Help me find more metroidvania games

July 12, 2010 9:54 AM

I was recently introduced to the Metroidvania concept by Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on the GBA. (Well, okay, on the Wii GBA emulator.) Now I want more. What other

I'm aware of Symphony of the Night and am trying to locate a copy.

posted by Pope Guilty to computers & internet (18 answers total)

Cave Story is a new classic in the genre.
posted by griphus at 10:00 AM on July 12, 2010

TVTropes has a list.
posted by useyourmachinegunarm at 10:02 AM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I really enjoyed Shadow Complex.
posted by naju at 10:03 AM on July 12, 2010

You have a Wii, so you can download Super Metroid from the Virtual Console. Symphony of the Night is available for download on PSP and PS3, or as part of the (frequently heavily discounted) Dracula X Chronicles disc for PSP. Although, once you've played those two, the whole genre's kind of downhill -- not because other Metroidvanias are bad, but those two are so wonderful!

There were two other Castlevania games on GBA, and three on the DS, all with the same "Metroidvania" type of gameplay. There were also two more Metroids on GBA. Some other games you can get on the Virtual Console with kind of the same structure include Blaster Master, Dragon's Curse, the original Metroid, and even Kirby Super Star. Cave Story on WiiWare (or PC freeware, even) is just wonderful.

This list from the Toastyfrog Wiki is going to be your best friend.
posted by jcfletcher at 10:06 AM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Super Metroid on a SNES emulator
Metroid Prime series (available for Wii)
Shadow Complex is a fantastic metroid clone for Xbox 360 only
Grokion for iPhone/iPod Touch is a nice metroid clone
I think the Zelda series scratches that itch too. Check out Ocarina of Time if you haven't already, it's playable through the N64 emulator on the Wii with a classic controller.
posted by mattholomew at 10:07 AM on July 12, 2010

I love these games too. Seconding Cave Story and Shadow Complex.

Have you played many of the Metroid games? Super Metroid will always be my favorite, but the GBA ones are pretty solid too (and for what its worth so are the first person shooter ones, but thats probably not what your are looking for).
posted by cirrostratus at 10:18 AM on July 12, 2010

An Untitled Story (free, windows only I believe)
posted by juv3nal at 10:27 AM on July 12, 2010

At least one of the links in that post is borked now, you can find it here at any rate.
posted by juv3nal at 10:29 AM on July 12, 2010

I played a little Super Metroid, but I find the way Samus moves (slowly, then accelerating to a run) to be fiddly and unpleasant. Do the other Metroid games have Samus moving like that?
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:55 AM on July 12, 2010

One game that often gets overlooked in these lists is HAL's NES game Air Fortress, possibly because they're interspersed with shooter levels. Once you get past those however, they become heavily exploratory and quite atmospheric.
posted by JHarris at 12:36 PM on July 12, 2010

Within a Deep Forest is pretty good, although it's also somewhat frustrating. No appreciable RPG elements, but you gain powerups that give access to new areas, and the graphic design and music are simple but endearing.
posted by codacorolla at 12:52 PM on July 12, 2010

La Mulana. Prepare to die.
posted by sonic meat machine at 12:59 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Dawn Of Sorrow, the DS sequel to Aria, is the single best Metroidvania game out there. it's pitch-perfect in terms of exploration, collection, and combat.
posted by radiosilents at 2:45 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

also, Metroid : Zero Mission for the GBA is the metroid you should start with. it's a "remake" of sorts of the original NES Metroid game, but it's a ground-up remake that controls differently, looks different, etc.
posted by radiosilents at 2:46 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

also, yeah, Shadow Complex is wonderful/great/superlative.
posted by radiosilents at 2:55 PM on July 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Goonies II for NES was one of the best of these.

Soul Reaver: Legacy of Cain was also very good, translating Metroidvania concepts into 3D, but it taxed the Dreamcast pretty heavily. Not sure how well DC emulation works.

Also, from a long time ago, Out of This World (aka Another World) might be considered an example of the genre, although I'm not sure if you can backtrack, and it's more atmospheric and slower paced.)
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:54 PM on July 12, 2010

Symphony of the Night is also on Xbox Live Arcade.

Metroid Prime is a pretty perfect approximation of the feel of Metroidvania games into first-person 3D.

I just got into this style of gameplay very recently too. For some reason, it's an oddly soothing experience for me. You have a map -- it fills itself in as you go. You can't reach that square yet, but don't worry, you will. I'm practically nodding off with a smile on my face right now.
posted by EmGeeJay at 9:09 PM on July 12, 2010

Seconding "Within a Deep Forest" -- it's a very relaxing experience, and playing as bouncing ball is a very different, unique take on these exploration/ability accumulation games from the typical run, jump, attack, go in door into different area setup. And it's free!
posted by stleric at 9:13 PM on July 13, 2010