Super Metroid is one of those games that just sticks with you. You start off as Samus, landing on Zebes with barely any gear—just your basic arm cannon and a jump that feels way too floaty at first. But then you find your first power-up, and suddenly the whole map opens up. The way the game lets you backtrack and discover new paths with each upgrade is still genius, even decades later.

What really gets me is the atmosphere. The music, the eerie alien hums, the way you can just feel the weight of being alone on this hostile planet. And those boss fights? Ridley still makes me sweat every time. It’s not just nostalgia—this game holds up because the level design is tight, the pacing is perfect, and that moment when you finally get the Screw Attack? Pure joy.

If you’ve never played it, you owe it to yourself to see where so many modern Metroidvanias got their DNA. Super Metroid is the real deal.