In electronic entertainment we find many genres that have emerged since the beginnings of this form of entertainment, dating back to an era that exceeds twenty years. Counting on the styles that laid the foundations for current titles, we find names such as platforms, RPG, FPS, strategy, etc., there is a great variety.
However, we find a genre that to this day remains very popular and that, thanks to what it offers us, enjoys great support from developers, with emphasis on small studios that belong to the independent branch (in 2D and with retro visuals). Without thinking too much about it, we are referring to the Metroidvania.
How did this subgenre form and what is a Metroidvania?
This style already existed long before this famous name was adopted, but we will focus on the two games that gave birth to it. One of them was the first Metroid in 1986, which gave us a huge world to explore from the start and allowed us to advance based on the skills we learned. After this game, we receive an evolution with Super Metroid.
On the other hand, in 1997, from Koji Igarashi and Konami, we received another game which would further reaffirm the genre, with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which was a benchmark in its time, with a huge castle, an expansive map and a set of skills in our character that made us go through the scenarios to reach these places that we couldn’t reach before. Thus, with Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, The Metroidvania title was now born.
Why is Metroidvania considered a subgenre?
Indeed, platform games already existed and consisted of going through levels whose structure mainly required us to jump between them. In this way, there has been an evolution, offering us a certain verticality without losing this platform orientation and adding new variants.
And you might be wondering what constitutes a Metroidvania?
Basically, what sets this style apart can be summed up as: 2D view, exploration, backtracking and a huge map. And it shouldn’t be strictly required, as developers often incorporate new elements that can add more variety.
To give you an idea of the above and review the elements of the subgenre, in terms of the 2D view, usually most games are made in this style, but it doesn’t have to be that way . There are games like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (in 3D) which correspond to the bases of the subgenre.
As for the elements of exploration and backtracking, they are closely linked, since we will find a large map to explore that will contain inaccessible areas and it will first be necessary to have the necessary skill to overcome the location. We get there by exploring and moving forward, which is why that linear element is usually broken, by having that freedom in the world.
Now that we know a little more about what a Metroidvania is and represents, we can have an idea of the type of game we are in and what it can offer us. We have a great example of this in the golden age of Castlevania, with a series of games that stood out and dominated store shelves for a long time.
Unfortunately, for Metroidvanias dominated by (Metroid and Castlevania), there has been a pretty steep decline. On the one hand, the Metroid saga has offered us games with a big difference over the years, gradually dissolving this subgenre. And on the Castlevania side, the last big name arrived in 2009 with Order of Ecclesia, coinciding with the last work of one of the most notable creatives like Koji Igarashi, who left Konami, thus closing a cycle.
The revival of the Metroidvania subgenre
But since anything good must last beyond a name like Castlevania/Metroid or a creative like Igarashi, the legacy that was built was so strong in the industry that the impact reached every areas. Many people, like you and me, have started to create their own studios and create new titles with the already established foundations.
The return of Metroidvanias was a reality and with that, new names emerged who became the new representatives, laying the groundwork for other developers to be encouraged to make more proposals of this style.
One of the first to launch this movement, was Cave Story in 2004, a complete genius in every sense of the word. And so, other games kept coming, like Guacamelee in 2013, Axiom Verge in 2015, Ori & the Blind Forest in 2015, Owlboy in 2016, Dead Cells in 2017, Hollow Knight in 2017, The Messenger in 2018, Bloodstained : Ritual of the Night in 2018 or even Blasphemous in 2019.
Market saturation
It is a reality that today the market for so-called Metroidvanias is saturated, a situation that keeps getting worse and does not seem to be stopping. Although, as we mentioned, some names are the current representatives with which the subgenre is identified.
This move allowed players to enjoy much more. Additionally, its community has grown at a faster rate. It is undeniable that we love these experiences, which, although they share a name, each of them has qualities that distinguish them and make them authentic.
The dawn of a new era
We agree that Metroidvanias have been positioned as essential jewelry, who have an audience that appreciates them, I include myself in this group. In addition, renowned franchises have ventured to change in an attempt to reach more players, as is the case with The Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
For our part, we leave you a very personal list, from this link. In which we can see some of the best Metroidvanias that you can play on your Xboxalthough with the pace of releases we will surely see an update to this list soon.
This makes us think that there are still ideas to exploit and that studios, regardless of size or budget, will rely on this marked and appreciated style. One of the fathers of the subgenre, with Metroid Dread for Nintendo in 2021, returned triumphantly. Although, from the bottom of my heart and I think that of many followers, we long for the return of the other father and that depends on you, Konami…
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