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What's your favorite Metroidvania?

M

Malyse

Member
Don't say a Metroid or Castlevania title.

I'm rather fond of the Shantae series.

shantae_dance_by_lunaclefairy-d6mjnng.gif


EDIT:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Metroidvania

Etymology

Blend of Metroid and Castlevania, two influential games of this type.

Proper noun

Metroidvania

  1. (video games, informal) A style of platform game with role-playing game elements and inventory items, involving more exploration than a traditional linear platform game.

    [quotations ▲]
    • 2008, Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition
      The Castlevania games share similarities with the Metroid series, in particular the free-roaming design in which new abilities allow access to different areas. Because of this, fans often refer to such games as "Metroidvania" in style.
      Click to expand...
    • 2009 September 1, Whitworth, Chris, “Batman Arkham Asylum 24.99”, uk.games.video.misc, Usenet:
      It's got Metroidvania elements - it's structured like one, I guess, in that it's lots of exploration with a fair bit of backtracking and getting new abilities that unlock previously unopened areas and that sort of thing.
      Click to expand...
    • 2009 September 14, Falcon, Jonah, “Shadow Complex Great Game”, alt.games.video.xbox, Usenet:
      Pure Metroidvania... with 3D in-engine cutscenes.
      Click to expand...
Click to expand...

http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Metroidvania

Metroidvania (also known as Castleroid) is a genre of 2D platformer games with an emphasis on an exploratory action-adventure structure.

Many games fuse platformer fundamentals with elements of action-adventure games such as The Legend of Zelda or with elements of RPGs. Typically these elements include the ability to explore an area freely, with access to new areas controlled by either the gaining of new abilities or through the use of inventory items. Metroid and various 2D games in the Castlevania series are among the most popular games of this sort, and so games that take this type of approach are often called by a portmanteau of these two games, either "Metroidvania" or "Castleroid". Other examples of such games include Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, Mega Man ZX, Tails Adventure, Cave Story and the recent Shadow Complex.
Click to expand...

http://www.giantbomb.com/metroidvania/3015-2440/

The Metroidvania style of gameplay focuses on free exploration of one large 2D open world. It is so named as a portmanteau of "Metroid" and "Castlevania" as the style is largely attributed to the Metroid and Castlevania franchises.

The first Metroidvania-style games were released for Japanese computer platforms in 1985: the action RPG hit Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II, and the relatively obscure action-adventure Brain Breaker. The following year, this style of g
ameplay was introduced to consoles by the original Metroid, released for the NES in August 1986. The second Castlevania game Vampire Killer, released for the MSX2 in October 1986, also used this open-ended style of gameplay, which was further refined by Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for the NES in 1987, before later Castlevania games reverted back to a more linear style of gameplay. A later milestone for the Metroidvania style was Super Metroid on the SNES. Its refinements to the formula was later borrowed and further proliferated by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and its portable sequels based on the same format.
Click to expand...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Metroidvania

A subtype of the Action Adventure genre, usually with Platform Game elements, Metroidvania refers to any game containing the major gameplay concepts shared by the Metroid series and later Castlevania games.
Click to expand...

NIN90 said:
If only IGAvanias are allowed to be called Metroidvanias, then what genre do Shadow Complex, Guacamelee, Strider (2014) etc. belong to?

Talk about being pedantic.
Click to expand...

RatsOffToYa said:
I had no idea people were this salty about the term Metroidvania.

It's a genre. Period.
Click to expand...

Further Reading

EDIT 2: I know you like Metroid. I know you like IGA-vanias. So do I. But I don't really want 3 pages of a Super Metroid/SotN circlejerk. Shine a light on a lesser known game. Don't be a lazy bum.
 
Llegaran-a-Wii-U-Aria-of-Sorrow-y-F-Zero-GP-Legend.jpg


Edit: What, you changed the OP?

You do know that Metroidvanias are Castlevania games that follow Metroid conventions?

let's see, if it HAS to be a non Castlevania game, then Cave Story.
 
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Metroid Fusion.

More recently , Guacamelee. Bought it on a whim and it ended up being one of my favorite games ever, memes aside.
 
Shadow Complex and Guacamelee were good times. The new Strider, too, was decent. But it's hard to compete with Super Metroid.
 
Metroid Zero Mission
sorry OP
and Guacamelee.

Oh yeah, and Cave Story!
 
DreamDrop said:
For bonus points, don't say a Metroid or Castlevania title.

I'm rather fond of the Shantae series.

shantae_dance_by_lunaclefairy-d6mjnng.gif
Click to expand...
@OP:

We need to clear something up. If you say Metroidvania, then you can pick only Castlevania games that follow the Metroid formula. The term was created to nominate those in the Castlevania series. These type of games started with Metroid, not with Castlevania.

For some weird reason people miss use the term.

On topic: That would be Symphony of the Night in my case.
 
I didn't played a lot of them,but Guacamelee was excellent.Need to play more of them tbh,this "genre" is excellent.
 
Symphony of the Night. GOAT soundtrack, perfect pacing, perfect animations, hilarious dialogue. Its a top 5 game of all time to me.
 
