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Metroidvania Community Game-Along: You are already lost

A

apricot

Member
lamulana_zps1396fbbe.jpg


A new month means a new Community Game-Along! In April we celebrated Atlus games, but for May it's going to be all Metroidvania, all the time.

When choosing a theme, I always try to gravitate toward more under-appreciated games and genres. Classic adventure games like Metroid and Castlevania are by no means niche, but the two series are closely connected, and have subsequently spawned a subgenre of non-linear 2D action-adventure games often referred to as "Metroidvania." Since there are quite a lot of games in this subgenre that haven't received a lot of publicity, I thought now would be as good a time as any to check them out!
Click to expand...

You can head over to my original post for some game suggestions, or try USGamer's great top 10 Metroidvania games list for some ideas!

Possible games include: Virtually anything with Castlevania or Metroid in the title (too easy!), La-Mulana, Aquaria, Cave Story, Tomba!, the Shantae series, Muramasa Rebirth, Shadow Complex, Aliens: Infestation... You've got a lot to choose from, so try to find something you've never played before!

As always, you can use our super special hashtag on social media to talk about your experiences and progress – this month it's #MetroidvaniaMay. I highly encourage folks to post long-form writing here in GAF or on your own site, or even do podcasts or video discussions/let's plays/whatever! The world is your Metroidvania oyster, but if you want me to promote your contribution, make sure to use the hashtag or post it here so I can find it!

One final note: It's totally cool to discuss what makes a game "Metroidvania," but we're all here to have a fun time, so let's not bash anyone's picks because you don't think it's a "true" Metroidvania game. You can also dislike how the term is used, but don't deny that "Metroidvania May" has a nice ring to it ;)

2014 Community Game-Alongs:

January – Falcom (no thread)
February – Dating Sims
March – Monster Hunter
April – Atlus
May – Metroidvania
June – Puzzle Games

everything else TBA
 
C

cyborg009

Banned
You guys should try shaman king master of spirits for GBA a very good metroidvania that will lasts you hours. Too bad the sequel was awful.

1281499784.jpg
 
S

saunderez

Member
Any solid recommendations for PC? I've Kickstarted half a dozen Metroidvania type games but none have been released so far so definitely keen on suggestions.
 
S

SheHateMe

Member
For Metroidvania May (I LOVE this name!) I think I'm going to try and best my fastest time in Castlevania: SOTN. Currently I can
200.6
% the game in about 7 hours and 30 minutes... I'm trying to get faster at doing it.
 
B

Barrylocke

Member
If I do this, it'll probably be with Aliens:Infestation, since I own it but never got too far.

I hope some brave soul decided to tackle La Mulana (original or remake) this month.

kick51 said:
i thought La Mulana is more directly related to Maze of Gallious
Click to expand...

La Mulana is a game that has you going into a giant ruin system and progressing to new areas in a non-linear fashion by collecting items and gaining new abilities. Sound familiar? ;)
 
S

SnakeEyez

Member
A thread all about Metroidvania? Oh yea I'm subscribing to this. After seeing the latest Ghost Song footage, I'm itching to play a new Metroidvania like game.
 
T

TheGreatLugia

Banned
I was about to make a LTTP thread for Super Metroid but this works too. =p

Metroid is one of those strange franchises for me where I managed to get most of the games without much effort but never actually finished any of them. I bought Prime Trilogy at launch, I got Metroid I and Fusion as 3DS Ambassador titles, and I bought Super Metroid on eShop when it was on sale for 30 cents. I never stop playing due to a lack of interest, but I never finished any of them for one reason or another.

Anyway, I finally started to fix that by finishing Super Metroid today. I'm not sure what I can bring up that hasn't already been mentioned by everyone, but it was fantastic. My only nitpick is that I prefer Fusion's controls for using missiles by holding down an extra button instead of toggling through each individual option, but that's incredibly minor. I loved the atmosphere, the gameplay, the music, the visual style of storytelling, and just everything about it in general.

