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What are the best metroidvania games?

Noogy said:
Oh yeah, I've played them all, loved AoS.

In order of favorite handheld Castlevanias my list goes something like this:

Order of Ecclesia: Loved the village, loved the little sidequests, loved the difficulty, loved the souls and weapons systems... just loved everything. Perfect art, great little story, and probably my favorite OST of all the handheld games.

Circle of the Moon: The first GBA one, this one needed time to grow on me. But in retrospect, it's one of my favorite to keep returning to. It's incredibly hard and a bit clunky, but there's something about it, between the world design, the card system, and the ominous tone that continues to grab me.

Aria of Sorrow: The first to really feel like SOTN, bright, colorful, with incredible animation and music. In fact I loved it so much I felt pretty let down by the sequel (Dawn.)

Portrait of Ruin: I really liked the world in PoR.. something sort of NES-era Strider about it. I mean, how often do 2D games take you to egypt these days? I also thought it did a great job with having an AI partner.

Dawn of Sorrow: I know many list this one as their favorite, but for some reason it never grabbed me. I hated the antagonists for the most part, and something about it always bugged me. But the near-future setting of parts of the castle were cool.

Harmony of Dissonance: I actually really like this Castlevania, and thought the dual-world concept was neat, if a bit confusing. But dat animation.. oye. And Castlevania has always been at the forefront of awesome when it comes to music. Not this game. Some real ugly level art here and there too.

Mirror of Fate: I'm too early in to say much, but so far it's making me very sad.
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I'm catching up on all the GBA games since I commute everyday.

Playing through Mario & Luigi:SS now

Got Circle of the Moon and the Metroids up next.

Then I'll probably switch to DS for Order and Dawn.

Metroidvanias are just too good.
 
Grief.exe said:
Metroidvanias are just too good.
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Yeah, it's a shame that we aren't getting any more Castlevanias or Metroids in that style :p (ignoring Mirror of Fate). My wife is also a MASSIVE fan of those games, and every time one came out it was this little celebratory thing. The Gameboys have basically been our Metroidvania machines. In fact that's sort of why I became a game developer, so that I wouldn't have to see those types of games die.

But what I wouldn't give for a new pixel-art Metroid or Castlevania on my 3DS.
 
Metroid: Super, Fusion, Prime
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Circle of the Moon, Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, Order of Ecclesia - I just like them all. Except HoD because of the horrendous music.

I like Metroidvanias so much I'm making one!
 
Noogy said:
Yeah, it's a shame that we aren't getting any more Castlevanias or Metroids in that style :p (ignoring Mirror of Fate). My wife is also a MASSIVE fan of those games, and every time one came out it was this little celebratory thing. The Gameboys have basically been our Metroidvania machines. In fact that's sort of why I became a game developer, so that I wouldn't have to see those types of games die.

But what I wouldn't give for a new pixel-art Metroid or Castlevania on my 3DS.
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We need Iga back
 
It's definitely one of the more obtuse Metroidvania-style games due to its vintage, but I'm a big fan of Goonies II. It's pretty advanced for a game from 1987 in terms of its level design ("front" and "back" sections of a giant, mixed-environment house, that is connected by small 3D mazes presented in a Japanese Adventure Game format).

Also love Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap. Awesome music, vibrant graphics, and the ability to change into different animals with their individualized skill sets makes it stand out. It's the second-best game on the Master System platform.
 
Since all the other good stuffs already been mentioned, I recommend Antichamber. It has some definite Metroidvania elements with certain interesting twists and great puzzles.
 
butanebob said:
The Monster World series!

Wonderboy 3 - Master System/PC Engine (PCE version is a lot smoother)
Wonderboy in Monster World - Megadrive/PC Engine (PCE Version plays the same except it's got different music and sprites.
Monster World 4 - Megadrive (Japan only but was translated)
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I never really considered the Monster World series to be Metroidvania games. To me they were always more like 2D RPG's in the vein of Zelda II and Faxanidu. But they are still good games regardless. The Shantae series are pretty much Monster World clones and share a lot of similarities to Monster World IV in particular. They are worth looking into as well.

Some people also said Cave Story. Now that is a definite Metroidvania styled game. And one worth playing if you get the free one or the Cave Story + version on Steam.
 
