Metroid Fusion

The Good
Imagine a gameplay screen. Imagine all the different things that can be displayed on such a screen. Now, Metroid Fusion decided to do something epic and fill that screen with crumbling blocks. These are ominous symbols of desolation and sorrow. What Samus has to do is either Space Jump like there's no tomorrow, or remain in a Shinesparking state and run past these blocks. There is also symbolism in this. Some of these rooms require very extensive use of the Shinespark technique. Samus remaining in a state of light (Remain in Light) is symbolic of the ever-present battle between light and dark, good and evil.

There are also Screw Attack blocks everywhere. The thing is that you don't get Screw Attack ability until near the end, and after that, the game will direct you to fight the final bosses, effectively preventing you from exploring the rooms behind the Screw Attack blocks. This adds a sense of distrust and unrest. You shouldn't trust the in-game navigation computer. You're still the rogue agent who answers to no one but her own plans and strategies. After the Screw Attack ability is unlocked, you'll travel in some amazing paths that connect the puzzle pieces you collected throughout the adventure. Things finally make sense.

The Bad
Some puzzles don't make any sense. Bomb the center of a platform to reveal a bridge? Kill a spider and expect it to morph into another creature and kill that and wait for it to morph into yet another?

No X-Ray. The Select button is useless in this game and could have been used to activate the X-Ray ability found in Super Metroid. Without X-Ray, plus the fact that the game violently dictates where you should go next by disabling doors and paths that were previously open, you just feel that the game is bullying you and deceiving you at all times.

Lack of moves and tricks. The map and layout of the rooms aren't memorable enough, probably the least memorable Metroidvania map I've played. I can't tell the various areas apart since they look alike and have similar layout.

The Bottom Line
It took me 15 hours to beat it with 99% item collection rate. Metroid Fusion is solid, but life is too short and I wouldn't really recommend a game that's not excellent. If you have played Super Metroid and liked it, it's probably a better idea to just replay Super Metroid, rather than playing this.