I'll probably start up Fusion again in a day or two, although I remember a few of the boss fights being really annoying.
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
Everyone should take this opportunity to play Aquaria, it's possibly my favorite Metroidvania that I've played so far.
 
H

Hasemo

(；・∀・)ﾊｯ?
After ignoring Atlus April, I think join the fun during this one.
Since I've recently started SOTN, I'll go with that.
 
H

Hyperactivity

Banned
Otakumegane said:
Planning on Finishing Metroid Fusion soon.

I should buy Cave Story.
Click to expand...

DO IT
And here's an important thing, the game will pull a really dirty and unfair trick on you, so Im going to put spoilers here. Don't look if you want to experiment all on your own with the game
When Professor Booster falls from the sky in the Labrynth, DO NOT talk to him. He will die and give you the boost v0.6, but if you wait and avoid him, you'll get the booster v.20 and he wont die

You also cant get best ending if you go down there.
Additionally, there is something similar in terms of the tow rope, I forgot, but you should get it as you can use that to save a character in the game.
 
C

Crunch2600

Neo Member
Muramasa Rebirth is discounted on PSN, so I guess I'll be playing that. I don't know anything about this game but it sure looks pretty.
 
G

GooeyHeat

Member
It's worth noting that not all Castlevania games are Metroidvanias; in fact, the term was originally coined to describe Castlevania games with a Metroid-like structure!

Castlevania became open like this with Symphony of the Night, and most of the side-scrollers have been this way since.

Not that the original, Castlevania 3, Super Castlevania 4, and Rondo of Blood aren't phenomenal games, of course, but they might not quite fit the spirit of this thread.
 
TriAceJP

TriAceJP

Member
So this is the month where I spend all my time refreshing The Iconoclasts webpage hoping for an update.

I see.
 
S

saunderez

Member
Ichor said:
Everyone should take this opportunity to play Aquaria, it's possibly my favorite Metroidvania that I've played so far.
Click to expand...

Aquaria is Metroidvania? I got that game in a bundle I bought for another game ages ago and have never loaded it up. Will check it out!
 
E

Easy_D

never left the stone age
saunderez said:
Aquaria is Metroidvania? I got that game in a bundle I bought for another game ages ago and have never loaded it up. Will check it out!
Click to expand...

It absolutely is. One of my favourites as well, lots of stuff to do as well, collecting recipes for buffs, different transformations etc. And some of the best music in videogames.
 
A

apricot

Member
GooeyHeat said:
It's worth noting that not all Castlevania games are Metroidvanias; in fact, the term was originally coined to describe Castlevania games with a Metroid-like structure!

Castlevania became open like this with Symphony of the Night, and most of the side-scrollers have been this way since.

Not that the original, Castlevania 3, Super Castlevania 4, and Rondo of Blood aren't phenomenal games, of course, but they might not quite fit the spirit of this thread.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! I was pretty sure not all Castlevania games had a Metroid-like structure, but I wasn't sure which ones
 
O

Otakumegane

Member
Just started Cave Story+ and I'm actually pretty disappointed about the super floaty jump mechanics.

Just got to the Egg storage thing. Do I need to power through until it really gets good?
 
R

Ranger X

Member
TheGreatLugia said:
I was about to make a LTTP thread for Super Metroid but this works too. =p

Metroid is one of those strange franchises for me where I managed to get most of the games without much effort but never actually finished any of them. I bought Prime Trilogy at launch, I got Metroid I and Fusion as 3DS Ambassador titles, and I bought Super Metroid on eShop when it was on sale for 30 cents. I never stop playing due to a lack of interest, but I never finished any of them for one reason or another.

Anyway, I finally started to fix that by finishing Super Metroid today. I'm not sure what I can bring up that hasn't already been mentioned by everyone, but it was fantastic. My only nitpick is that I prefer Fusion's controls for using missiles by holding down an extra button instead of toggling through each individual option, but that's incredibly minor. I loved the atmosphere, the gameplay, the music, the visual style of storytelling, and just everything about it in general.

