Surprising, some people gloss over the fact that the Metroid series has its roots in sci-fi horror. Yes, in spite of the series owing a lot of its influence to the Alien series, most people still see the series as more sci-fi adventure, which is fair (given that this is Nintendo, after all). Yet with Super Metroid, a landmark title that celebrates its 25th anniversary today, horror still has a very real presence with the game, despite its more action-oriented leanings.

It’s no secret that the Metroid series was heavily inspired by the Ridley Scott and James Cameron films. The lone female protagonist forced to battle against a creature that relies on its host to survive. The very Giger-esque creature designs. The cavernous surroundings reminiscent of the derelict alien ship, or the claustrophic [sic] colony decks that descend deeper into the planet. It’s all there, and continues in Super Metroid.

From the very start of the game, there’s a very real Aliens feel. The intro recaps the events of the first to Metroid games against a background of Samus looking on at her screen, as her journal entry is typed out. All the while, the fantastically-atmospheric music by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano gives the intro a very unsettling feel. All at once, the Ceres Space Colony’s distress call abruptly ends the music as the unsettling feeling gives way to tension. The colony where Samus delivered the last Metroid is under attack. That tension ratchets up quickly after Samus flies back to the Ceres Space Colony, only to find it darkened, scientist bodies littering the lab, and an eerie silence. The callback to James Cameron’s classic couldn’t be more obvious.

Read More –[Retrospective] Sci-Fi Horror Epic ‘Super Metroid’ Turns 25 – Bloody Disgusting