Man, Order of Ecclesia looks and sounds amazing. Lost track of my Castlevanias after Dawn of Sorrow, but def gonna check this out.
Noogy said:
Order of Ecclesia: Loved the village, loved the little sidequests, loved the difficulty, loved the souls and weapons systems... just loved everything. Perfect art, great little story, and probably my favorite OST of all the handheld games.
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Since you mention the difficulty, is it somewhat challenging? If so, instabuy.
 
Dragon's Trap is probably the most defining game of the genre, right after Super Metroid and SotN. I personally prefer the sequel WB in Monster World though, which is less Metroid-like.

wb3_town.gif



Among the indie Metroidvanias my personal favorite is Within a Deep Forest. I prefer it to both Cave Story and Treasure Adventure Game, which seem to be the most frequently mentioned ones. I think VVVVVV could be considered a Metroidvania as well.

374358312_ea514fe6f7_o.png
 
Crub said:
Dragon's Trap is probably the most defining game of the genre, right after Super Metroid and SotN. I personally prefer the sequel WB in Monster World though, which is less Metroid-like.

wb3_town.gif
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This is my favorite entry in that series, though I played it as Dragon's Curse in the upgraded port on the TG-16. Was really disappointed this game didn't make it into the recent Wonderboy collection on XBLA/PSN.

Any game that begins just a few screens where you fight the final boss is A-OK in my book.
 
Everything has already been mentioned, so I'll just echo Super Metroid as the best one out there. There's a ton of great ones to go from there, with my favorites being Aria of Sorrow (best of the CV metroidvanias), Metroid Zero Mission and Symphony of the Night. Tier below but still really good : Metroid Fusion, Dawn of Sorrow, Circle of the Moon and Portrait of Ruin.

I tried to get into Harmony of Dissonance but I just couldn't... Very disappointing game.

I'd like to comment on Order of Ecclesia, but I haven't played it yet. Judging from the comments here, I should get to it.
 
Cave Story (+). It's more focused on action, but the puzzles and exploration are still there. I actually prefer it because of the combat focus.
 
I'll put down another vote for Cave Story. Also Megaman ZX. It's terrible compared to any of the Megaman Zero games, though. Oh, and I guess Metroid Zero Mission. Fusion is good, but Zero Mission is miles ahead.

I'm okay with Order of Ecclesia, but Shanoa moves SO DAMN SLOW.
 
Gotta give it up for this oldie but goodie.

tmnt3-gb-us-cover.jpg
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For it to be Konami's first/second foray in the Metroid-style (depends on if you count CV2), I really ended up liking it. And you can tell that a number of the same staff would later work on SOTN (to say the least, Hiroyuki Fukui, who was the director of this game before being the producer of SOTN). Like SOTN, the game starts out like a direct call-back to its immediate sidescroller predecessors, before you enter the fortress and the "real game" begins.

Only bad thing is that, as a game that was crafted in that era, it relies on passwords to save. And much like Metroid 2, it shares a number of that game's other ills (small screen = small viewing space, and etc.) But otherwise, I think that anybody who loved SOTN should check its direct predecessor.
 
Super Metroid.
Metroid Fusion.
Metroid Prime.
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption.
Shadow Complex.
Arkham Asylum.

Joeshabadoo said:
man, why am I the first one to mention Fluidity in this thread?!
Fluidity, bruh. Wiiware gem
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I knew I was missing something!

Second edit:

For me, Dust: An Elysian Trail and Cave Story are not Metroidvanias. There's no exploration, backtracking and the item/lock set-up.
 
I may be the only one, but I've played all the GBA Castlavania and the first one on DS and Harmony of Dissonance was my favorite.
 
So here's perhaps one of my favorite Metroidvania games of all time:



FAXANADU, for the NES. I loved this game so much as a kid. I'd grind for hours to buy the ridiculous OP equipment at the beginning before marching through it.

The theme song will be with me forever.

Inasmuch as it counts, Zelda II is also an excellent game:


The final dungeon had a kickin' theme, too.

The first Megaman Zero (which is the second best) was pretty close to being a Metroidvania, even if the series afterward shied away from the genre in favor of the regular Megaman level design:


What's not to like about a post-apocalyptic Megaman series in which the former hero is the principle antagonist, and zombie-clones of him form wander the endless desert trying to kill you?
 
