Explanations of the different game sub-categories at the end
Not yet listed: Hasslevania, unEpic, La-Mulana, Vigilance on Talos V, Albero and the Great Blue Emblem, Aquaria, Battle Kid, Project Black Sun, Treasure Adventure Game
2012
LaserCat
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer
System: Desura
Adorable short exploration platformer where you have to collect 30 keys to free your friend the owl. Changes color set during screen transitions. Very easy too.
You Have to Win the Game
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
Pretty cool CGA-retro platformer that has all the elements of a pure metrovania (collect new skills to advance into new areas, a connected world, etc) apart from the ability to attack enemies. Fun game despite the final, obscure puzzle to complete the game.
2011
Elephant Quest
Type: Action RPG
System: Freeware
Elephant Quest has backtracking and RPG stats, but to advance you have to collect items and solve quest, not get new abilities (sort of an edge case). Still loads of fun and how often do you play an elephant who shoots with a mounted laster beam.
Momodora 2
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
Momodora 2 is a short but well done metrovania whose graphical style is inspired by Cave Story (which itself is not a metrovania). The first Momodora was also a nice platformer, but not a metrovania either.
2010
Blue Knight
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
Blue Knight is a rather shortish but really stylish small metrovania title. Has a bit of a Seiklus clone mechanic-wise, as you have to collect diamonds after defeating enemies to open doors. As you also have to collect a few number of upgrades and backtrack to earlier parts of the game, I still consider it a metrovania. Still, the game is very small and may not have to size to count as a metrovania for others.
Hero Core
Type: Action Adventure
System: Freeware
Hero Core is one of the few examples that isn’t a platformer yet still feels right at home in the metrovania genre. Since you don’t actually need to destroy the other bosses aside from the final and you don’t need to collect all the power ups to beat the game, it’s an edge case. Plays and feels like a metrovania, but lacks some elements to make it a pure example.
K.O.L.M.
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
KOLM is a short but enjoyable metrovania with a minimalistic approach to graphics. Despite this approach, it has some nifty effects, like the swinging plane effect of your viewing screen and zooming out once you’ve entered a bigger level piece. The game has a sequel which plays pretty much the same, but which was a bit boring.
Redder
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer
System: Freeware
On my initial playthrough I considered Redder a metrovania, as its art style really reminded me of Metroid. That said, gameplay-wise it’s closer to a Seiklus clone. You collect a number of diamonds, solve puzzles to reach them and don’t get new abilities. If you wonder whether your game is somehow corrupted later, no, that’s merely a gameplay element.
VVVVVV
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer-ish game
System: Desura, Steam
VVVVVV is one of those case where it looks very strongly like one thing (platformer), but actually isn’t. You still have free roaming non-linear exploration in a 2d-environment, so it mostly fits the bill. You collect ship colleagues to beat the game as well as Shiny Trinkets to unlock extras.
2009
Knight ‘n’ Grail
Type: Metrovania
System: C64
KnG is a love letter to metrovanias and the C64. Strong and consistent art direction that evokes the fantasy theme of Castlevania without copying it, mostly good controls, a neat elemental-based armor/sword defend/attack system and a cool castle to explore. Great game all around.
2008
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Type: Action Adventure
System: Nintendo DS
OoE is a castlevania game in the metrovania-mold that I don’t consider a pure metrovania. It lacks a big, continuous world and sports instead an overworld map that chops the game into smaller sized levels. Thus it also lacks the backtracking of previous metrovania castlevanias, but the rest of the gameplay is similar to the GBA/NDS games. I really liked the game due to breaking the mold of previous games and telling an original story that still fit into the Castlevania canon.
The Power
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
The Power is a short metrovania that sports juvenile writing and a rather dumb plot, but excellent gameplay done in a neat retro style that is more Metroid than Castlevania.
2007
Kaipuu
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer (Seiklus clone)
System: Freeware
From the same guy who made Painajainen came another Seiklus clone just a year later, eschewing all the puzzles and merely focusing on the core gameplay of collecting orbs in one, big connected world. Kaipuu sports a black/grey/white color scheme appropriate to the theme of the game. Apart from that, if you like the Seiklus gameplay (exploration, collecting orbs), you’ll enjoy it, if not, there’s nothing else to hold your interest.
Lilium
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer (Seiklus clone)
System: Freeware (Download)
Lilium is an indirect Seiklus clone, as it’s creator was inspired by Painajainen. Thus the game sports both the collect orbs mechanic as well as a strong focus on (arcade) puzzles. As you collect new abilities to get further in the game, it’s a bit closer to pure metrovania than most Seiklus clones.
