
Title screen

The title screen is the initial screen of every Metroid game. It always features the logo, release year, developer (Nintendo), a background, and usually a message asking the player to press start or another button to go to the Samus Data Screen. The Title Screen in Metroid II: Return of Samus, however, doubles as the Samus Data Screen. If left idle long enough, most Title Screens in the games will begin playing gameplay footage. Some contemporary Metroid games, namely Metroid Fusion, play a cutscene while the Title Screen is loading. The Title Screen in the original Metroid instead shows Samus's mission orders in poorly translated English, as the first ever attract mode in the series. When Metroid: Other M is first loaded on the Wii console, a one-time Title Screen appears asking the player to press 2 on the Wii Remote, to set up language and subtitles, and then the game begins. The normal Title Screen is accessible after this. From here, the Samus Data Screen, Theater Mode and Gallery Mode can be accessed once unlocked.
With the exception of the overseas release of Metroid as well as Metroid: Samus Returns, the title screen and by extension the titles themselves were given in a font that give the illusion of the words rising up, which was similar to the font used for the Alien titles.
Gallery
Metroid II: Return of Samus (Super Game Boy)
Super Metroid, featuring the baby in its research capsule on Ceres Space Colony, surrounded by dead Lab Workers.
Metroid Fusion (iQue release)
Metroid Prime (pre-release)
Metroid (Classic NES Series / Zero Mission version)
References in other media
June 19, 2013 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, referencing the Metroid title screen
Super Meat Boy Forever parody of the Super Metroid title screen
Trivia
- The title screen of Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt was created by Rocky Newton.