Recommended Free Tools
For a first playthrough, follow the remake-friendly story route: Metroid: Zero Mission, the first three Metroid Prime games, Metroid: Samus Returns, Super Metroid, optionally Metroid: Other M, then Metroid Fusion and Metroid Dread. The Prime games are a first-person branch, so you can skip them if your priority is the numbered 2D saga. Add Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid and before Fusion if you want to include the newest game.
The best order for a first playthrough
This route follows the broad story chronology while using Nintendo’s remakes of the first two games. It is a practical recommendation for newcomers, not an order Nintendo requires. The Prime games fit between the opening Metroid story and the events of Metroid II; they form a first-person branch alongside the main 2D sequence.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
| Order | Game | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metroid: Zero Mission | Start here for a modernized version of the original game’s opening story. Nintendo identifies it as a remake of the first Metroid. |
| 2 | Metroid Prime | Begin the first-person branch. It is set after the opening story and before Metroid II. |
| 3 | Metroid Prime 2: Echoes | Continue the Prime storyline. |
| 4 | Metroid Prime 3: Corruption | Play after Echoes to complete the original Prime trilogy. |
| 5 | Metroid: Samus Returns | Play the remake of Metroid II, the second main 2D chapter. |
| 6 | Super Metroid | Continue the numbered 2D story. Its opening identifies it as METROID 3. |
| 7 | Metroid: Other M (optional) | Include it if you want the story material placed between Super Metroid and Fusion; it is not required to follow the numbered chapters. |
| 8 | Metroid Fusion | Continue with the chapter labeled METROID 4. |
| 9 | Metroid Dread | Play the chapter Nintendo identifies as METROID 5. |
This route replaces the original Metroid and Metroid II with remakes, but does not treat the originals as obsolete. The remakes are simply a convenient entry point if you want to experience those early story chapters in their remade versions. If you would rather see how the series began in its original forms, play those releases instead; they occupy the same early story slots for purposes of this suggested route.
The table is deliberately a route through the story, not a checklist of every game, edition, and spin-off. If you want the main 2D storyline with fewer detours, skip the Prime entries and move from Zero Mission to Samus Returns. If you want the full Prime branch, add Hunters and Federation Force in the positions described below.
#1 Best Overall
- 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
What “story order” means in Metroid
The series has two useful ways to think about its continuity. One is the numbered 2D saga, whose chapters are identified in their opening material: Super Metroid is METROID 3, Fusion is METROID 4, and Dread is METROID 5. Nintendo’s Metroid Dread Report Vol. 4, published August 6, 2021, points out that the numbers are not in the titles of Super Metroid and Fusion, but appear in their opening videos; the Dread announcement trailer likewise used METROID 5.
The other is the broader chronology, which includes the first-person Prime games between the opening story and Metroid II. This lets the Prime titles enrich the larger setting without making them prerequisites for understanding the numbered 2D sequence. If you only want to follow the story that runs from the first game through Dread, you can play the 2D chapters in order and leave Prime for later—or omit that branch.
That distinction answers a common starting-point question: you do not need to finish every game that happens earlier on the timeline before moving on. The Prime games are relevant to the wider setting, but the numbered 2D labels give newcomers a clear main-story path. Conversely, playing only the 2D games means you will miss a branch, not that you have played the chapters in the wrong order.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe original game’s history is also one reason lists can look inconsistent. Nintendo says it launched in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System in 1986, with North American and European NES releases following later. Nintendo described the franchise as spanning 35 years in its 2021 report; that is a historical description at the time of publication, not a current year count.
Should you play by chronology, release date, or remake?
Choose story chronology for a first run
Chronology gives you a coherent path through the events and is the route in the first table. The trade-off is that it does not show how the games’ controls and design developed as players originally encountered them. It also places the Prime branch early, even though a newcomer may find the 2D chapters a clearer introduction to the main numbered story.
Rank #2
- 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.
Choose release order to see the series evolve
Release order means playing the games in the order they first appeared, rather than rearranging them by their fictional events. That approach makes sense if you are interested in the series’ design history or want to experience the originals as they arrived. But decide what counts before you start: remakes, remasters, spin-offs, and ports can all complicate a “complete” release list. For example, playing a remake in its original game’s place is not the same project as playing both the original and the remake.
Nintendo’s documented 1986 date is for the original Japanese release on the Family Computer Disk System; the NES versions reached North America and Europe later. Avoid treating that one date as the global release date for every version. A strictly release-focused list should also specify whether it is ordering original games only or counting later versions separately. There is no single complete release-order list until you decide whether a remaster, port, or remake counts as its own entry.
Choose the remake-friendly route if you want an easier entry point
Zero Mission and Samus Returns are Nintendo-identified remakes of the first and second games. Using them in a story-order playthrough gives you the opening chapters without requiring the originals. If you are interested in the games’ history, however, play the original versions as well rather than assuming a remake answers every question about the release that preceded it.
In other words, “remake-first” is a choice about which versions to play, while “story order” is a choice about the sequence of events. You can combine them, as the table does, or choose original versions and preserve the same broad story sequence. Nintendo’s remake descriptions establish what those games are remakes of; they do not say that the originals are no longer worth playing.
