The WhatsNext verdict
If you enjoy mapping interconnected worlds through experimentation, hidden routes, and upgrades, Super Metroid delivers a lonely, atmospheric exploration adventure. Choose it only if you can tolerate floaty movement, limited aiming, and occasional backtracking when progress is unclear.
What it does best
A world whose geography becomes part of your memory
Curiosity is rewarded with secrets, shortcuts, and power
Lonely alien dread you can almost breathe
Movement that rewards precision and mastery
What might put you off
Floaty controls and limited aiming
Opaque progression and obscure secrets
The setup
What you are walking into
The Space Pirates, merciless agents of the evil Mother Brain, have stolen the last Metroid from a research station, and once again Mother Brain threatens the safety of the galaxy! Samus Aran must don her awesome array of high-tech weaponry to retrieve the deadly Metroid hidden deep within the cave-riddled planet Zebes. Super Metroid features excellent graphics, with a huge variety of enemies and worlds to explore. The side-view action will be familiar to many players, only now there are new weapons and items, including the Grappling Beam, which allows Samus to swing across large chasms, and the X-Ray Scope, which reveals secret passages.
Where it lives
Genre
Vibe
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