Top 10 Interesting Cross-References and Similarities Between Nintendo's Metroid, Mario and Zelda Franchises

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The Top Ten

1 Super Metroid's Brinstar, Norfair and Maridia literally embody the notorious "forest/fire/water" dungeon formula from Ocarina Of Time

Let's not forget Star Fox, another Nintendo franchise. It also shares some similarities with the ones you mentioned.

2 Many of Super Metroid's areas eerily resemble post-apocalyptic versions of Super Mario Bros and World level types

As was officially proven by Brawl In The Family

3 Many of the Metroid abilities are essentially hyper-futuristic counterparts to Zelda items

4 In Super Metroid, Crocomire famously dies by falling into boiling lava and getting every last bit of his flesh horrifyingly melted right off by it; 22 years later in New Super Mario Bros, Bowser almost-as-disturbingly follows suit

Sorry, meant to say 12 years later (it was a typo, trust me)

5 The infamous "dark/light world" cliche from Zelda also being utilized to shockingly great effect in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

6 Ridley is essentially Space Bowser

7 The Ingo Brothers from Ocarina Of Time and Majora's Mask were deliberately designed as evil versions of Mario and Luigi

8 Tatori Turtle babies in a certain hidden chamber of Super Metroid's Maridia area look exactly like Buzzy Beetles, with their agitated mother's shell flying across the room and bouncing off the walls just like a Koopa shell

9 The Happy Mask Salesman in Majora's Mask has a Mario mask on his backpack, implying that he basically sucked out the character's soul in-universe

10 Shooting eyeballs with missiles in Metroid, just like how you shoot them with arrows in Zelda