Metroid
Metroid is a 1986 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The first installment in the Metroid series, it was originally released in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System in August 1986. North America received a release in August 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, with the European release following in January 1988. Set on the planet Zebes, the story follows Samus Aran as she attempts to retrieve the predatory Metroid organisms that were stolen by Space Pirates, who plan to replicate the Metroids by exposing them to beta rays and then use them as biological weapons to destroy Samus and all who oppose them.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA, read 5 September 2026.
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- Released
- 1986
- Developer
- Nintendo Research & Development 1
- Platforms
- 1 systems
- Critics
- Not scored
- Steam Deck
- Unknown
- Download
- Not stated
The record
| First released | 1 August 1986 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Nintendo Research & Development 1 |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Platforms | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Genres | Metroidvania |
Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q2530723, seeded 30 August 2026.
How long is Metroid? How long to beat it
Total play time for Metroid is about 6.2 hours to do everything, and around 6.1 hours to reach the end of the main story. These are player-submitted times from HowLongToBeat, not our own, shown with the number of players behind each.
| How you play | Hours | Players logged |
|---|---|---|
| Just the main story: straight through the critical path | 6.1h | 215 |
| Main + the extras: story plus the side content most people do | 6.1h | 141 |
| Completionist: everything: 100% the game | 6.2h | 122 |
Source: HowLongToBeat community submissions, read 2026-10-19.
Where Metroid sits on the grid
The grid places every game in the catalogue on measured axes rather than on an opinion. This is where Metroid lands on each map it has the data for, with the share of the catalogue it beats on each axis.
- Year
- 38ahead of 2% of the catalogue
- Reach
- 50ahead of 88% of the catalogue
Percentiles are against the games that carry a reading on that axis, not the whole catalogue: counting a game with no figure as a zero would flatter everything that has one. How the grid works.
What readers say about Metroid
Reviews written by people who have played it. These are separate from the GamingPickz Score and are never averaged into it: that score comes from thousands of Steam reviews with a sample-size correction, and a handful of unverified ratings would distort it rather than improve it.
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Common questions about Metroid
What platforms is Metroid on?
Metroid is available on Nintendo Entertainment System. It first released in 1986.
Who made Metroid?
Metroid was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 1 and published by Nintendo.
How long does it take to beat Metroid?
about 6.1 hours for the main story, 6.1 hours with the main extras, 6.2 hours to complete everything, from HowLongToBeat's player-submitted times. These are community medians, so your own run may be shorter or longer.