Metroid: Samus Returns is FANTASTIC so What's Next for 2D Metroid?

[Salnax]

A few things I would be interested in for a new entry:

• I have not played Samus Returns yet, but the new abilities introduced in this game seem like great additions. The melee counter is a great concept, and things like the free aiming and Aeion abilities could work depending on a new game's design.
• At some point, new games should try to avert the whole "lose all old abilities" trope that plagues Samus. Thus far, I think the main aversions have been the longer range shots, which had to be found in the original game, and Prime Hunters let you start with basics like the Morph Ball and Missiles. But in all seriousness, I feel that some of these abilities need to become part of the basic moveset available from the beginning of the game. Maybe a combination of the basic arm cannon, charge shots, missiles, morph ball, and athletic abilities like the power grip?
• The timing of the game within the series matters. If it takes place after the events of Super Metroid or Fusion, then the Galactic Federation is going to have to play a role, likely as antagonists. Although I personally would be interested in that sort of story, story isn't what I'm looking for in Metroid. Meaning that something earlier in the timeline might work better. Especially if we want Metroids to be involved.
  • If a game is set latter in the timeline, such as after Fusion, then we need to consider how fights against the Federation could possibly work. Would they resemble some of the fights against other bounty hunters in the Prime games? Would they basically be the stand ins for Space Pirates in Super Metroid and Zero Mission?
• Sequence Breaking is not something I would use very often, but should be included. Breath of the Wild should have convinced Nintendo that this is not something to be avoided. Maybe half of the upgrades in the game could be technically optional? Alternatively, a lot of the old tricks from across the series should be brought back. Let us skip the Morph Ball jump by using bombs, tank our way through high temperature sections, and beat the major bosses in reverse. At very least, include something like wall jumps, even if they're never needed.
  • What other kinds of challenges can players choose from? Can the game somehow encourage players to get 100% completion or play Low % Runs? Would having lots of alternate endings suffice?
• Perhaps more of an emphasis should be placed on hunting down creatures, sort of like in Samus Returns. Could an area be designed so that we have to track down a boss encounter for a while before finding them? They could be running around in an unscripted fashion, possibly wandering between a few boss arenas. And we could then have to track them down, possibly using environemtal clues. Perhaps certain locations would offer different pros and cons, or maybe we'd be able to lure the monster to an ideal arena. Expand on the concept of Hunting.
  • Remember how in Super Metroid, that one boss could be beaten easily by using the grappling beam to connect it to the electirc surface? What if every boss had one of these, but you had to explore around to figure out how to do it?
• If we fight Ridley again, he should be able to clearly escape from Samus. No need handwaving another death.
• The next time we fight Kraid, I want him to be freaking enormous! Make him as big as the largest single room in any 2D Metroid, or a couple of times taller than his Super Metroid appearence. Throw in a normal Kraid fight beforehand if you want to pay homage to Super Metroid.
• The system in Metroid Fusion where you get new abilities via the Mega Man method is interesting. The boss fights could even serve as indirect tutorials on how to use the new abilities, like evil versions of those critters in Super Metroid. This would also be a good excuse for the inclusion of any radically different power ups introduced.