Sorry, I'm not a massive Fusion fan. I'm one of those folk who takes issue with the segmented structure, chasing after destination points, and the constant consultation with the commander. I've also got problems with the security clearance upgrades that don't fundamentally add to Samus's abilities, how scattershot some of the mandatory secret entrances are, and how much the level design seems to suffer by the point you fight Nightmare, which I don't really see get brought up as much.

They were overwhelmingly irritating sore spots on my first playthrough, and they gave me pause about the idea of coming back for a second run, but they didn't bother me nearly as much on the Switch. I was able to appreciate the rest of it more. I think Samus's eventual subordination towards "Adam" rounds out the arc that was retroactively introduced in Other M (by worse storytellers) quite nicely. Super Metroid is easily my favourite game in the series, but I can see how Fusion would serve as a more welcoming entry point for new players, and might lead them to go back afterwards. The music often comes off as corny, and soured me to the whole idea of the X Parasite, but seeing how thrillingly that stuff gets paid off in Dread warmed me to it. I never took much stock in the appeal of Metroid's continuity before Dread, but I think it benefits some of the patchier games that surround it.

Since this was my second time through, I took a more casual approach, allowing use of the Switch Online rewind feature whenever I felt like it, which mellowed a lot of the frustration I had last time, but I don't think I really needed it. I think I just hadn't found enough health upgrades on the first go. It's not nearly as rough if you look for them. The segmented structure often means you're locked off from backtracking, though, so you'd better just be thorough on your first time through each location.

Looking forward to Zero Mission, because I liked that far more. I'm just a little worried it might not outshine Fusion quite as much next time.