Topic: Why is Super Metroid Considered the Best in the Series?

Maybe because people who don't like a large amount of the mechanics that came be known as Metroidvania still like it because the run and gun parts when they are actually happening are so good.

It was beaten in terms of sales by Donkey Kong Country at the time. (And Returns out sold all the Prime games).

There must be a sizable chunk of people who don't like Metroid otherwise it would be alongside Mario as one of the best sellers the one that is going to be considered the best overall is going to be the one the most people who don't really like Metroid like.

Ocarina of Time syndrome. It was amazing at the time, innovative, but things have gotten better since, and other games in the series have improved upon it, but people still remember it for how amazing it was back then. Nostalgia-goggles basically.

I disagree. If mainly because Nintendo hasn't made as many game that are like Super Metroid, whereas all the 3D and even a couple of the 2D Zeldas have some level of influence from OOT (not to mention tons of other people's 3D games), and when they did they did different things with it. Metroid Prime took the general design philosophies (like make a fairly linear game without feeling at all like a linear game), Zero Mission turned Metroid 1 into Super Metroid Easy Mode essentially and Other M tried to expand on the story elements Super Metroid had. Otherwise, Super Metroid is the go-to influence for anyone trying to make Metroidvania games (unless of course they focus on the Castlevania side of it), and Nintendo usually only tries to make Metroid games by making Metroid games so...

Or maybe it's late and I'm only thinking of the exploration parts of it (Fusion is kinda narrative, linear version of Super Metroid with the gameplay and whatnot, it's just that that made Fusion a very different game (barring the end-game if you try to find all the items you missed))

Metroid isn't very popular in Japan.

Well It is not the best or worst. SMetroid in Japan sold poorly actually. Why? Because it abandon it's horror self for it's action and excitement. Leaving the original II games as the only real games of the series. Metriod II was also hard to top as it was an all out hunt for the Metroids, which was unique. Each one was like an mini-boss.

Metroid II was an maze, and is still annoying to finish as with the GB creator games are. A real challenge. SMetroid just feels bleh.

To make things worst they wrecked Samuses race. Samus was never blonde in the original game at all. The second game have her as an brunette. SMetroid had her in the commercial ( unmasked ).

Again the first time this commercial was aired Samus was unmasked. Most of the players at the time ( in Japan ) never knew this at all, and looked more like an Russian blonde, then actually ( a real warrior ). So many pro-nationalist Japanese kinda did not like the idea of her. Again most and I mean MOST players never knew what she looked like until that one commercial.

That is why is sucked in Japan and was great in the west. However the game was an failure and we never saw a real next game.

If not the best game in the series Metroid II: The Return of Samus. Nothing but hunting down Metroids and fighting them in all kinds of ways. Also the last time we saw Samuses real ship since Metroid Prime.

Metroid Prime was carefully done ( the original ) because they had to keep in tack with the original Metroid series, and originalism without damaging the game. This is why Samus looks brutish in the final when she removes her helmet. ( if you see that ), because they had to stay true the original and not some remake of remodel of the character itself.

Metroid Super, was only good because like most SNES games had suprise beginings and endings. As with Megaman X you can defeat the first boss to get an hidden message. In this case Ridely drops the baby momentarily. Which indicate Samus actually winning. This was the first time showing that Ridley is able to fly through space.

Keep in mind the Space Pirates and Ridley has nothing to do with Samus parents dying and bs like that written. Ridley ( dragons ) were all the original lifeform on Zebes until they ( Space Pirates ) wiped them all out. Ridley is more of an victim then Samus.

Nintendo just rewrote the story.
I really wished that Prime had the Brain unit fight instead of Prime 3 ( or was that II ).