Fusion is the previous game in the mainline Metroid series, but…I never liked it. It felt slow and clunky compared to Super Metroid. The SA-X scenes were uncompromising and required memorization to get through. It was also more linear from what I saw, with seemingly arbitrary access restrictions instead of solid level design, but I never finished it so I cannot say for sure.
Zero Mission was “the original Metroid game, remastered with modern features and new content.” As a huge Super Metroid fan, it was exactly what I had desired when I bought Fusion.
Dread takes the “unbeatable adversary” mechanic from Fusion and greatly improves upon it. The EMMIs are smart and deadly, and they have killed me dozens of times, but it never feels unfair like the SA-X did. I haven’t finished it yet, but it feels like it’s taken the best parts of the best 2D Metroids, current gaming sensibilities and expectations, modern hardware capabilities, and rolled them into a great game.
It's way shorter, somewhat easier, more straightforward, and more expensive than Hollow Knight. Depending on how much time you have, all but the last of these can be pros.