I'll probably start up Fusion again in a day or two, although I remember a few of the boss fights being really annoying.
Click to expand...

I hope you got Zero Mission on GBA because its way better than Fusion and removes any possible need to ever play the first game, Metroid (NES)
 
Riposte

Riposte

Member
Virtually anything with Castlevania in the title includes a lot of games not structured like Metroid.

EDIT: Oh, I'm late.
 
T

TheGreatLugia

Banned
Ranger X said:
I hope you got Zero Mission on GBA because its way better than Fusion and removes any possible need to ever play the first game, Metroid (NES)
Click to expand...
I really want to play Zero Mission, but I don't own it (Virtual Console release, please). =(

I also started up Metroid Fusion again today. It's good, but it definitely doesn't touch Super Metroid. I sort of want to rush through it so I can start Metroid Prime again.
 
S

SpacLock

Member
I just started playing Dust: a something Story (forgot the exact name) since it's become free for Xbox Live Gold members this month. I'm only a few minutes in and it seems somewhat Metroidvania-ish with how I picked up a powerup for a new ability and how the minimap in the corner works. I really hope it ends up being Metroidvania type exploration game.

Anyway, It's almost time for my annual Super Metroid playthrough that I've done since I was a toddler. I think I have every single screen in that game memorized.
 
H

Hyperactivity

Banned
Otakumegane said:
Just started Cave Story+ and I'm actually pretty disappointed about the super floaty jump mechanics.

Just got to the Egg storage thing. Do I need to power through until it really gets good?
Click to expand...

You're only at the beginning.
At least finish sand zne, once you get to the labrynth you should be hooked

3 endings btw, and not Metroid style time based endings, but bad, good, and best endings, each of which I would reccomend you see

Once you get booster v
2.0
, movement options just get MUCH MUCH better

And the final level for getting best ending is amazing
 
F

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
I have muramasa the demon blade on wii and I never thought of it as a metroidvania game, but now that it's being brought up in this thread, thinking back it pretty much was.
 
F

Fancy Clown

Member
Anyone who hasn't played Guacamelee yet should. It's not a terribly complicated exploration system, but it's a great game all around with awesome platforming challenges, snappy combat and power system, and some cool bosses.
 
F

Fantasmo

Member
Goonies 2 for NES.




Someone else mentioned this game in a recent thread, and it definitely bears mentioning. It's not perfect, and you might need a guide but it's really really good.

Note: I don't know how it holds up today, but I imagine quite well. Aside from the fact you probably need a guide or you will die a lot.
 
N

Nicko

Member
In eager anticipation of Koji Igarashi starting his own studio, and committing to making games in the style of his past (Metroidvania), I started replaying my favorite portable Castlevanias:


  1. Aria of Sorrow - Played for the first time on Hard mode with 100% map and 100% souls. Dusted off the old GameCube+GB Player and SNES-style Hori pad to play this on the big screen. Was an absolute and utter joy. FINISHED
  2. Dawn of Sorrow - Currently playing my first playthrough on Hard mode, and planning to 100% map, 100% souls, and 100% item drops as well. Playing this on my Gold 3DS XL, so have a nice large screen to marvel the animations and design with.... So many details I missed when originally played on tiny DS screen. Just wish there was a way to display main screen on top.. IN PROGRESS
  3. Portrait of Ruin - Planning to play through this on Hard for the second time, but this time to 100% items, maps, etc. PENDING
  4. Order of Ecclesia - Really looking forward to playing through this again. Have only played it once on normal, so looking forward to doing again on Hard and 100% everything. PENDING
  5. Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance - Depending on whether or not I am feeling burnt out after playing through all mentioned games, I may or may not replay these as well.. Circle of the Moon was my absolute favorite game for a good while, but I also replayed the thing a good half dozen times already... Harmony of Dissonance on the other hand hasn't aged as well as the other entries IMO... Tried booting it up for a bit after Aria, and just couldn't get back into it with such tinny music and bland backgrounds. TBD
I know it's going to be a good while before we see anything out of IGA, so I plan to take my sweet time with these. But boy, I sure had a blast playing through Aria again, and am really looking forward to getting back to the rest.

