Games | Metroidvania: The art of roaming free and leveling up by killing stuff. In 2D! "Metroidvania" is a stupid word for a wonderful thing. It's basically a really terrible neologism that describes a videogame genre which combines 2D side-scrolling action with free-roaming exploration and progressive skill and item collection to enable further, uh, progress. As in Metroid and Koji Igarashi-developed Castlevania games. Thus the name. Anyway I like them a lot and stuff. The end.
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Battle of Olympus
Master Takahashi's Adventure Island IV
Sega Master System
Wonder Boy in Monster World
Monster World IV
Zillion
Super NES
Wanderers from Ys III
Super Metroid
Super Adventure Island 2
Kirby Super Star: The Great Cave Offensive
Game Boy
Metroid II
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Shantae
Sony PlayStation
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Tomba!
Game Boy Advance
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
Metroid Fusion
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Metroid Zero Mission
Kirby: The Amazing Mirror
Spyro the Dragon: Eternal Night
Nintendo DS
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin?
Metroid Dread (or, uh, maybe not)
Mega Man ZX Advent
Windows
Akuji the Demon
Cave Story
Eternal Daughter
Lyle in Cube Sector
Zeux's World
I Wanna Be The Guy
Up for Debate (Because I need to try them)
Exile (Acorn)
Knightmare II
La Mulana
Metroidvania Gaiden: The Borderline Cases
A fundamental element of a Metroidvania game is its vast, contiguous world design. While the following games revolve around large, non-linear platforming worlds, they consist of individual areas connected by an overworld map that breaks up the action portions.
Anal-retentive? Sure. But that sort of hair-splitting is what lists like this are for.
Demon's Crest
Front Mission: Gun Hazard
Gargoyle's Quest
Gargoyle's Quest II
Popful Mail
Shaman King: Master of Spirits
Shaman King: Master of Spirits II
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
It should be noted that, stupid as the word "Metroidvania" may be, it's vastly more euphonic than Castleroid.