Which Metroid game introduced the melee counter mechanic?

Which Metroid game introduced the melee counter mechanic? Metroid: Samus Returns introduced it to the 2D Metroid series.

Released for Nintendo 3DS in 2017, Metroid: Samus Returns added the Melee Counter, allowing Samus to parry certain nearby enemy attacks with her Arm Cannon. A visual cue signals when an attack can be countered. A successful counter can stun an enemy and create an opening for a powerful follow-up, making close-range timing a central part of combat.

The mechanic was one of the remake’s major departures from Metroid II: Return of Samus, the 1991 Game Boy game on which Samus Returns is based. MercurySteam proposed the idea, drawing on a similar parry concept used in its Castlevania: Lords of Shadow—Mirror of Fate. Producer Yoshio Sakamoto approved it as a way to give players a more aggressive alternative to simply dodging attacks and firing from a distance.

The counter is especially useful against Metroids: after a successful parry, Samus can often fire a fully charged shot and follow with missiles. Metroid Prime, Super Metroid, and Metroid Fusion use different combat traditions and did not introduce this specific mechanic.