SG Roundtable – Our favourite “Metroidvanias” (Patreon Request)

It’s time for another Source Gaming Roundtable and in this edition we have been asked by our super Patreon MR. JBRPG to share our favourite “Metroidvanias”. In the last roundtable we purposely avoided chosing any Metroid-likes because there are just so many of them out there, and depending on your definition of what a Metroidvania (a.k.a. Search-action game) is meant to be, there are a lot of options to chose from. So we gave this one its own roundtable. If you disagree with if our picks count as Metroidvanias or not then let us know in the comments and why.

I like games that surprise me and if a game can surprise me with its genre, then that is a very impressive feat. The thing about Metroidvania games is that the genre has some expecations with it, you know what you’re getting into when you pick one up. So imagine my surprise when I’m 10 hours in to what seems like a narrative-driven side-scrolling platform game, with cutscenes, individual levels and missions to complete. And then suddenly you get dropped into a world and one of those Metroidvania style maps is just thrust into your face and your told to go explore. A complete genre shift from linear action to search action just after the game made me comfortable. Well, that’s what Horace did to me.

A very british indie game, Horace was a sleeper hit for me in 2021. I picked it up at the start of the year and it managed to remain as one of my game of the year contendors. It’s characters are charming, the story is emotional and engaging, and its packed full of things to do. It’s up there with the Like a Dragon games with all the side-content you can do. And what it does with the Metroidvania genre is really interesting. Because you spend a good chunk of the game going through the world level by level, you get to learn the controls and game feel in a controlled environment. You also get to see a lot of the locations and platforming challenges ahead of time. There are some routes and objects out of reach that are impossible to get at the time, but the game doesn’t pretend like you won’t come back at some point. So when you do come back, when your thrust into this big open world and told to have fun, not only do you already understand this game and how it plays but you already have locations and ideas of where to go in your mind.

Of course, being a Metroidvania means that Horace also has upgrades and powers he can get in this section of the game, which honestly provides a wonderful refresh of the gameplay. This many hours in, you’ve been given level gimmick abilities but nothing permenant to your arsenal, but now everything you get is and it really breathes new life into the game. Horace is a surprse Metroidvania game and one that has lived in my mind rent free for nearly three years now. I picked it up for 99p on the eshop during a sale, so I’m sure you can find it for cheap somewhere. You won’t be disappointed.

Let’s talk about something that I will fight tooth and nail is a Search Action game but rarely gets discussed in the context of one: Resident Evil. Specifically, the original 1996 game for the PlayStation. Resident Evil has all of the hallmarks of a game in this genre. It’s got a large, exploratory map that funnels you down a set path with locked doors that you need to return to later with new equipment.

One thing Resident Evil does that is different from other games in the genre is that it is a survival game. You have limited resources, and you can actually end a playthrough early if you don’t use them well enough. There is also an extreme sense of progression. You start with only a pistol and you end with a rocket launcher. It’s a tradition that they’ve only recently abandoned starting with Resident Evil VII: Biohazard.

I wanted to talk about the original game because it is probably my favorite game in the series still. Some things about it are dated, but the atmosphere created by the music and the sounds is unmatched. I also wanted to talk about it because it has been lost to time. It is not available on modern platforms. The most up-to-date version of the original game is the DualShock Director’s Cut version, which replaces the soundtrack with something… questionable. Even then, this version hasn’t been re-released since the PS3. It’s been phased out by the GameCube remake which makes numerous changes and is in my opinion a weaker and less fun game because of it. If you ever get a chance to play the original unaltered Resident Evil, you should. It’s great. And if you don’t think it’s great you’re wrong!

This prompt is difficult for me because I actually haven’t played too many Metroidvanias—or, at least, not many that are good. Guacamelee! and Ufouria: The Saga are neat, but certainly not worthy of being called my favorite Metroidvania. I really enjoyed Cave Story when it hit WiiWare, but I haven’t touched it in a decade, so I outta replay it before singing its praises. And as much as I love the Metroid series (that Other game aside), well, it rightfully isn’t eligible for this prompt.

So, by default, Ori and the Blind Forest (specifically the Definitive Edition; I barely touched the original) is my favorite Metroidvania—but it’s a darn good one, so I have no reservations gushing about it. For one thing, it’s gorgeous; it’s quite possibly the most stunning game I own on my Xbox One. It plays great, too—Ori controls smoothly, the albino deity’s abilities offer a wealth of utility (abusing Bash, which lets you jump off enemies or their projectiles, is thrilling), and the map is fun to explore. New areas are often gated off from Ori, but the keys that unlock them are generic and work on any gate, giving you some freedom in how you approach this decaying land. So… yeah. Ori’s a good time! I should buy the sequel.

Oh, fine. Here’s something more substance. Exploration action is a genre based around basically three things: martial empowerment (you get abilities that let you do more), environmental awareness (you understand the world, backtrack, and use those abilities to access new things in it), and reward (those new things have to be stuff you want, like unique new areas or special powers). This is basically perfect for me, since I tend to gravitate towards that even in games that aren’t actually Metroidvanias. That’s part of the appeal Paper Mario has for me; it has all these totally optional secrets that reward you for knowing the world and what you can do. It’s also something a game like Banjo-Tooie or Balan Wonderworld struggles with, because the worlds or powers or secrets may not be fun on their own. It also means that the Metroidvanias I like the least—for instance, Axiom Verge—have worlds that aren’t interesting or rewards that feel insubstantial.

