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Metroidvania: Difference between revisions
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This sub-genre gets its name from the ''[[Metroid]]'' and ''[[Castlevania]]'' series. ''[[Metroid]]'', published in 1986, was the [[Trope Codifier]], (though the style had [[Ur Example|previously been utilized]] in the Atari 2600 game ''Pitfall II: Lost Caverns''), and subsequent ''Metroid'' games have consistently used it in all of its installments (except ''Prime Pinball'' and possibly ''Prime Hunters''), while ''[[Castlevania]]'' largely switched to it after the success of ''[[Castlevania]]: [[Symphony of the Night]]''. The term itself was coined by Jeremy Parish of [http://www.gamespite.net Gamespite], who originally used the term to refer specifically to those ''Metroid''-inspired ''Castlevania'' games. More information can be found [http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/Metroidvania here].
A somewhat lesser version of this was fairly popular towards the end of the [[NES]]' life cycle. The game would be separated into stages, but each stage was a wide-open, explorable area instead of a linear progression. Many of these games allowed you to revisit a stage after you already beat it.
Games in this genre tend to be a four (or three) on the [[Sliding Scale of Linearity vs. Openness]]. Competing terms include "Castletroid", "Castleroid", "Metrovania" and "non-linear action adventure platformer", with or without capitalization.
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* All of the ''[[Metroid]]'' games and most of the recent (post-2001) ''[[Castlevania]]'' games, of course. Some people don't consider the [[Metroid Prime|3-D]] ''[[Metroid: Other M|Metroid]]'' titles to count, but even those games play out as if they were Metroidvania games with a first-person perspective. The main difference here is the environments are arranged in 3 dimensions rather than 2. ''[[Symphony of the Night]]'' isn't the first time that the ''[[Castlevania]]'' series experimented with the genre; ''Vampire Killer'' and ''[[Castlevania II]]: Simon's Quest'' shared many of the same gameplay elements, though the latter didn't have the closed complex setting typical of the genre (and the former had no [[RPG Elements]].)
* ''[[Dark Souls]]'' though not quite a true example, shares a lot of similarities with the Metroidvania genre, particularly with its world design. It is also a rare 3D, Third Person example.
* ''[[Dark Theory]]''
* ''[[Pitfall]] II: Lost Caverns'' was probably the [[Ur Example]]. ''Super [[Pitfall]]'' as well, of course, and ''Pitfall: The Lost Expedition/The Big Adventure'' as well.
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* ''[[Shantae]]''
* ''[[Tomba]]''
* ''Toshi Tenso Keikaku Eternal City'' from PC-Engine
* The final stage of ''[[Super Smash Bros.]] Brawl'''s Adventure mode, The Great Maze. The rest of the mode is straight platforming.
* The indie game ''[[Aquaria (video game)|Aquaria]]'' embraces this trope fully, although there is much less of a platform element since it takes place almost entirely underwater.
* ''[[La-Mulana]]''
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* There's even a [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] game with a Metroidvania theme--the Game Gear spin-off ''[[Tails Adventure]]''. By all accounts a pretty good game.
** Sorta; it was divided into levels for cartridge space's sake. But everything else played out like a [[Metroidvania]], and you could revisit levels to look for new stuff.
** Sonic Adventure had shades of this (all the levels were connected through a hubworld, you could backtrack and gain various items) Sonic Adventure 2 dropped most of this.
** ''Sonic Advance 3'' seemed to be another stab at this: All worlds are connected through a hub, and different character combinations beyond the initial Tails and Sonic are needed to explore the levels fully and achieve [[One Hundred Percent Completion]].
* ''Faxanadu'' - the other ''[[Dragonslayer]]'' games also have elements of this.
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* ''[[Robot Wants Series]]''.
* ''[[Rush N Attack]]: Ex-Patriot.'' Yes, [[Konami]] simultaneously revived one of their mustiest IPs and [[Follow the Leader|shamelessly ripped off]] ''[[Shadow Complex]]'' all in one game.
* [[Metal Walker]], while an [[Action RPG]], has elements of this. Returning to previous areas with more Core Units can get you items, gold, and in some cases, new Recipes and special Cores.
* The NES version of ''[[Strider Hiryu|Strider]]'' often requires returning to levels several times after obtaining keys or ability upgrades.
* Surprisingly, the NES videogame of ''[[Rambo]]'', which featured one of the most confusing, maze-like game worlds ever.
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* The SNES game of ''[[The Addams Family]]'' is this, as well as having a quasi-[[Hub Level]] in the form of the entrance hall.
* [[Prince of Persia (2008 video game)|Prince of Persia 2008]] is an interesting example of the 3D kind. While the abilities the Prince and Elika gain help them explore new areas, they don't ''find'' the abilities, they ''buy'' them... but they use light seeds to buy the abilities, and the only way to find enough light seeds to buy a new power is to use your latest power to explore a new area.
* ''[[Bioshock]]'' may qualify as a 3D example. RPG elements? Check. Backtracking and doors to before? Check. Obstacles requiring plasmid upgrades to pass? Check. Interconnected (albeit linear) areas? Check. Quick travel via bathysphere? Check.
* ''[[A Valley Without Wind]]'' has large elements of this, with the added bonus of being procedurally-generated at random.
* ''[[Spyro Attack of the Rhynocs]]''.
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