Super Metroid is a side-scrolling action adventure game that released for the SNES in 1994. It released and quickly became a fan favorite not only on the SNES, but in general, and is considered by many to be the greatest game ever made. 

It is a true masterpiece, and my favorite video game. Metroid is my favorite series, and this game perfectly encapsulates everything great about the series. Atmosphere, gameplay, music, bosses, level design, it's all perfect. This is a game I can come back to over and over, and have fun every time, always trying to make a new sequence break, and beat my previous run time.

The gameplay is tight, and very satisfying to pull off a hard sequence break, and there's just something about the wall-jumping that's fun. The boss battles are incredible, from the Spooky Phantoon, to the towering Kraid, to the intimidating Ridley, to the terrifying Mother Brain, each fight is amazing and special, all have some challenge and are memorable, even the disturbing Crocomire fight.

The music is atmospheric and charming, each is special in their own way, from the low and slow paced Red Soil Brinstar, to the upbeat and catchy overgrown green brinstar, to the haunting and mysterious Rocky Maridia, to the imposing Lower Norfair theme, and the memorable boss tracks, all are great in their own way, and perfectly capture the tone of the game, and each area.

Level design is also incredible. visuals are still fantastic, at least in my opinion, for a SNES game 23 years old. It's aged tremendously well, and the level design is some of the best, you can exploit the environment to sequence break, and finish the game faster. It's also a very non-linear game, you aren't told what to do, or where to go, no hints or tips. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Super Metroid is amazing, and the very core of what makes a Metroid game. Sure, Fusion and Zero Mission are technically superior in gameplay and design, but they both lack the charm of Super. Fusion loses points for being way more linear and dialogue heavy, and Zero Mission, while regaining some of the core mechanics of Super, like non-linearity and wall-jumping, it lacks the charm and subtlety of Super. I can't really explain it, but I also feel the controls are somewhat inferior. I also prefer the somber and less alive nature of Super.

Super Metroid is a pinnacle of game design, and a true masterpiece. I can't say it enough, but I really like this game.