One of the industry's greatest games turns 20 years old today. Super Metroid, which launched in Japan on March 19, 1994, has been named to dozens of top 100 and top 10 lists since its release. It's also a favorite here on VGChartz, placing 13th on our Top 300 Games thread.

What are your memories of the game? Did you play it when it first arrived in stores? How does it compare to the other great SNES games? How does it compare to the other great Metroid games?

So I never played Super Metroid until I got a Wii. I had played Metroid, Metroid II, all three Primes, Fusion, and Zero Mission, but never Super Metroid. I don't know how I missed it as a kid, but I did. I finally booted it up around 2008, feeling like I owed it to myself to play what was generally considered one of the greatest games ever made. I'm so glad I did.

Like its SNES cousin, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid didn't do anything revolutionary; it simple perfected the formula. With amazing level design, epic boss battles, superior graphics, precise controls, and an emotionally powerful story, Super Metroid has it all. In my opinion, it's the best game in the series, and one of the two best games on Super Nintendo.

Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to my favourite game!

That's 24 megs old Killer is up against. Nintendo's biggest game, ever!!

I got this back in 1994 and beat it on New Year's Eve for years!! It became traditional. The fact that 20 years has passed depresses the hell out of me. What have I done with my life? Watch porn and eat bacon. That's it. I really need to get it together. Such wasted potential. Maybe go back to school and get my degree? Get married? Time is running out! I think I'm going through a mid-life crisis. Happy birthday, Super Metroid!!!

I played a little, but I never finished it.

Awesome game for sure.

Personally I like Fusion just a tad better, but that doesn't really take away anything from this game. I have played it on the SNES back in the day, but it was briefly and I barely remember. I don't have the SNES game myself, so it was probably at my aunt's house. It wasn't until the 30 cents re-release on the WiiU when I truly got into this game. Needless to say, I couldn't stop playing. That sounds like a good thing, but the consequence is that you're done with it way too quickly .

Definitely wouldn't mind an original 3DS Metroid based on this game .

Happy Birthday to my favorite video game. :) It is my standard for an Action-Adventure.

You have an awesome daughter...

I too didn't play it until the Wii. It's a great game indeed, with the feel of my favorite game, Metroid Prime, in a 2D framework.

I've never played it either, but I'm looking forward to it!

However... I am playing the ORIGINAL game om my 3DS... and holy shit, it's hard man! Were ALL games back in the 80's this hard??