Not my favorite GC game, but still an excellent 3D take on the classic Metroid world. The game feels a lot like SuperMetroid, only on modern hardware.
It still is an arcade/action game, with some interesting puzzles that need to be solved before reaching the next area. However, instead of feeling like broken up stages, access to different sections of the world is well controlled by the special items and abilities that Samus acquires along the way. The world feels immersive and realistic.