Gameplay suffered from only being allowed to use the D-Pad, and some frustrating scavenger hunt sections, along with it not really leaning into the exploration aspect.
Updated this to version 1.2 also added both roms. The rom labelled GBA uses the GBA control scheme, the other patch uses the original Super Metroid controls.
The real sin was making her a whole foot shorter.
The 1.2 patch made the game a 1000x much more bearable. There's still a few little level design choices that are counter intuitive or are just tedious, but not impossible if you just tank your face through it.
Yeah I've slowly been making my way through the hack. Just got power bombs. Overall it's been fun so far but some of the level design is a bit questionable. Pretty much that whole section between the first encounter with ice x parasite things and turning the power on in the ice area kind of sucks. The ice missile tower climbs were also kind of annoying. I didn't even bother using the ice missiles in the long room with the spikes and the flying dudes. I just tanked the damage on the spikes. Also that room with the fall blocks you have to jump up with the alternating shot blocks can get fucked. There's too many quick reflex falling block puzzles in general. I generally hate that shit as it is. There's also a bunch of rooms where if you fall or just walk into it by mistake you're pretty much fucked and reloading.
At most we're going to get DS games on switch 2's NSO + Expansion pack only. probably with the limitation of handheld only. A remake with online multiplayer would be amazing though.
seeing what i've seen... just be happy as nintendo has shown to have zero faith in metroid series and if they bastardize so much of the game to a point it became tears of the federation then metroid fans won't gargle too much of it because of the other M mental scar, even if you make it play like the primes... at least it will be a nail in the coffin of the franchise until they decide to exhume the corpse a few decades later.
Ultimately, Metroid Dread was fun, and that's what really matters. I think the idea of a different Chozo tribe, which still looks like it amounted to a few dozen Chozo at most, was pretty cool. They're all dead now anyway.
I have no problem with the sexualization, so long as it's a reward, and they ditch the fugly neon piss-yellow accessories from Smash and remove the completely unfunctional whore heels (from Other M/Smash). They literally did it perfect with the original zero suit, they nailed it the first time. It was functional, sexy, but not "try-hard" sexy making Samus look like a two-dollar whore. It was utilitarian and simple, because naturally it was an undersuit that other people really aren't going to see... and it's perfect at showing of that SamASS.