I JUST finished this game. I dunno, I don't think i really liked it that much. I didn't like all the weapon switching and visor switching (an lack of visiblity as a result, impossible to tell what is going on in x-ray)...the platform jumping was annoying (i know the other metroid rely heavily on jumping, but this is in 3D and easier to miss jumps). There weren't that many different types of enemies, and the bosses were lame. Maybe it was my lack of map skills or something, but i kept having to backtrack...there were parts of the game i saw 5 or 6 times (a compass in map woulda helped...which elevator goes to which?). I also never felt "at one" with the controls. I dunno, the game never grabbed me like I was hoping for (i loved metroid, super metroid). I thought it was a good game, very polished, incredible graphics, etc...but I just didn't find it "fun". thoughts?
on another note, it DID feel like metroid through and through, but maybe that was the problem, not much new (and the jumping).
i finished at 80%, 15 hours, no guides.