Metroidvania

"Metroidvania" is a genre of 2-D or 2.5D platforming action-adventure games that emphasize non-linear exploration and story, with access to new areas restricted until new abilities are gained. The player often comes across obstacles that require an extra ability, and must find this ability before backtracking to the obstacle. The word "Metroidvania" is a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania, two game series that are credited with creating this genre.http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/236410/The_undying_allure_of_the_Metroidvania.php
Super Metroid was universally acclaimed upon release and was said to have revolutionized gaming. Beginning with Symphony of the Night, Castlevania games borrowed influences from Super Metroid. The 2004 indie game Cave Story, another pivotal game in the Metroidvania genre was inspired in part by Metroid, one of the childhood favorite games of the director Daisuke Amaya. Metroid-like enemies called Jellies, which have a queen appear in the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8XINfralSE
==Other examples==
*Tails Adventure (1995)
*Shantae Series (2002}
*Spider-Man: Web of Shadows DS (2008) 
*Shadow Complex (2009)
*Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions DS (2010)
*Terraria (2011)http://kotaku.com/5801827/somewhere-between-super-metroid-and-minecraft-lies-the-intriguing-terraria
*Mutant Mudds (2012)http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=188662&sid=a70e93ea6fc9c6a6a11f7a737e7e8300
*ZombiU (2012)http://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=188040
*Guacamelee! (2013)http://ca.ign.com/videos/2013/03/15/our-impression-of-the-metroidvania-style-guacamelees-first-90-minutes The game features "Choozo statues".
*Xeodrifter (2014)http://www.destructoid.com/review-xeodrifter-285389.phtml
*Axiom Verge (2015)http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/236410/The_undying_allure_of_the_Metroidvania.phphttp://www.axiomverge.com/press-releases
*Chasm (2015)http://ca.ign.com/articles/2013/04/23/chasm-creating-an-infinite-metroidvania
*Heart Forth, Alicia (2015)http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/17/5623646/heart-forth-alicia-starbound-kickstarter
*Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/02/04/five-ways-rise-of-the-tomb-raider-is-improving-upon-the-reboot.aspx
*ReCore (2016)http://wccftech.com/recore-gamescom-2016-handson-mega-man-samus-child-prodigy/
*Hollow Knight (2017)
*Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020)
==Playing with Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics==
LEGACYSuper Metroid wasn't the first game to feature non-linear exploration (the original Metroid and The Legend of Zelda are also early examples), but it absolutely popularized the formula. Combined with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which was directly inspired by Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda, the Metroidvania genre was born.''
The most notable instances of Metroidvania games are, unsurprisingly, from the Metroid and Castlevania series. However, the genre experienced a modern resurgence thanks in large part to the best-selling Shadow Complex, as well as indie games such as Cave Story, Axiom Verge, Guacamelee, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Hollow Knight. But Metroidvania hallmarks such as exploring a large interconnected map and backtracking after obtaining new equipment are not confined to two dimensions, also being featured heavily in recent mainstream games such as Rise of the Tomb Raider and the Dark Souls and Batman Arkham franchises.
==Trivia==
*Coincidentally, both Castlevania and Metroid, the series that created the genre, had their roots in vampire stories (as the latter had been significantly influenced by the Alien series, which had itself been largely influenced by the 1965 Italian sci-fi/horror film Planet of the Vampires).
**Another coincidence between the two franchises is that both had a major character who was reported in official sources as male only to be revealed as female in the ending of the game (Samus Aran for the first Metroid, and Sypha Belnades in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, should the latter beat the game with her as a playable character).
*Yoshio Sakamoto has said that he is honored to have been one of the original developers on Metroid, and proud that it has become its own genre. He hoped that Metroid Dread would inspire further indie Metroidvania games.Jarop. "Metroid Dread dev on taking the series to HD, E.M.M.I.’s design, much more". Nintendo Everything (originally published in Famitsu, translated from Japanese). January 30, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
==Gallery==
Jellies.jpg|Jelly (Cave Story)
Queen Jelly.png|A Queen Jelly. (Cave Story)
==References==
==External links==
*Metroidvania at the Castlevania Wiki
Category:Real-world