Plasma Warrior
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware (Download)
Plasma Warrior is a short and fun metrovania that lets you explore an abandoned research station on an alien world. The game seems mostly inspired by Metroid, both the gameplay and the entire graphical style.
An Untitled Story
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
An Untitled Story is one of the best freeware metrovanias. It’s also a hard as nails platformer bordering, like all of Matt Thorson’s games, on masocore qualities. Also, don’t let the MS paint art style stop you from trying the game out, it’s much better than it looks on screenshots.
2006
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
Type: Metrovania
System: Nintendo DS
PoR changed the gameplay a little bit. Not only could you explore a castle, but through paintings acting as portals other levels as well. Due to the castle still functioning as a hub, I consider PoR still a metrovania-type game, as there’s backtracking. The sequel (publication-wise) Order of Ecclesia changed the gameplay too much to be one, though (goes under Action Adventures).
Knytt
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer (Seiklus clone)
System: Freeware
If Seiklus was the trope maker, then Knytt could be said to be the trope codifier (though arguably Seiklus was both). Knytt is a highly polished platformer that is all about exploring the landscape, collecting parts of a spaceship and enjoying the variety in scenery.
Lyle in Cube Sector
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
Lyle in Cube Sector is one of the best freeware metrovanias around. Manages something that few examples of the genre do, innovation. In LiCS you have to use blocks that lie around as a way to attack enemies and also to jump higher. Also has awesome NES-style graphics that still manage to give the game a style entirely its own.
Painajainen
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer (Seiklus clone)
System: Freeware
Painajainen is a pretty good Seiklus clone (similar even down to the look of the main character). While I think the original Seiklus had one or two puzzles, they play a much more prominent role in Painajainen.
Soldexus
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
Soldexus is pretty much one big homage to the castlevania metrovanias. The art direction takes some time getting used to, but the gameplay is perfect and the game is pretty big with much to discover.
Within a Deep Forest
Type: Metrovania-ish
System: Freeware
Within a Deep Forest is one of the more unusual metrovanias. You play a ball trying to save the world. Instead of jumping, like with most platformers, you bounce. Brilliant art style and very demanding gameplay makes this one of the best metrovania-ish games.
2005
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Type: Metrovania
System: Nintendo DS
DoS is the sequel to Aria of Sorrow. Good game, not much new though. The one new element used the touchscreen for drawing magical runes to finish of boss fights, which was a highly annoying game mechanic and not reused in sub-sequent entries in the series.
2003
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Type: Metrovania
System: Gameboy Advanced
AoS isn’t all that different from previous Castlevania metrovanias, but I liked the story (and to this day still wonder when they’ll make a game about Dracula’s last stand in 1999). Gameplay-wise pretty close to SotN, as you don’t use a whip but an assortment of weapons.
Seiklus
Type: Non-linear exploration platformer
System: Freeware
Seiklus is a game about collecting orbs, exploring the world and enjoying the scenery. Death and difficulty isn’t really important, relaxing is. Controls are sometimes not as tight as they should be for perfection, but otherwise the game nearly is.
2002
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Type: Metrovania
System: Gameboy Advanced
HoD wasn’t as gloomy as CofM and played a bit too much like CofM and SotN to really feel all that distinct. But aside the lack of originality, it was a pretty good game.
Eternal Daughter
Type: Metrovania
System: Freeware
Eternal Daughter will probably drive you crazy, if you don’t cheat. While it’s a great, big freeware metrovania, it’s design is also a bit on the demanding side. If you manage to beat the game without cheating, you’re pretty good (or have too much time on your hands).
2001
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Type: Metrovania
System: Gameboy Advanced
CotM is the first metrovania-type castlevania on the GBA, and despite the advancements in later Castlevania’s remains my favorite for handhelds to this day. Since the metrovania castlevanias survived only on handhelds, this one was kind of a big step after SotN for the PSX.
2000
Ikachan
Type: Action Adventure
System: Freeware
While Ikachan has level-up mechanic typical found in 2d Action RPGs, you only get more HP with each new level, otherwise you have to collect items to get further. Whether it’s a metrovania is arguable, but IMHO it’s too short and doesn’t involve serious backtracking, so I consider it more an action adventure than a pure metrovania. Still a great game.
1997
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Type: Metrovania
System: Play Station
SotN is pretty much the game that started it all. If the original Metroid for the NES was the trope maker, then SotN was the trope codifier. In its wake the whole metrovania name got created and is used to this day. The game itself is a great example for its genre and highly playable and enjoyable even to this day.
