>>719758182
[sleepy so less structured rant]
Unprepared minds might find this aggravating: why do I have to GUESS what the developer wants from me in order to PROGRESS in the game? Why are those secrets not relegated to side-quests and optional treasures, like it is done for most non-Metroid games (Metroidvanias)?

To me that played it during my formative years, Metroid is a series that teaches you all those things. It teaches you to experiment and explore. It teaches you to be rigorous in your testing. It teaches you pattern recognition. This is just Gamer Sense training.
There is no guesswork, just the inevitability of discovery.

And while Fusion is infamous for having some stumpers on the critical path, I never thought it as a detriment to the game.