There's a reason all the Metroid games after this one feel like they're paying homage to it. Super Metroid is the series' high point. It took the concept of the NES and GameBoy versions, dialled it up as much as the SNES would allow, and the result is a stellar game, even by today's standards. The atmosphere and emotion they conveyed using only 16-bit graphics must be experienced to be fully understood. The controls are tight and responsive, the level design is masterful and the game is just fun. My only gripe, and it's a minor one, is that the quality-of-life improvements added in later iterations are missed in this one.