Metroidvania List
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By
Squalid Pumpkin - Updated 1/9/13
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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 name is a marriage of the series names "Metroid" and "Castlevania", both of which popularized the genre. Metroid games have always been non-linear with progression made by gaining new powers while the Castlevania series started off as a straight platform adventure series. But having been inspired by Super Metroid for the Super NES, the powers that be created Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the Playstation. Ever since, the Castlevania series has also been known for its non-linear gameplay with RPG elements. There have been many other Metroidvania games, however, some lesser known and some featuring popular characters like Kirby and Mega Man.
The following is a list of games that fit the Metroidvania criteria, with check boxes so collectors can print this list out and keep track of their MV collection (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).
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For
fans of Metroidvania video games - A
Metroidvania Website! Check it out and feel free to make suggestions
and add reviews and other contributions via
e-mail!
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---Metroid---
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 Metroid
(NES 1986) Metroid
II: Return of Samus (GB 1991) Super
Metroid (SNES 1994) Metroid
Fusion (GBA 2002) Metroid:
Zero Mission (GBA 2004) Metroid:
Other M (Wii 2010) |
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---Castlevania---
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| Vampire
Killer (MSX 1986) Castlevania
2: Simon's Quest (NES 1988) Castlevania:
Symphony of the Night (PS 1997) Castlevania:
Circle of the Moon (GBA 2001) Castlevania:
Harmony of Dissonance (GBA 2002) Castlevania:
Aria of Sorrow (GBA 2003) Castlevania:
Dawn of Sorrow (DS 2005) Castlevania:
Portrait of Ruin (DS 2006) Castlevania:
Order of Shadows (Mobile 2007) Castlevania:
Order of Ecclesia (DS 2008) Castlevania:
Aria of Sorrow (Mobile 2008) Castlevania:
Dawn of Sorrow (Mobile 2009) Castlevania
Puzzle: Encore of the Night (iPhone 2010) Castlevania:
Harmony of Despair (XBLA 2010) |
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---Console---
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| Montezuma's
Revenge: Featuring Panama Joe (Atari 2600 1984)
Brain Breaker (Sharp X1 1985)
Citadel (BBC Micro/Acorn Electron 1985)
Milon's Secret Castle (NES 1986) Super
Pitfall (NES 1986) Knightmare
II: The Maze of Galious (MSX 1987) The
Goonies II (NES 1987) Zillion
(SMS 1987) Legacy
of the Wizard (NES 1987) Rambo
(NES 1987) Faxanadu
(NES 1987) Kid
Icarus (NES 1987)
Rygar (NES 1987)
Euphory (Sharp X1 1987) Codename:
Droid (BBC Micro 1987)
Cosmo Police Galivan (NES 1988) Blaster
Master (NES 1988) Exile
(Acorn Electron, BBC Micro 1988) Wonder
Boy III: The Dragon's Trap (SMS 1989) Strider
(NES 1989) The
Battle of Mount Olympus (NES 1990)
Toshi Tensou Keikaku: Eternal City (TG16 1991) Wonder
Boy in Monster World (GEN/SMS 1991) Ufouria:
The Saga (NES 1991) Ys
III: Wanderers from Ys (SNES 1991) Ghoul
School (NES 1992)
Wizards & Warriors III: Kuros - Visions of Power (NES 1992) G.I.
Joe: The Atlantis Factor (NES 1992) Monster
World IV (GEN 1994) Adventure
Island IV (NES 1994) Super
Adventure Island II (SNES 1995) Kirby
Super Star, "The Great Cave Offensive" (SNES 1996) Tomba!
(PS 1998) Super
Smash Bros. Brawl, "The Great Maze" (Wii 2008) LostWinds
(WiiWare 2008) Muramasa:
The Demon Blade (Wii 2009) Shadow
Complex (XBLA 2009) LostWinds:
Winter of the Melodias (WiiWare 2009) La-Mulana
(WiiWare 2009)
Ophidian Wars: Opac's Journey (Xbox 360 2010)
Robox (WiiWare 2010)
Fluidity (Wii 2010)
Outland
(PSN/XBLA 2011)
Insanely Twisted
Shadow Planet (Xbox 360 2011)
Rochard (XBLA 2011)
Fez (XBLA 2012)
Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock (PS3 2012)
Dust: An Elysian Tail (XBLA 2012)
Axiom Verge (PC/XBLA 2013)
Laika Believes (PC/XBLA TBA)
Grapple Buggy
(XBLA TBA)
Fallen Frontier (PC TBA)
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---Handheld---
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| Kid
Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (GB 1991)
Dr. Franken (GB 1992)
Milon's Secret Castle (Game Boy 1993)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (GB 1993)
Dr. Franken II (GB 1997)
Montezuma's Return (GB/GBC 1998)
Blaster Master: Enemy Below (GBC 2000) Spider-Man
(GBC 2000)
Hunter X Hunter: Kindan no Hihou (GBC 2001) Mega
Man Zero (GBA 2002) Shantae
(GBC 2002) Samurai
Jack: The Amulet of Time (GBA 2003)
Gegege no Kitarou: Kiki Ippatsu! Youkai Rettou (GBA 2003) Kirby
& the Amazing Mirror (GBA 2004)
Fantastic Children (GBA 2005) Tim
Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King (GBA 2005) Mega
Man ZX (DS 2006)
Flushed Away (DS 2006) Wario:
Master of Disguise (DS 2007) Mega
Man ZX Advent (DS 2007)
The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA 2007)
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (DS 2008)
Penguin no Mondai: Saikyou Penguin Densetsu! (DS 2008) Ore
ga Omae o Mamoru or "I Will Protect You" (DS 2009)
Penguin no Mondai: Tenkuu no 7 Senshi (DS 2009)
I Dig
It Expeditions (iPhone/iPod 2009) The
