Metroid (NES)

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Metroid
Metroid - NES - USA.jpg
Platform: NES
Year: 1986
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Buy: Amazon
This page is for the NES game, for other platforms see Metroid.

Metroid is a very fun adventure platform game where you play the role of a bounty hunter named Samus Aran. You are trying to stop a ruthless band of space pirates from breeding a terrible army of the deadly alien beasts known as metroids. In the game, you'll find power-ups like the ability to morph your body into a ball, high jumping boots, and a protective vira shield. You'll also find powerful weapons like the ice beam, wave beam, missiles, and bombs. As you work your way through the labyrinth of rocky cave, organic tunnels, and futuristic corridors you'll battle with some of the most deadly alien criminals in the world, Kraid, Ridley, and Mother Brain. Every section has its own look and feel, each more spine-chilling then the last.

Metroid is also the sister game of Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story (NES), both being released by the same development staff, using similar game engines, password systems, and platform adventure styles. However, while Kid Icarus failed to make a splash, Metroid became one of the most popular NES franchises.

A PlayChoice-10 version of the the game was released, but the music is the same in both versions.

Screenshots

Metroid - NES - Title.png

The title screen.

Metroid - NES - Samus Appears.png

Samus slowly appears.

Metroid - NES - Morph Ball.png

Getting the first item, the morph ball.

Metroid - NES - Brinstar.png

Wandering around Brinstar.

Metroid - NES - Silence.png

There's an item behind that door!

Metroid - NES - Game.png

Exploring Kraid's domain.

Music

This soundtrack is often thought of as Hirokazu Tanaka's magnum opus before leaving Nintendo. In an interview, Tanaka explained that, in order to give the game mood, he purposely excluded catchy melodies and used minor chords throughout the background songs until the game's ending tune. This was quite the opposite approach to his soundtrack on Metroid's sister game, Kid Icarus: Angel Land Story (NES).

The Famicom Disk System version utilizes its expansion chip for some of the songs.

Recording

# Title ComposerArranger Length Listen Download
01 Title BGM Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 2:28
Download
02 Samus Appears Jingle Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 0:06
Download
03 Brinstar (Rock Stage) Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 1:45
Download
04 Mini Boss Room I Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 1:39
Download
05 Norfair (Flame Stage) Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 1:21
Download
06 Mini Boss Room II Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 1:53
Download
07 Silence Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 1:30
Download
08 Get Item Jingle Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 0:04
Download
09 Tourian (Base Stage) Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 0:35
Download
10 Zebetite Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 0:23
Download
11 Escape Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 2:18
Download
12 Ending Hirokazu TanakaHirokazu Tanaka 2:14
Download

Credits

(Source, alias verified by composer)

Hirokazu Tanaka is known for writing his own audio driver in 6502 assembly and customizing it if the game needed something special, so he not only composed the music and arranged it for the NES, but he probably wrote the audio driver used in Metroid.

Albums

Game Rip

Format

Download

NSF.png NSFE.png

Download

(Info)


Ripping NES music is a very arduous process that is beyond the scope of this site.

Releases

  Japan.svg   Japan
Metroid - FDS - Japan.jpg
Title: メトロイド (Metroid)
Platform: Famicom Disk System
Released: 1986-08-06
Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
  USA.svg   USA
Metroid - NES - USA.jpg
Title: Metroid
Platform: NES
Released: 1986-08-??
Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc.
  Germany.svg   Germany
Metroid - NES - Germany.jpg
Title: Metroid
Platform: NES
Released: 1988-01-15
Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
  UK.svg   UK
Metroid - NES - UK.jpg
Title: Metroid
Platform: NES
Released: 1988-01-15
Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
  China.svg   China
Metroid - NES - China.jpg
Title: Metroid
Platform: NES
Released: 1988-??-??
Publisher: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
  USA.svg   USA
PlayChoice-10.jpg
Title: Metroid
Platform: PlayChoice-10
Released: 198?-??-??
Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc.
  North America.svg   North America
Metroid - NES - NA.jpg
Title: Metroid
Platform: NES
Released: 1992-??-??
Publisher: Nintendo of America, Inc.

Links