If Zero Mission has even more energetic pacing than Fusion, that fact is balanced out by the game's conspicuously inferior graphics. This installment is little more than a re-make of the (now ancient) original Metroid, and it shows. But even a below-average Metroid is an above-average game!

If by "little-more than a remake" you mean "a complete overhaul in graphics, sound, gameplay and story, as well as new areas to explore, items to find, and enemies to fight," then yeah, you might have a point.  I don't really see how those elements could be considered "little more" than anything.  Nintendo rebuilt the game from scratch and came up with something that I find to be one of the best games in the series.