uncover the different routes and secrets hiding in a beautiful-yet-threatening interconnected world
- Scan your surroundings to gather information about the planet’s history and the creatures that call it home or to reveal enemies’ weak points
- Choose from multiple control options and experience revamped graphics, sound, and unlockable art in this remastered classic
Why this order works
It starts with the original chapter without requiring an old release
Zero Mission retells the first game, so it gives a new player the opening chapter while avoiding the need to seek out the original 1986 release. Nintendo describes Zero Mission and Samus Returns as remakes of the first and second Metroid games. Choosing the remakes is a convenience, not a claim that the originals have no value: the earlier versions remain an option for players interested in the series’ history.
It keeps the Prime games together
The Prime games are first-person adventures, distinct from the side-scrolling 2D installments that carry the numbered main-story labels. Playing Prime, Echoes and Corruption in sequence lets their branch unfold together before returning to the 2D chapters. The Prime branch belongs between the opening Metroid story and Metroid II in the older broad chronology.
It ends with the numbered 2D story in order
Nintendo’s Metroid Dread Report Vol. 4, published August 6, 2021, explains that Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion do not show numbers in their titles, but their opening videos identify them as METROID 3 and METROID 4. The same report notes that the Dread announcement trailer labels that game METROID 5. Those labels make the sequence straightforward: Super Metroid, then Fusion, then Dread.
The label is useful evidence about the central 2D story, but it does not mean every other game must be played first. In particular, the Prime titles and spin-offs form branches rather than prerequisites to understanding the numbered run. Nintendo described the series as spanning 35 years in that 2021 report; that is a historical figure for the report’s publication, not a current count.
Do you need to play every Metroid game?
No. If your priority is the numbered 2D storyline, use this shorter sequence:
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- Become intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran and explore an alien planet in this critically-acclaimed first-person adventure.
- Use and upgrade abilities like the Morph Ball, Missiles, and an array of beams to survive the harsh environments and lethal creatures of the planet Tallon IV.
- Gain abilities and revisit areas to uncover the different routes and secrets hiding in a beautiful-yet-threatening interconnected world.
- Scan your surroundings to gather information about the planet’s history and the creatures that call it home or to reveal enemies’ weak points.
- Choose from multiple control options and experience revamped graphics, sound, and unlockable art in this remastered classic.
- Zero Mission
- Samus Returns
- Super Metroid
- Fusion
- Dread
This skips the first-person Prime branch and Other M without breaking the order of the five numbered chapters. Add the Prime games if you want their separate adventures, rather than because you need them to decode the main 2D sequence. Add Other M if you want the optional story between Super Metroid and Fusion.
For a fuller chronology, include the Prime titles between Zero Mission and Samus Returns, then place Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid and before Fusion. The Prime series is not one uninterrupted run of numbered chapters, so it is reasonable to leave its spin-offs out of a first playthrough.
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If you want the full Prime branch, include the two spin-offs at these points:
- Metroid Prime Hunters: play it after Metroid Prime and before Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
- Metroid Prime: Federation Force: play it after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
They are additions to the Prime branch, not extra numbered 2D chapters. A player who is mainly interested in the central Samus story can skip them on a first pass and return later. If you do include them, use the positions above to preserve the broad branch order rather than inserting them into the five-game 2D sequence.
Chronological order or release order?
Choose based on what you want to experience. Chronological order organizes events in the fictional timeline; release order shows how players encountered the games and how the series’ design changed. The two approaches answer different questions, and neither is a universal requirement.
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- STEP BACK INTO THE SUIT Become the bounty hunter Samus Aran once again in Metroid Prime Remastered. The critically-acclaimed, first-person adventure has been revamped for Nintendo Switch
- THE CLASSIC ADVENTURE, REBORN Calm and capable, Samus takes on this solo mission but she is far from alone. Step into her boots as you navigate the winding paths and interconnected environments of an
- With revamped graphics, sound, unlockable art, and updated control schemes, Samus’ 3D debut has reached even greater heights. Use new dual-stick controls, intuitive motion aiming, revert to classic
- EXPLORE THE ALIEN ENVIRONMENTS AND EERIE ISOLATION OF TALLON IV Journey through diverse biomes as you uncover the Space Pirates’ sinister experiments and gather information about the toxic substance
- Region-free compatibility: Region-free/unlocked game works on compatible systems; international version may differ in age rating, labeling or instructions
| Approach | Best for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Remake-friendly story order | First-time players who want a coherent route with accessible versions of the opening chapters | Begins with Zero Mission, groups the Prime trilogy, then follows the main 2D chapters. Add Prime 4 after Super Metroid if desired. |
| Numbered 2D order | Players most interested in the central side-scrolling story | Play Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Super Metroid, Fusion and Dread; leave Prime and other optional entries aside. |
| Release order | Players who want to see the series develop as it did for its original audience | Start with the original Metroid and continue by release date. Decide whether your list counts remakes, remasters, ports and spin-offs as separate releases. |
A complete release-order list depends on what counts as a separate game: the series has remakes, remasters, ports and spin-offs, so a list that includes every version will differ from one that follows only original game releases. Nintendo says the original Metroid launched on the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in 1986; North American and European NES releases followed later. That regional release distinction matters if you are trying to reconstruct exactly when players in a particular market first encountered each game.
