Metroid: Every Main Series Game Ranked Worst To Best
9. Metroid II: Return Of Samus
The series' first and only Game Boy title, Metroid II streamlined the non-linear Metroid experience to maximise the humble handheld's capabilities, effectively taking a step back even as Super Mario Bros III was solidifying the side-scrolling platforming genre.
Despite its relative linearity (and huge sprites taking up a little too much of the tiny screen), the Return Of Samus remains more playable and enjoyable than its predecessor, the stripped-back gameplay perfectly suited for pick-up-and-play bouts.
Sure, the restriction of only having two proper action buttons continues to be grating, but the division of the world into a smaller map of manageable chunks makes Metroid II much easier to navigate than the SR388 of the original, despite the awful monochrome/sickly green background screen.
By shaking up the formula somewhat, Metroid II also ensured the series wouldn't be just a one-trick pony, while thankfully not sidelining the series anywhere near as much as The Adventure Of Link did The Legend Of Zelda franchise.