The boss battles were what really set Metroid apart.

A Sci-Fi Odyssey

Samus Aran isn't just a legendary bounty hunter--she's a total babe. She can handle a gun, she's athletic enough to roll into a ball, and--if you believe in the Metroid Prime interpretation of events--she's infused with hearty, Chozo stock. In Nintendo games, at least, blondes really do have more fun. Hoping to show the softer side of a deadly bounty hunter, Nintendo let skilled gamers see Samus in relative stages of undress. Depending on how quickly you beat the game, there were a few ways to marvel at her pixelated beauty.

Beat the game in three to five hours and Samus' helmet will flash and disappear, showing off her fabulous, flaxen fibrils and soulful, blue eyes. Beat the game in fewer than three hours, but more than an hour, and Samus's entire suit will disappear, revealing her feminine body. You'll now be able to play through the game as a suitless Samus--and she'll still be just as strong defensively. Beat the game in under an hour and Samus' suit entirely disappears, revealing a bikini-clad bounty hunter. She'll then wave to you before she's replaced by the credits scrawl.

It's suitless Samus!

The formation of a Galactic Federation--much like the one of Star Trek fame--led to an age of interstellar prosperity. Trade between planets and solar systems flourished, as did the newly created galactic economy. Soon, however, this golden age was threatened by the presence of the ruthless Space Pirates--an alien force dedicated to pilfering trade ships and generally menacing the innocent. To rout this scourge, the Federation Bureau created an elite team of bounty hunters that would be rewarded for every Space Pirate neutralized...

An itinerant research station is attacked by the Space Pirates, and a strange, viral life-form is unleashed--the Metroid. These creatures rapidly multiply under the influence of beta rays, and their energy-draining proclivities can potentially be used as weapons. This biotechnology must not be allowed to remain in the hands of the Space Pirates. You, as Samus Aran, are sent to the Planet Zebes to infiltrate the Space Pirates' fortress to eliminate the Metroid threat.

A game genre is advanced not when a multitude of mediocre entries reaches some untold critical mass but when a game innovates and inspires, thus influencing the style of all subsequent games. Metroid is one such title. Samus' adventure was fast-paced and atmospheric, and it featured some brilliant boss battles that still hold up today. Veterans of the game remember it as challenging and rewarding in equal amounts.

Universally regarded as one of the best games of the 8-bit era, Metroid was an extremely memorable play. Epic battles with Kraid and Mother Brain retain a place in the hearts and minds of the gaming public that's on par with Mario's perennial confrontations with Bowser or Link's tête-à-têtes with Ganon. Metroid forced players to strategically employ weapons based on the elements, and the defeat of bosses required the careful employment of these weapons.

Sixteen years later, industry unknown Retro Studios made an excellent remake of the game, featuring much of the same gameplay. All of Samus' abilities made a smooth transition to three dimensions, including her ability to roll into a ball to access new areas of the map. For "fun," I played through both games in a single sitting, placing me in a unique position for comparison. Prime is a standout--but mostly because it's a faithful re-creation of the original game, with modern technological standards applied to the mix. When gameplay mechanics still feel revolutionary--almost two decades later--you know you're dealing with the stuff of legend.