Do you need to play the Prime games in order?
If you decide to play the Prime branch, play Metroid Prime, then Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, then Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. That is the straightforward sequence for following the branch. The trilogy is optional for understanding the numbered 2D story, but it belongs in the broader chronology between the opening Metroid story and Metroid II.
Rank #3
- 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
For a fuller Prime branch, add Metroid Prime Hunters between Prime and Echoes, then add Metroid Prime: Federation Force after Prime 3. Those are additions for players who want the spin-offs, not extra gates you must clear before starting Samus Returns, Super Metroid, or the later 2D chapters. If you are unsure whether to commit to the branch, try its first game and decide whether you want more first-person adventures; you can return to the 2D sequence without having completed every Prime title.
Where does Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fit?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launched on December 4, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Post-launch reporting on a developer interview with Famitsu places it after Super Metroid and before Fusion. That makes it a special placement within the broader chronology: do not put it automatically after Prime 3 just because it has “Prime” in its title.
The reported placement does not make Beyond necessary to follow the 2D saga. Reporting on the developers’ comments also describes its other-dimension story as not needing to affect how readers follow the 2D series. So choose based on what you want: play it in the reported timeline position for a broader chronological run, or treat it as a separate Prime-branch visit while progressing through the 2D chapters. The timeline recommendation is based on post-launch reporting, not an official rule that every player must follow.
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 lists classic games through Nintendo Switch Online. The hub includes the original Metroid on NES, Super Metroid on SNES, and Metroid II on Game Boy. It lists Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission on Game Boy Advance with an Expansion Pack membership. Nintendo also lists Prime 4: Beyond and its Switch 2 Edition, released December 4, 2025.
Prime Remastered is a current Switch option for the first game in the Prime branch; it is an edition of that story entry, not an additional chronological chapter. Dread is another current Switch release, useful if you are following the last numbered 2D chapter. These are practical access notes, not a promise that every game in the recommended route is available on one console.
Rank #4
- 10009824
Those listings describe Nintendo’s UK catalog, not guaranteed availability in every country. Membership tiers and game catalogs vary by region and can change, so check the Nintendo Switch Online catalog for your country and the current membership terms before planning a route around a particular classic game. The hub’s platform listings also do not mean every title in the recommended route is available through the same service or on the same console.
A simple decision guide
- You want the clearest main-story route: Start with Zero Mission, use Samus Returns for the second chapter, and play through Dread in the order shown above.
- You want the broader chronology: Add the first three Prime games between the opening story and Samus Returns; consider Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid and before Fusion.
- You mainly want the numbered 2D saga: Follow Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Super Metroid, Fusion, and Dread. Treat Other M as optional and Prime as a separate branch.
- You care most about release history: Play original releases in publication order and decide in advance whether remakes, remasters, spin-offs, and ports count as separate entries.
- You are unsure whether to commit: Start with one of the opening 2D chapters or the Prime branch’s first game, based on whether you want a 2D or first-person adventure. The two formats serve different preferences; the full series is not a prerequisite checklist.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming there is one mandatory order: Nintendo’s chapter labels and remake descriptions establish relationships, but they do not prescribe a universal newcomer route.
- Mixing up “numbered” with “every game”: Prime titles and other spin-offs broaden the series, while the METROID 3 through METROID 5 labels identify the later main 2D chapters.
- Calling the recommended route release order: It is a remake-friendly chronology. The games were not originally released in that sequence.
- Placing every Prime title together without checking its story position: The original Prime trilogy is an early branch, while post-launch reporting places Prime 4: Beyond later, between Super Metroid and Fusion.
- Assuming a UK service listing applies everywhere: Verify your own region’s catalog and tier, especially before relying on Expansion Pack access for Fusion or Zero Mission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start with Metroid?
For a remake-friendly story route, start with Metroid: Zero Mission, then continue through the games in the table. If you want only the numbered 2D story, you can skip the Prime branch and go from Zero Mission to Samus Returns.
Do I need to play the Metroid Prime games in order?
If you want to follow the Prime branch, play Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in that order. The branch is optional for understanding the numbered 2D saga. For a fuller branch, place Hunters between the first two and Federation Force after Prime 3.
Should I play Metroid chronologically or by release date?
Choose chronology for a coherent story route, or release order if you want to see the games develop as players first encountered them. Release lists can differ depending on whether they count remakes, remasters, spin-offs, and ports separately.
Where does Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fit in the timeline?
Post-launch reporting on a developer interview places Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after Super Metroid and before Metroid Fusion. It launched December 4, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, but is not required to follow the 2D story.
Can I play Metroid Fusion and Zero Mission on Switch?
Nintendo’s UK hub lists both through Nintendo Switch Online’s Game Boy Advance library with an Expansion Pack membership. Catalogs and tiers vary by region, so check the current offering where you live before planning around access.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Start with Zero Mission and follow the remake-friendly chronology if you want the broad story, adding Prime as an optional first-person branch. For the numbered 2D saga alone, move through Samus Returns, Super Metroid, Fusion, and Dread; include Prime 4: Beyond between Super Metroid and Fusion only if you want the broader timeline.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
