Super Metroid was one of the first games I reviewed on this blog, actually. It wasn't the first time I had played the game, but it was the first time I actually managed to beat it. At the time, I thought the game was really good but not as good as the GBA entries due to the controls feeling slightly stiffer and me not liking Maridia all that much. And yeah, I do stand by those complaints. However, as the years have gone by and I played Super more and more, I've grown to hold it up as the best 2D Metroid game until Dread. So what's changed?
First off, I wanted to start by reiterating the things in my initial review that I still agree with:
I raved about Super Metroid being able to tell a simple but effective story without any dialogue. While I think Fusion has the actual best story of any Metroid game, Super Metroid's iconic silent narrative still deserves so much praise for how many memorable moments it's able to generate solely through gameplay. The opening where Ridley steals the Baby Metroid right in front of your eyes, revisiting the iconic first few screens of Brinstar only to find it overrun with space pirates, visiting the creepy powered-off Wrecked Ship, being stuck in Norfair, and of course, the entire finale where a grown up Baby Metroid sacrifices itself to save Samus.
I also praised Super Metroid's overall presentation and sense of atmosphere. Super Metroid is an isolating and oppressive game, set on a bizarre alien world that feels truly alien in its art direction. Samus feels well and truly alone for most of this game, I think this is the Metroid game that manages to best capture that one-man army feel that's defined the series. Kenji Yamamoto's incredible soundtrack also helps with the tone of the game, this man is an absolute legend at making atmospheric pieces that also happen a memorable and defined memory. From the groovy Overgrown Brinstar, to the intense Red Soil, to the sigh of relief that is Samus's Theme, the music in Super Metroid does so much of the heavy-lifting and adds so much to the game's atmosphere and story.
As for the controls, well they're not that bad. Certainly not as tight as the games from Zero Mission onwards, but they do their job and have a lot of nuance for those willing to learn them. Either way, this is the first game to really flood you with upgrades, which creates an addictive feeling of getting increasingly more powerful. But what I think really makes Super Metroid stick out is the level design. I did credit the level design in my initial review, but I don't think I praised it enough because Super Metroid still has the best level design in any Metroid game. There's all the obvious stuff like how open the game is to sequence breaks, how much the game conveys to you without any dialogue or tutorials, or how much it opens up once you reach Maridia, but there's even more than that.
Super Metroid's individual rooms feel the most memorable out of any game in the series, tossing in new enemy types and environmental hazards at a breakneck pace. The infamous endgame item collection that later games suffer from isn't an issue at all here, and looking for all the optional collectibles are more fun in Super than in any other game since they're usually hidden at the end of large secret obstacle courses that rank as some of the most fun and brutal challenges in the game. The Gauntlet in particular may just be my favorite Metroid room, period, it's such a blast. In terms of pure exploration, Super Metroid is easily the standout entry in the series.
I still absolutely adore the GBA Metroid games, don't get me wrong. Zero Mission has a strong emphasis on movement with its improved controls and fun-as-hell Shinespark puzzles, but it is pretty easy and short. Fusion has the best atmosphere, story, and boss fights, but the linear progression makes item hunting an absolute slog. Super Metroid has most of these games' strengths without any of the weaknesses. It's a satisfyingly beefy 2D Metroid game with a massive and meticulously designed world that's still as fun to explore today as it was three decades ago. The sense of isolation is provides is gripping, the silent narrative it offers still holds up, and the speedrun potential allows for a ton of replayability. If the controls were just a bit tighter, Super Metroid would be a perfect game, but I guess that's what Dread is for.
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