Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
Super Metroid
This SNES masterpiece coined the term Metroidvania and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Its dense atmosphere, free exploration of Zebes and organic item progression still influence games today.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Metroidvania / Action, set in a science fiction world. Visually it is built on pixel art, and the overall tone stays dark throughout. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. Sessions of an hour or two sit at the sweet spot here.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. Story exists mostly as background texture rather than a reason to keep going. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Birthplace of the Metroidvania genre
- Dense atmosphere
- Free exploration of Zebes
This fits you if
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
- you like a deliberate retro look over photorealism
- you prefer a darker, heavier tone
- you want to actually finish something for once, 9 hours and done
Look elsewhere if
- you want something that lasts, this is over after 9 hours
- you want something light and easy going
- pixel art puts you off
- you specifically want an open world to roam
What it costs you in time
About 9 hours in total. At two hours per evening that is around 5 evenings, so about a week of casual play.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 95 out of 100, which puts it above 98 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 18 overall. That is top tier. Only a handful of games here score higher.
For comparison, Metroidvania averages 86 points across the database, so this one sits 9 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 1065 collected ratings.
Released in 1994, which makes it 32 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 1994
- Genres
- Metroidvania, Action
- Playtime
- approx. 9 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Background flavour
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Sci-fi
- Visual style
- Pixel art
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- Switch
- Critic rating
- 95 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Metroid | 1994 | approx. 9 hrs. | 95 | Budget |
| Metroid Dread | 2021 | approx. 10 hrs. | 84 | Mid price |
| Castlevania: Symphony of the Night | 1997 | approx. 13 hrs. | 92 | Budget |
| Mina the Hollower | 2026 | approx. 16 hrs. | 91 | Mid price |
If you liked this, try these
- Metroid Dread Shared: Metroidvania, Action, Sci-fi
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Shared: Metroidvania, Action, longer
- Mina the Hollower Shared: Metroidvania, Action, longer
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Shared: Metroidvania, Action
- Blasphemous 2 Shared: Metroidvania, Action, longer
- Blasphemous Shared: Metroidvania, Action, longer