Metroidvania
By Squalid Pumpkin - Updated 9/30/09

Though it may have initially been used as a derogative, the term "Metroidvania" (or alternatively "Castleroid") now refers to a whole sub-genre of 2D action-adventure platform video games involving non-linear exploration where gaining new abilities allows you access to new areas, often involving RPG elements. The following is a list of games that fit the Metroidvania criteria (if anyone out there knows of some more or has any general critique of this list, please feel free to e-mail me at Dracyewla@aol.com ):

---Castlevanias---
Vampire Killer (MSX 1986)
Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest (Nintendo Entertainment System 1988)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation 1997)
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Gameboy Advance 2001)
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Gameboy Advance 2002)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Gameboy Advance 2003)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Nintendo DS 2005)
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (Nintendo DS 2006)
Castlevania: Order of Shadows (Mobile 2007)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Nintendo DS 2008)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Mobile 2008)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Mobile 2009)

---Metroids---
Metroid (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy 1992)
Super Metroid (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1994)
Metroid Fusion (Gameboy Advance 2002)
Metroid: Zero Mission (Gameboy Advance 2004)
Metroid: Other M (Wii 2010)

---Consoles---
Milon's Secret Castle (Nintendo Entertainment System 1986)
Super Pitfall (Nintendo Entertainment System 1986)
Knightmare II: The Maze of Galious (MSX 1987)
The Goonies II (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Zillion (Sega Master System 1987)
Legacy of the Wizard (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Rambo (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Faxanadu (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Kid Icarus (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Rygar (Nintendo Entertainment System 1987)
Blaster Master (Nintendo Entertainment System 1988)
Exile (Acorn Electron, BBC Micro 1988)
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (Sega Master System 1989)
Strider (Nintendo Entertainment System 1989)
The Battle of Mount Olympus (Nintendo Entertainment System 1990)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Sega Master System 1991)
Ufouria: The Saga (Nintendo Entertainment System 1991)
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1991)
Ghoul School (Nintendo Entertainment System 1992)
G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor (Nintendo Entertainment System 1992)
Monster World IV (Sega Genesis 1994)
Adventure Island IV (Nintendo Entertainment System 1994)
Super Adventure Island II (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1995)
Kirby Super Star, "The Great Cave Offensive" (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1996, Nintendo DS202008)
Tomba! (PlayStation 1998)
Aquaria (PC/Mac 2007)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, "The Great Maze" (Wii 2008)

---Handhelds---
Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (Game Boy 1991)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy 1993)
Tails Adventure (Sega Game Gear 1995)
Shantae (Game Boy Color 2002)
Samurai Jack: The Amulet of Time (Gameboy Advance 2003)
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (Gameboy Advance 2004)
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (Gameboy Advance 2005)
Mega Man ZX (Nintendo DS 2006)
Mega Man ZX Advent (Nintendo DS 2007)
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (Nintendo DS 2008)
Ore ga Omae o Mamoru or "I Will Protect You" (Nintendo DS 2009)

---Onlines---
Zeliard (PC 1987)
Vigilance on Talos V (PC 1997)
Eternal Daughter (PC 2002)
Akuji the Demon (PC 2002)
MapleStory (PC 2003)
Return of Egypt (PC 2003)
Akuji the Demon (PC 2003)
Cave Story (PC 2004, WiiWare 2009)
La-Mulana (PC 2005, WiiWare 2009)
Ainevoltas (PC 2005)
Albero and the Great Blue Emblem (PC 2005)
Extra Mario Bros. (PC 2005)
Sketchy (PC 2006)
Within a Deep Forest (PC 2006)
Lyle in Cube Sector (PC 2006)
Bunny Must Die: Chelsea and the 7 Devils (PC 2006)
LaTale (PC 2006)
Hasslevania: The Quest For Shuteye (PC 2007)
I Wanna Be the Guy (PC 2007)
Knytt Stories (PC 2007)
Manoria (PC 2007)
Aquaria (PC/Mac 2007)
The Underside (PC 2007)
Final Vision (PC 2007)
Zeta's World (PC 2008)
An Untitled Story (PC 2008)
Iji (PC 2008)
Ainevoltas II (PC 2008)
The Power (PC 2008)
Soul of Darkness (Mobile 2008)
In 60 Seconds (PC 2009)
Night n' Grail (Commodore 64 2009)
Shadow Complex (Xbox Live Arcade 2009)
La-Mulana (WiiWare 2009)

---Non-linear games whose areas are broken up and connected by an overworld map---
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo Entertainment System 1988)
Clash at Demonhead (Nintendo Entertainment System 1990)
Gargoyle's Quest (Game Boy 1990)
Gargoyle's Quest II (Nintendo Entertainment System 1992)
Demon's Crest (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1994)
Popful Mail (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1994)
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (Super Nintendo Entertainment System 1996)
Shaman King: Master of Spirits (Gameboy Advance 2002)
Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2 (Gameboy Advance 2005)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Nintendo DS 2008)

---Castlevania-esque games---
Holy Diver (Famicom 1989)
8 Eyes (Nintendo Entertainment System 1990)
Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula-kun or "Devil's Castle Special: Kid Dracula" (Famicom 1991)
Adventures in the Magic Kingdom (Nintendo Entertainment System 1992)
Master of Darkness (Sega Master System 1992)
Vampire: Master of Darkness (GameGear 1992)
Kid Dracula (Game Boy 1993)
Rusty (PC98 1993)
Spider-Man: Mysterio's Menace (Gameboy Advance 2001)
Shaman King: Master of Spirits (Gameboy Advance 2002)
Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2 (Gameboy Advance 2005)
Monster House (Gameboy Advance 2006)
Hasslevania: The Quest For Shuteye (PC 2007)
Barnyard Blast: Swine of the Night (Nintendo DS 2008)
Soul of Darkness (Mobile 2008)
Inferus (PC/Xbox Live Arcade 2009)
Koumajou Densetsu Scarlet Symphony (PC 2009)

---Metroid-esque games---
Scurge: Hive (Nintendo DS 2006)

Non-linear games that are 3D can be more accurately described as sandbox, but are not quite Metroidvania. This includes games like Super Mario 64, the Grand Theft Autos, the Metroid Primes and all 3D Castlevanias.

If you want more Castlevania-style action (will you ever need it beyond this list?), I highly recommend the Metroid and Mega Man series. The individual comparisons mentioned in the Essays and Specials section are definitely worth giving a look.

---Credits---
http://en.allexperts.com/e/m/me/metroidvania.htm
http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/Metroidvania
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MetroidVania
Doug R. for finding "Rusty"

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