Why is that? lol

Prime 2 is brilliantly atmospheric, but as that atmosphere tends towards oppressive, claustrophobic isolation, it can be very mentally draining.

@OP I would honestly suggest you start at the beginning with the original NES Metroid. You could start with the prettier, more convenient Zero Mission, which is a fine remake. But I think you'd be missing out on the experience somewhat, of playing the original in it's true form. Then of course, move on to Metroid 2, and then Super Metroid (Metroid 3), and I suppose after that Fusion (technically Metroid 4). And then the Prime games. They take place, story-wise, in between Metroid 1 and Metroid 2, but seeing as it's a side-story with little real impact on the story or flow of the original games, and seeing as they are modern experiences that are similar yet quite a bit different from traditional 2D Metroid, I would say to new fans like yourself, that they should be experienced after the old games.

And as for Other M? That's at your own discretion. Me personally, I wouldn't bother. And that's coming from someone who still bought the game and gave it a chance. But in all honesty, it is really not all that worth playing.

The only ones that are story heavy are MP 3 and other M. MP 2 also has a developped story too, but  less than Corruption, all the other games are more like Metroid Prime 1, with a minimalist story, almost no dialogue.

Zero Mission has a little more story though.

This, but I'd give Metroid NES more than 1 hour.

I still haven't been able to play AM2R. I have a Mac, and can't get the file to open.

Okay, so something might need to be addressed. A lot of people are suggesting that, for multiple reasons, you should skip Metroid: Other M.

I agree - analogs to Sonic 06 are not off the mark, though the game isn't broken like that one is. But something you need to know is that a lot of the issues people had with Other M started in other games in the series who tried to set those events up retroactively. Namely Zero Mission and especially Fusion.

Because of this, I can't impress enough how, if you can stomach it, you should play the games in release order instead. Zero Mission is objectively superior to Metroid 1, there's no debating that, but Zero Mission adds story elements retroactively that directly influenced the events of Other M.

Fusion is unavoidable and the worst offender of this, so play it last. For Samus Returns, it's another thing where I really don't trust the producer Sakamoto to just leave that game alone and try to preserve it, so you're likely better off playing the original. Your entire view of who Samus is as a character will be shaped by the order you play the games in, and if you play them in "remake" order, you WILL get the Other M view in your head by design, and that is both an inferior and less authentic Samus.

So while everyone else suggests Zero Mission, Samus Returns, Super Metroid, and Fusion, I suggest Metroid 1, Metroid 2, Super Metroid, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2, Metroid Prime 3, Zero Mission, Samus Returns, and then Fusion.

Prime 1+2 are far more authentic to the original design philosophy around Samus than any game after Super Metroid was. 3 is where it starts to get influenced, at least aesthetically, by the changes in the main universe, while also being where Tanabe's obsession with turning Metroid into a Halo clone started. (The latter really started with Prime 2, but that was just because of the optional multiplayer and some intrusive story bits.)

If you care about the main story i suggest playing in this order.

Metroid: Zero Mission

Metroid II OR wait for the remake Samus Returns (<recommended)

Super Metroid

Metroid: Other M

Metroid Fusion

The Prime games follow their own story and should be played in this order.

Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime: Echoes

Metroid Prime: Hunters

Metroid Prime: Corruption

All these games have their own unique gameplay differences and should really be played by yourself rather than following advise on which game is best in terms of gameplay.

The Prime games don't spoil anything about the other Metroid games, and they don't answer any questions from the plots of the other Metroid games. So you can pretty much play the Prime Trilogy without having to worry at all about ruining the story of the other games.

As far as 2D Metroid goes, you should play Zero Mission, Return of Samus remake, Super Metroid and then Fusion.

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