Refreshment.01 said:
@OP:

We need to clear something up. If you say Metroidvania, then you can pick only Castlevania games that follow the Metroid formula. The term was created to nominate those in the Castlevania games.

For some weird reason people miss use the term.

On topic: That would be Symphony of the Night in my case.
Click to expand...
Protip: words expand and change meaning over time
 
ComputerMKII said:
Dark Souls
Click to expand...

If I can't say a Castlevania or Metroid title, then this is my only choice. Most games that call themselves a "Metroidvania" now just mean "we have this big map, and there are no levels, but just kidding we actually do have levels, they're just on a big map and we do a really poor job at giving you false freedom. Oh and by the way, we'll tell you exactly where to go next."
 
Probably Cave Story, yeah.

One of the GOAT genres, though. I could name so many games. Gonna also go with Blaster Master and Monster World for now.
 
Just finished Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, so I'm going to go with that without a doubt. Awesome combo system, awesome platforming that makes you feel like a bad ass when you pull off some crazy aerial moves, and awesome humor and polish.
 
Circle of the Moon on the GBA, it was around that time that i realized that the genre is better suited to handhelds

a non metroid or castlevania game , well , my favourite is cave story
 
I guess if you post Shantae, then Wonder Boy in Monster World counts. So that's my choice.
Super Metroid without that strange limitation.
 
Well, since I can't choose a Metroid or Castlevania, I'm gonna go with Guacamelee:

guacamelee1.jpg


I somehow managed to beat it his week
(Tule Tree was a nightmare...)
, and found it to be a really great game.
 
Refreshment.01 said:
@OP:

We need to clear something up. If you say Metroidvania, then you can pick only Castlevania games that follow the Metroid formula. The term was created to nominate those in the Castlevania series. These type of games started with Metroid, not with Castlevania.

For some weird reason people miss use the term.

On topic: That would be Symphony of the Night in my case.
Click to expand...

http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Metroidvania

Metroidvania (also known as Castleroid) is a genre of 2D platformer games with an emphasis on an exploratory action-adventure structure.

Many games fuse platformer fundamentals with elements of action-adventure games such as The Legend of Zelda or with elements of RPGs. Typically these elements include the ability to explore an area freely, with access to new areas controlled by either the gaining of new abilities or through the use of inventory items. Metroid and various 2D games in the Castlevania series are among the most popular games of this sort, and so games that take this type of approach are often called by a portmanteau of these two games, either "Metroidvania" or "Castleroid". Other examples of such games include Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, Mega Man ZX, Tails Adventure, Cave Story and the recent Shadow Complex.
Click to expand...

http://www.giantbomb.com/metroidvania/3015-2440/

The Metroidvania style of gameplay focuses on free exploration of one large 2D open world. It is so named as a portmanteau of "Metroid" and "Castlevania" as the style is largely attributed to the Metroid and Castlevania franchises.

The first Metroidvania-style games were released for Japanese computer platforms in 1985: the action RPG hit Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II, and the relatively obscure action-adventure Brain Breaker. The following year, this style of g
ameplay was introduced to consoles by the original Metroid, released for the NES in August 1986. The second Castlevania game Vampire Killer, released for the MSX2 in October 1986, also used this open-ended style of gameplay, which was further refined by Castlevania II: Simon's Quest for the NES in 1987, before later Castlevania games reverted back to a more linear style of gameplay. A later milestone for the Metroidvania style was Super Metroid on the SNES. Its refinements to the formula was later borrowed and further proliferated by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and its portable sequels based on the same format.
Click to expand...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Metroidvania

A subtype of the Action Adventure genre, usually with Platform Game elements, Metroidvania refers to any game containing the major gameplay concepts shared by the Metroid series and later Castlevania games.
Click to expand...


How bout no.
 
I don't understand the admiration for Cave Story, though I came to it late so perhaps you had to be there. In fact I found it such a letdown that it made me seriously question if I was falling out of love with Metroidvania.

Then Guacamelee swept in and assured me that no, it was just Cave Story.

Guacamelee.
 
Valdis Story: Abyssal City by far. It specializes in something that's usually at least a tiny bit lacking in Metroidvania games, which is combat depth. You got your launchers, aircombos, cancels, dodges, parries, combo rankings based on variety, enemies with fairly decent movesets and bossfights that on harder difficulties really force you to be creative with your various weapons and spells' movesets to get the better rewards

9dyXtSK.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Feep said:
Protip: words expand and change meaning over time
Click to expand...
Sorry, i can't bring myself to care about how words evolve. All i know is that it's better to educate people about the misuse of the term, instead of perpetuate an error. At the least it gives some perspective.

Edit: Because an error in writing dismisses your point no matter how valid it seems. Talk about having all the wrong priorities.
 
QuixoticNeutral said:
I don't understand the admiration for Cave Story, though I came to it late so perhaps you had to be there. In fact I found it such a letdown that it made me seriously question if I was falling out of love with Metroidvania.
Click to expand...

Well I love it because the game is fun to play has plenty of charm and was created by one guy.
 
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