Zelda is just hands down one of my favorite games to play and I really enjoy playing them, there is more action and exciting things that happen in zelda games. Plus I have only played metroid once so that might have something to do with the reason I picked zelda games, its because I play them more often than metroid and I just like them better because of the content and fun stuff in it. Plus they are the kind of games where you don't get bored playing the game and it is fun to replay afterward which I think is important and that is why I picked zelda games.

I would have to choose Metroid myself. I've always been a fan of both series so it was a hard choice but for me, I LOVE science. Metroid goes full out with a bounty hunter with nothing but justice behind her and the most amazing piece of equipment at her disposal. The ability she has to gain new abilities through powerful boss fights and exploration. And when it reached the gamecube with Metroid Prime it blew my mind. The worlds became beautiful and exploration was amazing. The Legend of Zelda does have exploration properties put into it at times and always has a solid storyline all the time which is great. But I love the ability to seach everywhere and find all these amazing items to add to a superb sci-fi tech suit in the name of peace against hostile beings across the galaxy. I hold no hate or anything to Legend of Zelda, it played a part in my childhood as well. But Metroid always fascinated me beyond belief but never as much as Mega Man! XD

I think this is an age related and needs related style question.

I'll tell anyone that I had more fun with my Zelda Games than I did with the Metroid Games when I was a kid.

Now?

It is kinda divided by taste.

Male Protagonist or Female?
Science Fiction or Fantasy?
High Tech or Magic?
Natural backgrounds or Unnatural backgrounds?
Sunlight or all Night all the time?
Swords or Guns?

That said...

In my youth I liked Zelda More.
Today? I play 16-bit Metroid to get a little "shut eye." It teases my memory muscle just enough without exhausting and overloading my senses. (Translation: it is boring and a tad tedious.)
Great for getting a good nights sleep after.
Thanks For the question.
Good Luck.
Peace.

I grew up with Zelda on the NES, but had not played Metroid game until I borrowed fusion from a friend. To this day, Zelda is still my favorite game series. Metroid is great, too, but can feel a bit too dungeon-crawley, and some of the games have really tedious travel between areas (I'm looking at you, Prime 1+2+3).

ifrit1991 : I grew up on Zelda games and I never had any of the metroid games. I didn't know anything about the metroid games until smash bros and that's when I found out.

While the Metroid series really shines at its best with some great games, the Zelda series gives more consistency in releasing top-notch titles. The game also has a bit of a different feel which I like better. It's a bit more... epic.

xandermartin98 :
Eh, It's hard to choose, Metroid has a really spooky eerie sci-fi like feel to it, And Zelda Has the big grand adventurous feel to it, But If I had to choose between one of these games, I would totally pick Zelda....

Of course Legend of Zelda , I'm more into role play and adventure a little rather Sci-Fi 

zerothesaint : You found Metroid less interesting than Mega Man? xD

xandermartin98 : Oddly enough I did. Don't get me wrong, the enormous worlds you can search and the alien lifeforms were beyond any expectations when Metroid came around but i'm a person who is just ecstatic about technology and Mega Man and a future of robots with amazing A.I.'s built in them makes me excited that maybe one day it could happen...without the whole robots destroying the world.  

But it was Mega Man X that did it for me with Reploids, the humanoid robots who could think for themselves and feel emotions and such that makes me love Mega Man more. Its all about the possibility of making technology and in a sense creating life in hopes that its good and not evil I guess.

But you're welcome to pick on me for liking Mega Man more! XD

I'm not really into these high fantasy adventure/Role Playable Games. And I'm usually put off from Sci-Fi games, but the Metroid series shines out to me among the rest. So I choose Metroid.

Zelda,my brother loved Metroid but I never really got into it. Plus I think the Zelda games are more in depth from what I've seen of my brother playing Metroid.