Nintendo The METROIDVANIA Thread

[WhiteMousse]

Look at these graphics

 

[hillelslovak87]

Look at these graphics

9th gen consoles are looking siiiiiiiiiick!!!

 

[Hyperglide]

It's true that Ritual of the Night was a disappointment overall but I still maintain Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is one of the best retro style games of all time.

I mean it's easy to be a disappointment when you are trying to live up to literally the game that helped popularize the metroidvania sub-genre and arguably a top 5 all time game.

 

[Holic]

I mean it's easy to be a disappointment when you are trying to live up to literally the game that helped popularize the metroidvania sub-genre and arguably a top 5 all time game.

Yeah, they were just too ambitious. Alucard would've been able to pull off absolutely insane shit if there was a shard system in SotN, but stuff like growing crops and crafting/cooking just didn't need to be there. I'd much rather they'd have spent time fixing the points of slowdown and change the pacing in the early game.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Axiom Verge is my favourite Metroidvania game thus far.

 

[HereticBD]

Yeah, they were just too ambitious. Alucard would've been able to pull off absolutely insane shit if there was a shard system in SotN, but stuff like growing crops and crafting/cooking just didn't need to be there. I'd much rather they'd have spent time fixing the points of slowdown and change the pacing in the early game.

I actually liked the little mini-verse activities in theory, and in a better game it would've been utilized with more finesse. The problem with Bloodstained, was that it was just plain lazy, and didn't put any thought into the gameplay, outside of trying to resemble Castlevania. It was so unbelievably shallow, that only had an illusion of depth.

 

[Fraz]

Axiom Verge is my favourite Metroidvania game thus far.

Great game, forgot about that. Looking forward to the sequel.

 

[HHJ]

 

[Slick_36]

I think I just picked this up for a couple bucks. So many good ones for sale on the Switch right now.

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

I'm a sucker for Metroidvania. I mostly play on PC but a lot of these are on console as well:

Bloodstained - If you are a Castlevania fan, this is an absolute must. Made by the creator of SoTN and nearly as good. Great graphics, music and gameplay.

Guacamelee 1 & 2 - Definitely up there for two of my most favorite Metroidvania games. The game is melee based but has a map system like Metroid with upgrades, exploring and backtracking. It's a super charming game with a lot of fun upgrades, humor, music and tight gameplay.

Sundered - I wish more people knew about this game. The graphics are hand draw and the gameplay reminds me a bit of Strider. It has lite rogue elements where if you die, you are sent back to the main hub but ever item you collect, stays with you so you can upgrade every time you die. When you get new abilities, you are given the chance to embrace it and corrupt yourself or remain pure and get a different upgrade. It was so fun and unique that I beat it twice in a row to experience both upgrades. Highly recommended. I do kinda recommend to play on easy though. Even on easy, it's very difficult.

Axiom Verse - More Metroid than Castlevania but tons of exploring, upgrades and back tracking. Excellent music. The upgrades aren't that memorable so that kinda hurts it a little bit.

Blaster Master Zero - A remake of the NES game with a modern map system. It's Metroidvania lite but it's very fun and I like it better than the original.

Hollow Knight - I didn't like this at first. It was overly hard and had punishing deaths if you had to backtrack. I played it for 4 hours and eventually deleted. After hearing how much people loved it, I gave it a chance again and this time it clicked. It's a very slow burn of a game and once you learn how everything works and you get some upgrades, it's very good game with a great graphical style and emotional music.

The Messenger - A Ninja Gaiden style game with a Metroid map and upgrades. Excellent gameplay and music. It gets a little obtuse later in the game but it was very memorable and one of my favorite games of that year.

Ori and the Blind Forest - Very similar to Hollow Knight as I hated it at first and thought it was too difficult. It has a very odd saving mechanic that you really have to get used to but after that, it ended up being one of the best Metroidvania games I've ever played.

That's about it for now. I recently picked up Blasphemous and look forward to playing it. I also still have to try Dust and Dead Cells.

Bring on the recommendations.

 

[HereticBD]

That's about it for now. I recently picked up Blasphemous and look forward to playing it. I also still have to try Dust and Dead Cells.

Bring on the recommendations.

I'd personally skip Dust. It looks good, but it gets old real quick. Like a lot of these games, it was just missing a certain something to make it all come together. Not a terrible game, but outside of the art style, it's pretty paint by numbers.

Dead Cells is pure gaming crack though. Get on that one.

 

[HHJ]

I think I just picked this up for a couple bucks. So many good ones for sale on the Switch right now.

Yup! i got it for like 3 bucks

 

[HHJ]

I'm a sucker for Metroidvania. I mostly play on PC but a lot of these are on console as well:

Bloodstained - If you are a Castlevania fan, this is an absolute must. Made by the creator of SoTN and nearly as good. Great graphics, music and gameplay.