Clown_im_OP said:
Man, Order of Ecclesia looks and sounds amazing. Lost track of my Castlevanias after Dawn of Sorrow, but def gonna check this out.

Since you mention the difficulty, is it somewhat challenging? If so, instabuy.
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Yeah, it's definitely more challenging than the other handheld games, and there are a couple amazing 'side areas' that will really test you. I wouldn't say it's NES-era difficult, but better than the other DS outings.

Order of Ecclesia earned a bad rep at first because people complained that the maps were too linear, and that is true for a few of the early regions. But the game continues to pay off, to the point that it's one of my favorite Castlevanias to explore. In fact the game has some the the greatest variety in level design.

Shanoa herself had some tight animation. I'm a sucker for a good double jump, and I don't think anyone did it better than her. Some of the new monsters were also downright grisly. For a series that is criticized for reusing assets, Ecclesia really made amends.

It's a real shame, they had an amazing thing going with Ecclesia, with the dual-wielding combat, genuinely unique upgrades (traveling through walls), and the whole village concept. Iga went out on a bang, but I really wish I could have seen where this new start would have taken them.

Finally, it just had such an incredible soundtrack. There are a few in there that you wouldn't really associate to Castlevania. This is one of my favorites, I could have this thing on loop forever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3iXiSSO_64
 
Clown_im_OP said:
Man, Order of Ecclesia looks and sounds amazing. Lost track of my Castlevanias after Dawn of Sorrow, but def gonna check this out.

Since you mention the difficulty, is it somewhat challenging? If so, instabuy.
Click to expand...

OOE is one of the most challenging exploration based Castlevania games. For example: to defeat a boss you either need to have the right Glyphs (Weapons/magic) and exploit its weaknesses and/or learn its patterns so you can avoid attacks.

Bossfights are easily the highlight of the game. And if you think normal mode is too easy Hard Mode is actually hard. I've died countless times to regular enemies because you really need to be able to avoid their attacks to stay alive.

Noogy said:
It's a real shame, they had an amazing thing going with Ecclesia, with the dual-wielding combat, genuinely unique upgrades (traveling through walls), and the whole village concept. Iga went out on a bang, but I really wish I could have seen where this new start would have taken them.

Finally, it just had such an incredible soundtrack. There are a few in there that you wouldn't really associate to Castlevania. This is one of my favorites, I could have this thing on loop forever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3iXiSSO_64
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more, I consider it IGA's best game. Really sad he never got to make another one. Wonder what the man's up to these days. At least let him create a spiritual sequel or something :(.
 
parathod said:
Legacy of the Wizard
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Amazing game! One of my favorites from that era.

Super Metroid and SOTN are pinnacles of game design. I wish more developers invested in 2D.

I'll have to try Shadow Complex again, tried the demo and found the controls to be lacking. Maybe I just need to go all in.
 
Easy_D said:
OOE is one of the most challenging exploration based Castlevania games. For example: to defeat a boss you either need to have the right Glyphs (Weapons/magic) and exploit its weaknesses and/or learn its patterns so you can avoid attacks.

Bossfights are easily the highlight of the game. And if you think normal mode is too easy Hard Mode is actually hard. I've died countless times to regular enemies because you really need to be able to avoid their attacks to stay alive.
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Level 1 Max HM is basically just flat out "Don't get hit mode".
Made excrutiating by the waves of the weak/flying mobs EVERYWHERE. THE MEDUSA HEADS. THEY NEVER STOOOOPPPP!!!!!
Hell even level 50 HM was hard in NG+, shit was ridiculous because you kept your level and everything and it still made you go holy shit at times.
 
Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night.

Not Shadow Complex. Definitely not. Shadow Complex is sort of like those two aforementioned games, except that instead of featuring awesome environments and rad enemies, you're head-shotting the same dudes in boring warehouses all day.
 
RMI said:
Super Metroid and Symphony of the Night.

Not Shadow Complex. Definitely not. Shadow Complex is sort of like those two aforementioned games, except that instead of featuring awesome environments and rad enemies, you're head-shotting the same dudes in boring warehouses all day.
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Glad to know I'm not the only one who felt this way about SC. That and I've never been a big fan of polygonal 2.5D, especially at the cost of 60fps.
 
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