*I added a poll to my first post*
From the comments, I think I'm right about Metroid, it is boring. I haven't read a convincing argument against that. But I think the key is that some things can be boring AND still be enjoyed by people. For example, watching golf on the television is boring, but some people actually like it.
That being said, unless I find a Nintendo guide, I think I'm done with this game. Perhaps I'll try Metroid Zero, or the SNES Metroid. That one is on my backlog, but I wanted to give Nes Metroid a good try before getting to it.