Well now that I've beaten Dread. Let's see if I can do this:
Metroid NES: I give it a D. Sorry no nostalgia glasses here. While I did play it way back in the day and enjoyed it, it's the first of it's kind and shows. With the remake there just isn't any reason to bother other then curiosity's sake.
Metroid 2: Return of Samus: I give it a C. This was actually my first Metroid game, and I learned of it by reading a Nintendo Power issue in a waiting room once that had a guide for this game. Ever since reading that guide I was like: "Damn I want to play this game" Finally got a copy and loved it. I can very likely go into it and have fun playing, but yeah, it's better if we stick to the remakes.
Also was is really possible for the Queen to swallow Samus allowing you to bomb her insides? Because I've beaten this game dozens of times, and I never had that happen once.
Super Metroid: S. An easy S. My favorite of the series. I've beaten it so many times. Both under 3 hours and I've gotten 100% at least once. Don't think I ever managed to do 100% under 3 hours. Might try someday.
Metroid Fusion: B. Haven't played through this that many times, but that's my own fault. I keep getting to the area where you can do the shinespark trick to get the hidden message, and keep trying for it. (And keep failing to the point I give up and end up not playing anymore...)
Metroid Dread. Also B. Could have been an A, but take out the EMMI, take out the counter to end a fight or it loops, and bleep some of those shinespark puzzles.
Metroid Prime: A. Its' good. very good. Might actually be an S, I'd have to play it again. It's been over a decade.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. B-. I don't hate it, but it has a couple of really annoying parts. Like the spider guardian. I so hate that boss.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. S. I'm sorry but I freaking LOVED this game. It's a game that makes me sad motion controls are basically done, because they made this game so much better.
Metroid Prime Trilogy. Haven't played through the first two with the motion controls yet, so can't say.
Metroid Prime Hunters. Really only messed around a little with this. It's neat having Metroid on the DS like this, but yeah, the controls are weird as heck.
Metroid Prime Federations Force. Only played a bit of it, but I really enjoy being able to see the world of Metroid through different eyes. I mean it's a spinoff game. Having someone else then Samus for a spinoff is just fine. It's also rare that you get to explore a world via someone who isn't the main hero, so I respect this exists.
Metroid Samus Returns: I'm pretty sure I really liked it, so I think it's an A. Sadly I'm having trouble remembering it at the moment.
AM2R - Yes I'm counting it, and it gets an A+ if not an S. This was a great Metroid fan game, and one I don't mind coming back to sometime. I'd love to burn this to a cart somehow and play it on an actual system.
Metroid Pinball - Haven't messed with it much. Mainly because I still need to get the rumble pak.
The virtual boy Galactic Pinball mini shooter game. B, it's fun! So is the game! It's just a shame it's on the Virtual Boy.
Okay enough messing around.
Metroid Other M. It gets a.............. C. Maybe a C-.
There IS a good game to be had here. It's just a shame we can't tweak it to actually work. It's been a while, but I don't recall the sideways wii mote being too much trouble. I got used to the aim at the screen for missiles, but yeah, that's just not great. I suppose they didn't want to include the nunchuck because then it'd basically be a Metroid Prime game, but you needed to figure SOMETHING out to let me move a bit while aiming a missle. Other than that though, the combat is pretty solid. The platforming is also pretty decent. It just all gets way bogged down with those pixel hunts, and the god awful story. That girl is NOT Samus.
I don't outright hate it. I'd even be fine with Samus listening to Adam and not using certain things till authorized, but the Varia suit!? The Varia suit AFTER going into a lava area!? Why? Why?! That makes no sense. I'll never accept that, it's just flat out stupid.
If we could get a better story, tweak the missle thing, I think we'd have a pretty solid title. I loved fighting some of the previous bosses in this new way. I agree that the Nightmare, and Phantoon are highlights. Phantoon is also one of my favorite bosses from Super, so I loved getting to fight this new version.
So, when do we want to do this ranking thing with all the MegaMan games?