1993
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue
Type: Metrovania-ish
System: Gameboy
Pretty close to a pure example of a metrovania. Instead of unlocking new skills you find the other turtles and after switching to them you can use new abilities. Lacks save points and has instead a password system implemented, with is unusual for a metrovania type game and not in a good way. Actually, without cheating this is a pretty frustrating game, as the difficulty is more apt for conventional platformers than for a free roaming game where exploration is king. But if you cheat, exploring the game word is actually fun.
1990
Zeliard
Type: Action Adventure / Action RPG
System: PC (MS-Dos)
Zeliard has elements of metrovanias, but not all of them. Instead of one interconnected world, it has big stages that have an unusual internal topology and exploring those areas feels like playing a metrovania. These levels are linked with other levels via doors and through linear stages representing towns. One common aspect of free roaming platformers is that you can always go back to earlier parts of the world, which Zeliard has, but apart from that its very linear. There’s no backtracking involved to revisit earlier levels and open new gateways.
1988
The Battle of Olympus
Type: Action Adventure
System: NES
Looked good at first, but turned out to be completely frustrating. I fought more with the controls than enemies and the game often left me stumped what to do next. Also I really disliked how the levels were connected, kind of like with overlapping maps instead of maps with clear borders. Hated it in the end. Due to the lack of one big word (smaller levels interconnected with each other) and the lack of backtracking, this is more a standard 2d action adventure than a typical metrovania.
1987
Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest
Type: Metrovania
System: NES
This game should have been great, but turned out to be unplayable (without FAQs) due to obscure, useless and confused hints by the town people. I also missed that there weren’t any boss battles.
There’s a hack of the game (Simon’s Redaction) with rewritten town people dialog to make the game solvable without resorting to use FAQs. I plan to play this one day, maybe then the game becomes actually enjoyable.
1986
Metroid
Type: Metrovania
System: NES
Probably the first pure and unambiguous example of what is called a metrovania game these days. Despite being a NES game it’s still fun to play, mostly due to the variety and top notch level design, the near perfect game mechanics, a well done difficulty that is both demanding yet never frustrating and art that stills looks great after all these years.
Classification
Metrovania: linear, need to unlock new areas, involves backtracking all over the map, one big interconnected level
Action Adventure: linear, need to unlock new areas, minimal backtracking, mostly levels connected sequentially
Non-linear exploration platformer (also Seiklus clones): can go anywhere on the map from the start, collect certain number of objects
Action RPG: either of the above, but with EXP level-up-mechanic
Metrovania
Portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania, though 99% of the time written as Metroidvania. I prefer Metrovania (just because). 2d-action-adventures of the platformer variety most of the time, that sport one world divided into smaller, strongly interconnected sections, that can be entered and re-entered at will, mostly (fake) non-linearity when it comes to exploring the world, items that open up new paths, lots of backtracking all over the map and lots of platforming.
Action Adventures
2d Action games with indirect leveling but no experience points. Killing individual enemies doesn’t make you stronger, you have to kill boss monsters or buy new armor / collect certain power ups to get stronger (which is different from power ups for abilities). If you don’t need to collect special power ups to acquire new abilities to explore more of the gaming world, you’ll probably have a 2d Action Adventure and not a metrovania at your hand.
Action RPGs
Most of the Castlevania metrovanias have RPG mechanics, but also have all the elements of a typical metrovania. On the other hand, in pure 2d Action RPGs you don’t need to collect power ups / special items to get new abilities. If you get experience points for killing any kind of enemy and there’s a level up mechanic, it’s most likely an action RPG. Often individual levels are connected via an overland map or with each other in a linear way and don’t require backtracking.
Non-Linear Exploration Platformer
I initially called these Seiklus clones, but since not all of those have probably been influenced by Seiklus, another name was needed. The big difference to the typical Metrovania game is that you don’t need to acquire certain items or skills to unlock level parts, you can access each part of the game from the start. Though I keep the moniker Seiklus clones for those game that were clearly inspired by them.
Seiklus clones
Take away the typical metrovania mechanic of reaching new areas through newly acquired abilities and replace it with collecting all of a certain number of objects. Either the entire world-map can be explored from the start or you have to solve some puzzles to get into new areas. It’s not so much a sub-category of metrovania style free roaming platformers than an equal sub-type of the same class of platformers. Named after the eponymous freeware game Seiklus.
