Year: 1986 Platform: NES Probably the most mature of Nintendo's most popular franchises, the Metroid series has offered players alien blasting fun since 1986, when the first game in the series hit the NES. Essentially inventing a whole new genre, Metroid was remarkable in that it allowed players to explore non-linear levels that could be revisited and uncovered even further using unlockable abilities. While Super Metroid for the NES managed to polish and expand upon the original premise, Metroid is a game that's still immensely playable even today. The ability for players to actively explore and discover was key to the game's success, and it's arguably had a greater impact on today's action-adventure games than any other title.
