Metroid NES
Recent eBay Listings
- Metroid NES PAL UK – Cartridge in Excellent Condition + Sleeve – Broken Manual £78.70
- Nintendo GameBoy Advance Game NES Classics Metroid Cartridge Only £36.58
- Metroid Nintendo NES Cartridge £19.55
- Metroid - Nintendo Entertainment System NES - Game Cartridge Only -- £28.67
- Nintendo Gameboy Advance Metroid Classic NES Series Video Game Boy Cartridge £22.81
- Metroid (Nintendo Entertainment System, NES) Cartridge w/ Sleeve £35.84
Price History
| Date | Avg Price | Low | High | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-05 | £34.93 | £17.41 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-04-04 | £34.93 | £17.41 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-04-03 | £35.12 | £17.38 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-04-02 | £36.57 | £19.92 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-04-01 | £35.99 | £19.55 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-03-31 | £35.84 | £18.09 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-03-30 | £38.48 | £18.00 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-03-29 | £37.83 | £18.00 | £78.70 | 10 |
| 2026-03-28 | £50.41 | £18.00 | £148.64 | 10 |
| 2026-03-27 | £51.19 | £17.90 | £148.64 | 10 |
| 2026-03-26 | £49.81 | £18.28 | £148.08 | 10 |
| 2026-03-25 | £49.71 | £6.81 | £148.08 | 10 |
Screenshots
Game History
Metroid was developed by Nintendo R&D1 and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) on August 6, 1986, in Japan. The game arrived in North America on September 1987 and later in Europe in 1988. It was directed by Gunpei Yokoi and designed by a small team including Satoru Okada and Yoshio Sakamoto.
The game received strong critical acclaim upon release, with reviewers praising its atmospheric design, exploration-based gameplay, and technical achievements. Commercially, Metroid sold over 2.7 million copies across the NES platform, making it one of the system's successful franchises. Its critical success established Nintendo's confidence in action-adventure titles beyond their established platformers.
Metroid is historically significant as a pioneering entry in the "Metroidvania" genre—a term that would later define exploration-based games with interconnected worlds and power-up progression. The game introduced Samus Aran, one of Nintendo's most iconic characters, and notably revealed her as female only in the ending sequence, which was innovative for 1986. The non-linear level design and emphasis on exploration influenced countless games that followed.
For modern collectors, original Metroid cartridges remain valuable and sought-after. First-print copies with the original black box packaging command premium prices, particularly complete-in-box versions. The game's cultural impact and status as a foundational title in Nintendo's library make it a centerpiece for serious NES collectors.
An interesting development detail involves the game's challenging development timeline. The team worked with technical constraints of the NES hardware while trying to create the sense of isolation and exploration that became the game's hallmark. The minimalist music by Hirokazu Tanaka—recorded with a single melodic instrument in some tracks—became iconic and contributed significantly to the game's atmospheric quality.
Metroid spawned a long-running franchise with numerous sequels across Nintendo platforms, cementing its place in video game history as more than a commercial success—it became a structural template for an entire genre of gaming experience.