I also played through Steamworld Dig recently, and boy, what a gem!
 
J

JinjoUnchained

Member
Hell yeah!, I'm in. I'd like to play Cave Story. Any recommendations about which version to get? I'd like to get the 3DS version, but I hear it's rare now.
 
O

Oare

Member
GooeyHeat said:
Castlevania became open like this with Symphony of the Night, and most of the side-scrollers have been this way since.
Click to expand...

It actually became open with Castlevania 2 on the NES, which has a non-linear structure and power-ups too. I'd say it retroactively qualifies as "Metroidvania".
I actually just re-finished it two days ago for the first time in many years; in my opinion, it doesn't deserve half the hate it's been getting since the AVGN review.

That said, I'll be doing the original Metroid, which I have never played to this day!
 
A

apricot

Member
Nicko said:
In eager anticipation of Koji Igarashi starting his own studio, and committing to making games in the style of his past (Metroidvania), I started replaying my favorite portable Castlevanias:


  1. Aria of Sorrow - Played for the first time on Hard mode with 100% map and 100% souls. Dusted off the old GameCube+GB Player and SNES-style Hori pad to play this on the big screen. Was an absolute and utter joy. FINISHED
  2. Dawn of Sorrow - Currently playing my first playthrough on Hard mode, and planning to 100% map, 100% souls, and 100% item drops as well. Playing this on my Gold 3DS XL, so have a nice large screen to marvel the animations and design with.... So many details I missed when originally played on tiny DS screen. Just wish there was a way to display main screen on top.. IN PROGRESS
  3. Portrait of Ruin - Planning to play through this on Hard for the second time, but this time to 100% items, maps, etc. PENDING
  4. Order of Ecclesia - Really looking forward to playing through this again. Have only played it once on normal, so looking forward to doing again on Hard and 100% everything. PENDING
  5. Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance - Depending on whether or not I am feeling burnt out after playing through all mentioned games, I may or may not replay these as well.. Circle of the Moon was my absolute favorite game for a good while, but I also replayed the thing a good half dozen times already... Harmony of Dissonance on the other hand hasn't aged as well as the other entries IMO... Tried booting it up for a bit after Aria, and just couldn't get back into it with such tinny music and bland backgrounds. TBD
I know it's going to be a good while before we see anything out of IGA, so I plan to take my sweet time with these. But boy, I sure had a blast playing through Aria again, and am really looking forward to getting back to the rest.

I also played through Steamworld Dig recently, and boy, what a gem!
Click to expand...

Awesome, keep us updated with your progress! I'm a huge fan of SteamWorld Dig
 
T

TheGreatLugia

Banned
I just finished Metroid Fusion today. I quite enjoyed it overall, though I still prefer Super Metroid.

Now the question is whether to start Metroid Prime soon...
 
D

Dr Stabbingworth

Member
saunderez said:
Aquaria is Metroidvania? I got that game in a bundle I bought for another game ages ago and have never loaded it up. Will check it out!
Click to expand...

The great thing about Aquaria is that after the first "dungeon" it's mostly non-linear. And the world is pretty large.

Nabs said:
Treasure Adventure Game is so... so good.
Click to expand...

Yep, although one thing I recommend is setting an xpadder binding so that you toss your hook everytime you attack. The combat mechanics are a little weak, but the adventuring is great.

AkelisRain said:
Add Valdis Story to the list. Have not finished yet, but I plan on returning to it soon.
Click to expand...

This game is super combat focused, as well as being a Metroidvania and having lots of secrets. I personally didn't like it, but the game has a lot of polish and the devs were super dedicated to working on stuff after it came out.
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
cyborg009 said:
You guys should try shaman king master of spirits for GBA a very good metroidvania that will lasts you hours. Too bad the sequel was awful.

1281499784.jpg
Click to expand...

Interesting I like the Shaman King series, are there any notable differences between the English and Japanese ver.?
 
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