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Where does Metroid Prime 4: Beyond go?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a post-Super Metroid, pre-Fusion entry according to post-launch reporting of a developer interview. That position is a notable exception to older Prime timelines, which placed the Prime branch between the first Metroid story and Metroid II. Older chronology guides published before Prime 4 launched cannot establish its final placement, so use them for the older sequence rather than treating their Prime 4 position as current.
You can play Prime 4 after Super Metroid for chronological placement, or play it separately after the original Prime trilogy if you would rather keep the first-person games together. It is not presented as a required bridge into Fusion; the reported other-dimension storyline need not change how you follow the 2D chapters. Its launch date was December 4, 2025, on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Metroid games can you play on Switch?
Nintendo’s UK Metroid hub lists Metroid Prime Remastered and Metroid Dread as Switch releases, and also lists classic titles through Nintendo Switch Online. The hub identifies the original Metroid on NES, Super Metroid on SNES, and Metroid II on Game Boy. It lists Fusion and Zero Mission on Game Boy Advance with an Expansion Pack membership. Nintendo’s product schedule records Prime 4: Beyond and its Switch 2 Edition for December 4, 2025.
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That is a UK-specific catalog snapshot, not a guarantee that the same titles, tiers or editions are available in every country. Check Nintendo’s current catalog for your region and the membership terms before choosing a route based on subscription access. Also distinguish an original game in a classic library from a remake or remaster: the title may be accessible without being the same version used in the recommended remake-friendly sequence.
If access to the older chapters is the obstacle, you can still choose the story order first and decide which versions are available to you. The sequence is about where a story fits, not a requirement to own every original platform or version.
Common mistakes when choosing an order
- Treating every release as a numbered chapter: Nintendo’s numbered labels establish the 2D sequence, not a requirement to include each Prime spin-off in it.
- Assuming release order and story order are interchangeable: the original games, remakes and chronology do not line up as a simple list of first releases.
- Using an older guide for Prime 4’s placement: pre-launch timelines could not account for its reported post-launch position after Super Metroid.
- Assuming a UK catalog applies worldwide: Nintendo’s UK hub is useful for its listed region, but availability and service tiers should be checked locally.
- Thinking you must finish every branch before Dread: the numbered 2D sequence can be followed without completing the Prime spin-offs.
A simple decision rule
- Want the most approachable story route? Use the remake-friendly order at the top.
- Want the numbered 2D story only? Play the five main 2D chapters in order and skip Prime and Other M for now.
- Want every Prime adventure? Add Hunters between the first two Prime games and Federation Force after the third; put Prime 4 after Super Metroid.
- Want to see how the series evolved? Start with the original Metroid and follow release dates, deciding whether remakes, remasters, ports and spin-offs count as separate entries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start with Metroid?
For a newcomer-friendly story route, start with Metroid: Zero Mission, Nintendo’s remake of the original game. You can also begin with the original Metroid if you want to experience the series’ history firsthand.
Do I need to play the Prime games in order?
If you want to follow the Prime branch, play Metroid Prime, Echoes and Corruption in that order. The Prime games are a first-person branch, however, and are not required to follow the numbered 2D story.
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Should I play Metroid in chronological order or release order?
Choose chronological or remake-friendly story order for a coherent narrative route. Choose release order if you want to see how players first encountered the games and how the series developed. Release lists can differ depending on whether they count remakes, remasters, ports and spin-offs.
Is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond required before Metroid Fusion?
No. Post-launch reporting places Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid and before Fusion, but its other-dimension story need not affect how you follow the numbered 2D sequence.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Start with Zero Mission, play the Prime trilogy if you want its separate branch, then continue through Samus Returns, Super Metroid, Fusion and Dread. Prime spin-offs, Other M and Prime 4 are optional additions, not prerequisites for the numbered 2D story.
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