Hollow Knight’s a great example. There aren’t many required power-ups, but each one dramatically expands how you can fight and move. The secondary Charms can wildly alter these powers and even alter with each other, thus making each one additive in multiple ways. The world and each area in it is memorable, fun, and filled with things that make backtracking more pleasant. And the secrets are good far more often than not, since again, the main things you’re picking up are abilities or Charms, or rare items that permanently increase your health or damage. I love Castlevania, but sometimes it can be a bit of a whiff when you go back to an early area, find something that needs a late game power, and it turns out to be worse than something you’ve already found. And I love Metroid, but it has the opposite problem: many of its optional things are health or missile expansions, which is extremely useful but not as exciting. But everything in Hollow Knight is useful and exciting and memorable and additive, which makes it an impeccable benchmark of exploration action.

I’ve seen “Metroidvanias” referred to as search action games before, but, honestly, I feel as though that is far too broad a term. A Metroidvania, to me, is more of an exploration based platformer with backtracking, gated areas, and a sense of character progression that features powerups that help in said progression. Even with this more focused definition, many of my favorite games fall into this category.

I’m going to cheat and talk about two games, and the reason for this is twofold. Number one: I don’t think anyone will stop me. Number two: I feel like my examples show the growth and history of the genre.

The first game I want to talk about is Blaster Master on the NES. Long time followers of Source Gaming know I’m a retro gaming guy, and I really adore this game. It’s, in my opinion, the best Metroidvania on the NES, and yes, I’m including Metroid in that list. You play as a kid named Jason who chases his pet frog into an underground world full of mutants and monsters. The “overworld” is explored using a battle tank named Sophia 3rd, and this is done in typical Metroidvania fashion. So, you know, as a side scrolling adventure through an interconnected 2D world. As the game progresses you find updates for your tank that let it break special blocks, move underwater, or hover, and finding these upgrades allow you to access new areas of the game. One neat idea in this game is that Jason can explore what are essentially dungeons on foot. When he does this the game changes into an isometric, overhead view, and it’s essentially an entirely different game. It’s almost like if Metroid became Zelda for the boss encounters and dungeons leading up to them, which is a very cool idea. Blaster Master can be played on Switch Online, but if you want a more modern feeling version of the game, Inti Creates Blaster Master Zero is a game I highly recommend you play.

Okay, now on the more modern end of things is Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. Fallen Order is a game that fits literally every definition of what a Metroidvania is, but I feel as if I don’t see it brought up as a Metroidvania all that often. For those that don’t know, this is, in fact, a Star Wars game where you play as a Jedi, in this case Kal Kestis. Now, Kal doesn’t remember all of his old Jedi tricks, since he was just a young Padawan when he last used them. As you play the game, you gain new force abilities (and gear) that let you traverse to new areas, and also allows you to unlock secrets and powerups in old areas. I’m sure many of you have played it already, but it really is one of the better examples of how to craft a true 3D Metroidvania.

Although Game Freak’s monster-collecting phenomenon is known for its titular cast of beasts above all else, the mainline RPGs have done a solid job giving them a fun and addicting stage to shine on. Admittedly, the Switch entries haven’t really stuck with me gameplay-wise (Legends: Arceus notwithstanding), but most entries before then are another story. Alola’s got a variety of catches, Sinnoh a satisfying difficulty curve, Hoenn a memorable overworld, and Unova a blend of all the above, but for this topic’s purposes, the original games set in Kanto are surprisingly worthwhile. An interconnected map gated by numerous keys? See HMs and Gym Badges. A sense of progression and empowerment? Few things are as satisfying as fostering a party of ever-growing partners. And to further invoke that feeling we’re looking for, you can even tackle most of the major bosses out of order. Intentional or not, this all helps in proving that Red, Blue, Yellow, and (to a lesser extent) their remakes carry much of the Metroidvania design philosophy.

But what’s made Pokémon so much more than a competent game is how it’s turned otherwise dime-a-dozen weapons and upgrades into some of the industry’s most beloved faces. What’s more, you could assemble a team of balanced all-stars, neglected weaklings, personal favorites, they’ll probably be good enough to get you to the Hall of Fame regardless. Go crazy! That’s partially why I’m spotlighting Yellow, which gives you a bit more freedom and rewards your exploration by granting access to all three starter Pokémon in one playthrough. But it’s not just the starters. For example, upon finding the well-hidden HM for Surf, earning you both sea traversal and an upgrade for your Water types, you can discover the optional Power Plant and meet one of the most enticing rewards in the game: Zapdos. Kanto’s successors have kept and iterated upon much of what made the classics so special, but if you’re looking for a journey as liberating and satisfying to untie as those of Samus Aran or Alucard, I’d argue Pokémon’s first generation is a worthy contender.