Metroid, first released in Japan way back in 1986, is a classic action adventure game set on the planet Zebes. You play as Samus Aran, who is in search of Space Pirates and the parasitic metroid organisms they have stolen. The Space Pirates are suitably scheming and evil; they plan to use the stolen organisms to create a deadly weapon capable of destroying all those who stand against them. The game itself focuses on you collecting power ups in order to reach previously unreachable areas while fighting countless enemies. Alongside its influential gameplay, Metroid was also one of the first games to feature a woman as the protagonist. After completing the game, the end game screen congratulates you on your success and explains how saved the galaxy. Under the text stands the hero, Samus who proceeds to remove the space suit and reveal that she is a woman. The new and interesting style of gameplay combined with the utter shock that Samus was a girl meant that Metroid received even more critical acclaim than it would have normally garnered, many considering it to be one of the greatest games of all time. Combining excellent gameplay with sci-fi elements and boundary-shifting gender choices, Metroid is an essential sci-fi title.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