Guacamelee 1 & 2 - Definitely up there for two of my most favorite Metroidvania games. The game is melee based but has a map system like Metroid with upgrades, exploring and backtracking. It's a super charming game with a lot of fun upgrades, humor, music and tight gameplay.

Sundered - I wish more people knew about this game. The graphics are hand draw and the gameplay reminds me a bit of Strider. It has lite rogue elements where if you die, you are sent back to the main hub but ever item you collect, stays with you so you can upgrade every time you die. When you get new abilities, you are given the chance to embrace it and corrupt yourself or remain pure and get a different upgrade. It was so fun and unique that I beat it twice in a row to experience both upgrades. Highly recommended. I do kinda recommend to play on easy though. Even on easy, it's very difficult.

Axiom Verse - More Metroid than Castlevania but tons of exploring, upgrades and back tracking. Excellent music. The upgrades aren't that memorable so that kinda hurts it a little bit.

Blaster Master Zero - A remake of the NES game with a modern map system. It's Metroidvania lite but it's very fun and I like it better than the original.

Hollow Knight - I didn't like this at first. It was overly hard and had punishing deaths if you had to backtrack. I played it for 4 hours and eventually deleted. After hearing how much people loved it, I gave it a chance again and this time it clicked. It's a very slow burn of a game and once you learn how everything works and you get some upgrades, it's very good game with a great graphical style and emotional music.

The Messenger - A Ninja Gaiden style game with a Metroid map and upgrades. Excellent gameplay and music. It gets a little obtuse later in the game but it was very memorable and one of my favorite games of that year.

Ori and the Blind Forest - Very similar to Hollow Knight as I hated it at first and thought it was too difficult. It has a very odd saving mechanic that you really have to get used to but after that, it ended up being one of the best Metroidvania games I've ever played.

That's about it for now. I recently picked up Blasphemous and look forward to playing it. I also still have to try Dust and Dead Cells.

Bring on the recommendations.

Thanks! these are the kind of posts we need to keep informed on all drugs ahem i mean Metroidvania games!

 

[Cantalope]

 

[ObsoleteSoul]

Probably my 3rd fave genre. Lots of great titles I have played through this gen.

Ori and the Blind Forest
The Mummy Demastered
The Aquatic adventure of the last human
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Seasons after Fall

Still to play
Owlboy
Slain Back from Hell
Hollow Knight

You gotta play Owlboy.

Cliche it may be, but it obvious that the game is a complete labor of love. It was almost magical in how much it brought back those feelings of childhood gaming years.

 

[Hyperglide]

You gotta play Owlboy.

Cliche it may be, but it obvious that the game is a complete labor of love. It was almost magical in how much it brought back those feelings of childhood gaming years.

I think I might do that next. I just finished Life is Strange 2 which was depressing as hell so I need a good pick me up game.

 

[Dinkin_Flicka]

Finished up Bloodstained: RotN this weekend, absolutely loved it. Started my clear file back up and the RPG nerd in me has spent many more hours on my first run trying to max all of the passive skills before I start a NG+. Thinking I'll go with a ranged build for NG+ since I hate managing ammo as a resource and got the food quest hat pretty late that has infinite ammo as a perk.

 

[Headkicktoleg]

Guacamelee 2 is $5 on PSN right now. First one wasn't my favorite game, but can't pass it up for $5.

 

[Da_Rev_Ong]

A few off the top of my head (that I don't think have already been mentioned):

The Shantae Series: Excellent set of Metroidvania games that would have been doomed to obscurity outside of a late GBC release. While Half-Genie Hero is great, The Pirate's Curse is bit more polished. I haven't played Shantae and the Seven Sirens (it came out last year in September) yet, so I can't say if it's better than Half-Genie Hero.

Unepic: An homage to gaming and geek culture from the 80's. Unepic is great, and a lot of the story and encounters are proceduraly generated, so replay value on it is high. Some of the challenges can be absolutely brutal, but the game makes it worthwhile.

Strider 2014: I'm surprised no one has mentioned this one. It's a great re-imagining of the classic game and sits well in the Metroidvania genre. The only other Strider that plays this way is the NES version (ymmv on how you feel about that version).

Fortune Summoners: Secret of the Elemental Stone: This one's a little older, and can easily fly under most players radar. The cutesy graphics belie a very high level of challenge and deep gameplay. Three playable characters (each with their own skills and abilities) are available to use during this action rpg. It's not too expensive, and I believe I was able to clock in over 30 hours before I finished it.

The Vagrant: An action platformer that reminds me of Vanillaware titles like Muramasa: The Demon's Blade or Dragon's Crown. The sprite work on this one is excellent, and it's surprisingly deep.

Others that I see just from a quick scan of my STEAM library:

Abyss Odyssey
Cave Story+
La-Mulana/La-Mulana 2
Magician's and Looters

 

[COHAB]

sundered