!King_Amazon!'s Top 10 SNES Games of All Time!

The definitive Metroid game, Super Metroid did for the series what A Link to the Past did for Zelda. It introduced 90% of the details and core gameplay elements that have defined the series ever since. The map system (mimicked by every single side-scrolling adventure game since), the Charge Beam, wall-jump, Space-Jump, Screw Attack, X-Ray Visor, Speed Boost, Super Missiles, Power Bombs, Grapple Beam and a ton of other abilities, items and scenarios that have been duplicated, enhanced and re-imagined in six different games since then. This game defined Metroid, and in turn, defined the 2D adventure genre as a whole.

Space jump and screw attack were in Metroid II. Speed boost is just a lame new way to block access to areas, as are super missiles and power bombs. Charge beam is useless unless you run out of missles (and how do you run out of missles in Super Metroid?). Super Metoid added X-Ray visor, grapple beam, and an overly rigid map structure. Hardly series defining.