Not sure how to get into Metroid? Start here!

[OilFreak]

Start with Zero Mission, the re-imagining of the original NES game released for GBA.
The general reccomend order is Zero Mission ==> Prime ==> Prime 2 ==> Prime 3 ==> One of the Metroid 2 remakes ==> Super Metroid ==> Metroid Fusion ==> Metroid Dread.
There's 2 Remakes of Metroid 2. The fan-made AM2R and the official "Samus Returns" for the 3ds. I'd personally recommend AM2R for a newcomer, as Samus Returns meddles with the story in a way that makes it not line up with Super.

FaQ:
Q: What do I need to know going into Zero Mission?
A: The game can enjoyed without much context. I'd reccomend the manual as it has both a bit of lore as well as the controls and general tips. If you'd like to know a bit more story going in you can read the prequel manga.

Q: Are the Metroid games difficult?
A: The difficulty can depend on the game. Zero Mission's rather easy on easy and normal difficulty, but hard mode cranks the difficulty to the max. Prime 1 & 2 are fairly challenging, while Prime 3 is a cakewalk. 2 and Super have nice difficulty curves, and Fusion & Dread are challenging

Q: How should I play the Prime trilogy?
A: That's a good question. The Prime remaster is fantastic, but there's currently no remaster for Prime 2 or 3. If you play the Prime remaster and move onto a vanilla version of 2 it might be kind of jarring.
If you absolutley can't wait for a remaster of 2 and 3, there's a mod for the dolphin emulator called "Primehack" that enables mouse and keyboard controls for the trilogy and high res texutres. Else, you could pick up Prime Trilogy for the Wii.

More questions to come.

 

[DragonMals]

Can you consider if Dread has a similar difficulty to Fusion or is Dread harder than it (Base game; no additional modes to add to it)

 

[OilFreak]

Definetley easier imo. Fusion is a very hard game. Vanilla Dread definetley puts up a challenge. Haven't updated dread, i'm still on version 1.0.0 so i can't speak for the stuff added after the game launched

 

[DragonMals]

Hm... Okay. I might try it out. I just hpoe that the game isn't hard as hell

 

[LeoTCK]

So very few people are Metroid players here? Really? There was a time I had little choice but to keep playing Metroid games out of lack of something else. I really got good at those games and did 100 percent runs on game boy advance sp etc, even on hard difficulty for Zero Mission etc...
Mecha Ridley becomes really hard. I also found out how to make Zero Mission stuck...you can get a super missile early etc at one point and beat the bug boss, whatever he was called again, as the last thing you ever do...but you can also make the game stuck with him. I made a video around 2017 or so if you're interested in seeing it.

Also I don't agree...start with the original Metroid..THE FDS version (or the gba re-release out of the FDS, though the japanese cartridge is quite rare and expensive if you buy it).

My personal favorite in tone and everything is Metroid II though.

I do find Zero Mission a retcon that kind of misses the point but for some extra content and challenge its good (especially the hard difficulty).

I did enjoy the later parts of AM2R too....

I refuse to acknowledge the official remake. Also I'd kill for a chance to play the original cancelled Dread versions instead of playing the remake by the same guys that killed the Metroid II atmosphere fully. (even am2r is better though I do have problem with some of the early areas being too derivative of zero mission feel, but its a fine alternative)

edit: Also I played ALL the games until Metroid Prime 3 and nothing further though I am familiar with some if not most of the others through watching friends and other people play etc. I am a bit of a purist and I think the games went the wrong direction here and there in the modern era.

Also I loved Metroid Prime Hunters for the DS for what was it worth. It actually in a way is the most Metroid game of them all since the original in a sense that you can do a lot of things in whatever order you like past some initial things. Kind of like the original Metroid (not zero mission as such even though that has its own share of possibilties if you are skilled enough). So yea the skill is the only thing that stops you in the original Metroid mostly, there are no hardcoded paths except for defeating ridley and kraid and even that can be skipped via 'sequence breaking' but I don't like to do that.

I also read all the original mangas in the past etc...
zero mission is more in line with modern mangas than anything else or the games...but yea there are inconsistencies and I don't consider zero mission fully canon for that reason.