Metroidvania

Terminology

The term "Metroidvania" combines the names of two game series, Metroid and Castlevania, which often inspire games in this style. No one is certain who first used the word. Koji Igarashi, the designer behind Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a game that helped define the genre, says he did not invent the term but appreciates its existence. He explains that Symphony of the Night aimed for exploration similar to the top-down Legend of Zelda games, but because it was side-scrolling, people compared it to Metroid, and he believes that is how the portmanteau emerged. Video game journalist Jeremy Parish, who runs the site Metroidvania.com, helped spread the term but learned it from his former 1UP.com colleague Scott Sharkey, who used it for Castlevania titles that borrowed elements from Metroid. Some critics dislike the term because it references specific games rather than describing gameplay directly. Comic Book Resources compared it to "Doom clone" from the 1990s, a label later replaced by "first-person shooter." Game Developer argued the term is too broad, covering many 2D and 3D games, and suggested "unlocking world" as an alternative, similar to "open world." CBR also proposed "platform-adventure." In Japan, the equivalent phrase is 探索型アクション, or "search-action," used alongside the transcribed メトロイドヴァニア (metoroidovania). According to the Japanese publication Famitsu in 2020, the term "Metroidvania" for this exploration-focused action genre had only recently become common in Japan.

History

The Metroidvania genre has roots in earlier games like Below the Root (1984) and Brain Breaker (1985), but Metroid (1986, NES) is widely seen as its most influential title. Nintendo designed Metroid to be a non-linear adventure, a deliberate departure from other games of the era. It forced players to backtrack through its world and offered permanent power-ups, unlike the temporary boosts found in many other adventure games. The series proved popular, and later installments, particularly Super Metroid (1994, SNES), refined the exploration formula and added more story. Super Metroid expanded on its predecessors with a wider variety of locations and a wealth of hidden secrets. These secrets also allowed players to break the intended sequence of the game, making it a favorite among speedrunners.

Around the same time, the gothic horror platformer series Castlevania was rising in popularity. The original Castlevania (1986, NES) had distinct, sequential levels. It was followed by Vampire Killer (1986, MSX) and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987, NES), which experimented with non-linear gameplay before the series returned to a more linear structure. Series lead Koji Igarashi noticed that experienced players would blast through new Castlevania games, while newcomers struggled with certain stages. To create a title that appealed to both groups and extended playtime, Igarashi and his team looked to The Legend of Zelda series for inspiration during the development of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997, PlayStation). Symphony of the Night borrowed ideas from Zelda, such as a large open world to explore and the need to acquire key items to unlock new areas—concepts already present in non-linear platformers like Super Metroid. However, it set itself apart by incorporating console role-playing game elements, allowing players to improve their character's attributes through an experience system.

Gameplay concepts

A Metroidvania is a type of platforming game built around a single, large, and interconnected map divided into distinct rooms or sections. From the start, many areas are locked off, requiring the player to find a specific item, like a key or weapon, or gain a new character ability to remove a barrier. These crucial items are often guarded by a boss, creating story-driven challenges. The map is non-linear, meaning players must travel back through it multiple times. Weaker enemies appear in various parts of the map, respawning when the player returns, and can be defeated for health, ammunition, or experience points.

Larger Metroidvanias include save points and fast-travel systems that instantly move the player between distant rooms, reducing tedious backtracking later on. New abilities also create shortcuts, cutting travel time and revealing hidden secrets that boost the character's power. For instance, a double jump or wall jump increases mobility, while a transformation ability lets the character slip through narrow gaps. The genre's core focuses on exploring a vast world and steadily advancing the player-character's capabilities. Because of this scope, Metroidvanias are sometimes called "platform adventure games."

Analysis

The appeal of the Metroidvania genre is often linked to how easily players can pick up platformer games, combined with the ability to develop a character over time. Independent developers frequently point to exploration as a key draw, tapping into a natural human curiosity and giving players a sense of discovery and control. Donald Mustard of Chair Entertainment, the studio behind Shadow Complex, noted that a well-made Metroidvania encourages players to have their own "aha" moments that unlock progress. He gave the example of a ledge that seems out of reach at first; as players gain new abilities, they figure out how to reach it on their own.

From a development perspective, the genre has its own advantages. It fosters a tight link between level design and story, allowing creators to build an immersive world. However, designing those levels is tricky, as the challenge must feel fair and enjoyable. Achieving that balance is a mark of success for a developer. Thomas Mahler of Moon Studios, which made Ori and the Blind Forest, stressed the importance of a cohesive world with memorable locations, because "players remembering the levels is part of the core design." In larger projects, any change to a player's abilities must be thoroughly tested across every level. Daniel Smith, executive producer of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, explained the difficulty: "I don't think people generally consider how difficult it is to make a Metroidvania game. Everything is so interconnected that if you change one aspect of the game, it's just inevitable that it's going to influence the rest."