One of gaming's indisputable crown jewels, and a lesson in how to correctly structure a game with backtracking. Once you know how to and realize where you can walljump to expediently acquire items, Super Metroid transforms from a backtracking laden labyrinth into a mostly linear run&gun. And this is all before even including any of the other techniques that allow for further circumvention of the obvious path. This is why Super Metroid outshines all of its genre kindred that mandate players zip back and forth across their maps in order to acquire pickups. Hiding a secret more expedient path through the game that necessitates greater mechanical mastery is why I enjoy Super Metroid a bit more each time I play it, and Metroid Prime just a bit less when I return to it likewise.

You don't need any speedrunning exploits in order to pull off: SuperMissiles>Spazer>Varia>HighJump>WaveBeam>SpeedBooster>Grapple>IceBeam.
This alteration to progression enabled by walljumps is so fluid, and not especially taxing to execute, that I'm convinced this is the developer intended route for second playthroughs. It eliminates all backtracking until the journey to Ridley post-Maridia, making for a super smooth experience.

Pretty much every complaint I used to have has disappeared with my increased familiarity to the game. I advise all new players thusly: If you've entered Maridia without the Gravity Suit, leave immediately and search elsewhere.
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Every legitimate complaint I can think of that someone may have:
The Lower Norfair false-wall does not properly react to the X-Ray visor.
Swapping between beam and missiles can be awkward.
The map system is more obtuse than its successors.
Tourian Save Room #2 is a point of no-return.
Lots of players get tripped up by the true entrance to Maridia.
Maridia. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀(tbh I like it now)