A product of its time, for sure, but a fulfilling experience nonetheless and one that doesn't seem to be properly appreciated among zoomers. As far back as 1986 Metroid is a very inventive and genre-defining game and while some aspects of it could certainly use work the core gameplay loop is timeless and would later be refined to the point of spawning an entire genre. I'll add that a lot of younger players seem to have missed the point; the lack of a map and hostile, unpredictable world are an integral part of the experience. Samus is entering uncharted, alien, enemy territory. To enjoy this game you need to understand that part of the concept is familiarizing yourself with and mapping out Zebes with deliberacy, and being a Famicom-era game it won't hold your hand.