Yeah MP was innovative, but MP3 completely eprfected it. Also it was NOT a shooter at all. I dunno what game you were playing but it was definitely not a shooter. If MP3 felt like a generic shooter then MP felt like a compeltely and utterly shitty shooter.

Best: Super Metroid
Worst: Metroid

IMO. Metroid Prime 3 is to Metroid Prime as Metroid Fusion is to Super Metroid .

Very similar games but one is more narrative driven and linear and the other is non-linear and less narrative driven.

Prime 3 is still my favorite single player experience I had on the Wii (Yes I enjoyed it more than Galaxy..barely) The thing about the Metroid Series, much like The Zelda Series, there are no bad games(-CD-I), there are the good ones and the great ones.

As for the best Metroid game? THe best 2-d game is undoubtedly Super Metroid, the best 3-d Metroid? Prime 1 & Prime 3, some things Corruption does better and some things the first prime has accomplished, such as that wow factor that comes with being first. I think though I enjoyed playing Prime 3 the most.

All the games were good but I have a tie of the ones I liked most and liked least.

I am a huge Metroid fan and played them since the original launched on NES.

Best

Prime 1 &3

Worst

Hunters

Prime 2

Super Metriod is best

Worst im gonna say Pinball

Yes, I'm saying MP3 felt like an FPS game trying to be Metroid. I didn't mean Metroid Prime is an FPS series - of course it isn't. But MP3 added the linearity, plot focus, controls, voice acting and hyper-mode mechanic which moved it closer to being a traditional FPS. That was the part I didn't like - not that it was a bad game.

BEST:Super Metroid and MP1

Worst:Metroid 2,Metroid Pinball and Metroid Prime 2 a little bit.

Metroid Fusion was great

Best, I will just have to say Zero Mission. Perfecting everything Super and the Handhelds ever tried to do. With solid Sprite gameplay, Exploration and replayability all into one of the best games ever made. However, that doesn't make it my favorite, which goes to Metroid II: Return of Samus. Mostly due to countless hours of Nostalgia, trying to get the best time (1:07) and the fact that its the only game where you've truly been out to fight the Metroids and fight for your survival.

The only one I can say I don't really like is Metroid Prime 2. Its just too much backtracking. Way too many randomly placed doors. The whole Light/Dark world Setup striked me as a little familiar (Zelda anyone). And after the original Prime, I was getting fed up with having to struggle more with a 3D map and find my way through areas I had already been more than fighting anything or progressing through the game. A game shouldn't take 50 hours because of trying to find a door. Metroid games usually are about running into a room, seeing immediately what you need to do and, if that fails, trying your arsenal of bombs or Missiles. In other words, VERY well designed areas and puzzles. Not having to struggle with a 3D map and various dimensions.

Zero Mission. I haven't played many though, actually I've only played it on handhelds.