Progressive
Nintendo
All Metroid games in order, by release date and chronologically
For a company that is mainly focused on family-friendly franchises like Mario, Kirby, and Zelda, Metroid is notably dark for a Nintendo IP. The series began on the NES and has appeared on almost all of Nintendo’s consoles since in one form or another. The core series established a new template for games that would eventually inspire a whole new genre — the Metroidvania. Focused on exploration and acquiring new abilities and weapons to reach new areas of a sprawling map, Metroid has always been a cult hit with fans but never a premier series for Nintendo.