I think that this is now my favorite 2D Metroid. I love the way Samus moves. On the heels of playing Super and Fusion before this one, I can handedly say that the controls have never felt tighter which makes the gameplay both fun, accessible, but also challenging.
Exploration might be a bit more guided than in other entries, but the search for powerups has never felt more fluid and engaging for me.
My only major critique is the overuse of the Chozo warriors and robots... I could have done with more creative boss encounters, especially in the second half of the game when these particular fights become ubiquitous. But otherwise this is a sublime Metroid experience and probably one that I will go back to more often than any other.
Exploration might be a bit more guided than in other entries, but the search for powerups has never felt more fluid and engaging for me.
My only major critique is the overuse of the Chozo warriors and robots... I could have done with more creative boss encounters, especially in the second half of the game when these particular fights become ubiquitous. But otherwise this is a sublime Metroid experience and probably one that I will go back to more often than any other.