Sotn and Super Metroid are definitely ones I have in mind when it comes to positive examples. Axiom Verge is pretty darn good, too.

Other decent ones include AM2R, Bladechimera, Guacamelee, the NES’s Blaster Master, and most of the Castlevania/Bloodstained ones.

Negative examples below:

Metroid Dread - I hated the stealth and the qte

Ender Lilies - bosses are meant to happen at exactly one difficulty

Gestalt Steam and Cinder - puzzley enemies that grind movement to a halt, bosses with immunity phases, the stun mechanic for bosses that meant more cycles if you didn’t gain enough meter or miss your shot, absolutely bonkers plot, artificial barriers to character power

Hollow Knight - this is a platformer first and a motroidvania second. No flow for me, thought I understand that so many people love it. Ori feels like this as well. An some point, both were just about not hitting spikes.

Wonder Labyrinth - the aiming

All the Shantae games. I really enjoy them except when there’s bottomless pits. And there’s always bottomless pits.

There were also a few that weren’t bad, just didn’t quite catch me: Vernal Edge, 9 Years of Shadows, Timespinner.