Super Metroid set the standard for action-adventure games in the 16-bit era. It looks and plays every bit as good now.
The levels are lush and organic, representing a milestone in sprite-based gameplay. The depth of the layers and the use of parallax transformes Super Metroid from 2-D side-scroller into a living, breathing world. The rich, dark sci-fi settings make this game a landmark in adventure games and arguably set it as a precursor to the survival horror genre.
Frankly, even if this iteration of Metroid didn't have such gorgeous settings, the game would still work because of the fantastic gameplay. Understanding the control scheme in Metroid is a complex task and richly rewarding. Nothing satisfies like coming out of a morph ball bomb and finishing a space pirate with a Spazer blast...
In short, no one with a Wii has an excuse for not playing this. If you're new to gaming, you owe it to yourself to play this top-notch old-schooler, especially if you plan to play the new Metroid Prime 3. And those of you who grew up with Nintendo, don't think you can get away with the "I played it when it came out" excuse... YOU people need to be reminded what all the fus is about.
Long story short, play this game.