Deep (iPhone/iPod 2009)
Daniel X: The Ultimate Power (DS 2010) Dark
Void Zero (DSiWare 2010) Alice
in Wonderland (DS 2010) Grokion
(iPhone 2010) Phoenix
Spirit (iPhone 2010)
Frogatto & Friends (iPhone/iPod
2010)
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (DS 2010) Shantae:
Risky's Revenge (DSiWare 2010)
Demon Hunter - Full Version (iPhone/iPod 2011) Monster
Tale (DS 2011)
Robot Wants Kitty (iPhone/iPad 2011)
Elemental Rage (iPhone/iPod/iPad
2011)
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters (3DS/DS/Wii 2011)
Glowfish: Full (iPhone/iPod 2011)
Aliens: Infestation
(DS 2011)
Spider-Man: Edge of Time (DS 2011)
Dark
Incursion (iPhone/iPod 2011)
Castle of Shadows (Android 2011)
Mystery of the Japanese Werewolf (iPhone/iPod 2011)
Mighty Switch
Force! (eShop 2011)
Avenger (Android 2011)
Waking Mars (iPhone/iPod 2012)
Swordigo (iPhone/iPod 2012)
Bloody Vampire (eShop 2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man (DS 2012)
Hotel Transylvania (DS/3DS 2012) |
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---PC/Online---
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Flash Games
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---Non-linear
games whose areas are broken up and connected by an overworld map---
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| Zelda
II: The Adventure of Link (NES 1988) Clash
at Demonhead (NES 1990) Gargoyle's
Quest (GB 1990) Gargoyle's
Quest II (NES 1992) Demon's
Crest (SNES 1994) Popful
Mail (SNES 1994)
Phantom 2040 (SNES, GEN 1995) Tails
Adventure (GG 1995) Front
Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES 1996)
Wario Land 3 (GBC 2000) Shaman
King: Master of Spirits (GBA 2002) Shaman
King: Master of Spirits 2 (GBA 2005) Castlevania:
Order of Ecclesia (DS 2008) Adventure
Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! (DS/3DS 2012) |
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---Castlevania-esque
games---
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| Wai
Wai World (Famicom 1988) Holy
Diver (Famicom 1989) 8
Eyes (NES 1990) Wai
Wai World 2 (Famicom 1991) Akumajo
Special: Boku Dracula-kun or "Devil's Castle Special: Kid Dracula" (Famicom
1991) Master
of Darkness (SMS 1992) Vampire:
Master of Darkness (GG 1992) Kid
Dracula (GB 1993) Rusty
(PC98 1993) Ganbare
Goemon 2 (Super Famicom 1993) Gokujou
Parodius (Super Famicom 1994) Battle
Tryst (Arcade 1997)
Hunter x Hunter Kindan no Hihou (GBC 2001) Konami
Krazy Racers (GBA 2001) Evolution
Skateboarding (GC, PS2 2002) Shaman
King: Master of Spirits (GBA 2002) DreamMix
TV: World Fighters (GC and PS2 2003) Pyuu
to Fuku! Jaguar Byuu to Deru! Megane-Kun (GBA 2004) Shaman
King: Master of Spirits 2 (GBA 2005) Dance
Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 (Xbox 2005) Monster
House (GBA 2006) Wai
Wai World (Mobile 2006) Akumajo
Dracula Special: Boku Dracula-kun or "Devil's Castle Special: Kid Dracula"
(Mobile 2006) Konami
WaiWai Sokoban (Mobile 2007) Dance
Dance Revolution Universe (Xbox 360 2007) Dance
Dance Revolution: SuperNOVA 2 (Arcade, PS2 2007) Pop'n
Music 15 Adventure (Arcade 2007) Hasslevania:
The Quest For Shuteye (PC 2007) New
International Track and Field (DS 2008) Barnyard
Blast: Swine of the Night (DS 2008) Soul
of Darkness (Mobile 2008) GuitarFreaks
& DrumMania V6 (Arcade 2009) Inferus
(PC/XBLA 2009) Koumajou
Densetsu Scarlet Symphony (PC 2009)
Soul of Darkness (DSiWare 2010) |
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---Metroid-esque
games---
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| Scurge:
Hive (GBA 2006) Scurge:
Hive (DS 2006)
Grokion (iPhone 2010) |
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---3D
Games---
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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.
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---Credits---
| AllExperts - A list from which I began my own. |
| Toastyfrog - Another list that proved helpful in creating mine. |
| Television Tropes & Idioms - The most extensive out of the three lists I initially looked to. |
| Doug R. - I added the PC98 game Rusty to the Castlevania-esque section after reading his article here on the Castlevania Realm. |
| Mr. P - I added a good many games to the Castlevania-esque section after reading the Cameos Appearances section of the Realm. |
| Juan Aponte - Contributed the PC game "Trine" to the Onlines section. |
| Tom Fulp - Prompted me to make a Flash Games sub-section to the Onlines section by contributing five games from Newgrounds.com. |
| Anthony Lecocq - Prompted me to make a Flash Games sub-section to the Onlines section by contributing five games from Newgrounds.com. |
---See also---
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Metroidvanias We'd Like to See - Just a humble little list of demands wherein I tell video game developers what they should be doing. Did I mention it's filled to the brim with modesty? |
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Metroidvanias in Review - I review in relative detail and fail at being objective towards various different Metroidvanias throughout the history of the Metroidvania sub-genre. |
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My Sonic the Hedgehog Game - A Metroidvania I've been planning out featuring Sonic and the gang. |
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