History Main / Metroidvania

* Nicklas "Creator/{{Nifflas}}" Nygren's games ''VideoGame/WithinADeepForest'', ''VideoGame/{{Knytt}}'', and ''VideoGame/KnyttStories''. His games are unique in that they have minimal power-ups and focus on exploration.

* All of the ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' games and most of the 2D ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games from 2001 onwards, of course. Some people don't consider the [[MetroidPrime 3-D]] ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|OtherM}}'' titles to count, but even those games play out as if they were Metroidvania games with a first-person perspective. The main difference here is the environments are arranged in 3 dimensions rather than 2. ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' isn't the first time that the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series experimented with the genre; ''Vampire Killer'' and ''CastlevaniaII: Simon's Quest'' shared many of the same gameplay elements, though the latter didn't have the closed complex setting typical of the genre (and the former had no RPGElements). The series has seemingly moved away from the 2D Metroidvania style for 3D ActionAdventure.

* All of the ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' games and most of the recent (post-2001) 2D ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games, of course. Some people don't consider the [[MetroidPrime 3-D]] ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|OtherM}}'' titles to count, but even those games play out as if they were Metroidvania games with a first-person perspective. The main difference here is the environments are arranged in 3 dimensions rather than 2. ''SymphonyOfTheNight'' isn't the first time that the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series experimented with the genre; ''Vampire Killer'' and ''CastlevaniaII: Simon's Quest'' shared many of the same gameplay elements, though the latter didn't have the closed complex setting typical of the genre (and the former had no RPGElements). The series has seemingly moved away from the 2D Metroidvania style for 3D ActionAdventure.

* The NES version of ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' often requires returning to levels several times after obtaining keys or ability upgrades. The 2014 reboot continues the tradition.

* The ''AdventureTime'' video game adaptation ''Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!'' has elements of this. Finn and Jake run around the Land of Ooo, fighting monsters and learning new powers in order to progress at certain points.

* ''ShadowComplex'' on XboxLiveArcade has been described by pretty much ''every single reviewer'' as an (awesome) callback to Metroid and Castlevania. This was intentional: the developers have openly admitted to basing it on said games, and spent the entire ''first month of development'' [[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4119/making_shadow_complex_donald_.php?page=3 playing them]]. Even the minimap in the top right corner looks [[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} eerily familiar]]. On top of that, the debut article about the game in Play Magazine mentions SuperMetroid 17 times. On the first page.

* Nicklas "Nifflas" Nygren's games ''WithinADeepForest'', ''{{Knytt}}'', and ''KnyttStories''. His games are unique in that they have minimal power-ups and focus on exploration.

* ''{{Amea}}'' is an online Metroidvania by {{Godlimations}}.

* ''[[http://ektomarch.com/games/ Subbania]]'': A Metroidvania where you pilot a submarine through underwater caves, collecting upgrades to explore new areas and survive against the creatures within. Everything figuratively and literally goes to hell as you go deeper.

* Operation Smash: A heavily Super Metroid-inspired indie game involving time travel and hammers. Currently available from Desura, and also up for voting on Steam Greenlight.

* The NES version of ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' often requires returning to levels several times after obtaining keys or ability upgrades.
* The 2014 reboot continues the tradition.

* The 2014 ''{{Strider}}'' reboot.

* The 2013 ''{{Strider}}'' reboot.

* The 2013 ''Videogame/Strider'' reboot.

* MetalWalker, while an ActionRPG, has elements of this. Returning to previous areas with more Core Units can get you items, gold, and in some cases, new Recipes and special Cores.

* SegaMasterSystem game ''VideoGame/Zillion'' -based on ''Anime/RedPhotonZillion''- also used the Metroidvania structure, leading the gamer to explore an alien base as fighting enemies and finding weapons and power-ups to open up new areas to explore.

* ''{{Okami}}'', [[WordOfGod being strongly inspired by Zelda]], mostly fits this genre with an long, intense and elaborate plot, power-ups and {{Plot Coupon}}s that allow you to unlock the (very) wide map, a barely restricted freedom of exploration and a ''huge'' number of sidequets, optional power-ups and {{Heart Container}}s. There are a few areas [[CollapsingLair where you cannot return afterwards]] but these only contain items necessary to the plot or VendorTrash.

* SequenceBreaking capabilities, even if not official. (Some players go so far as to insist it must be unintentional to count as [[NoTrueScotsman]] true sequence breaking.)

* SequenceBreaking capabilities, even if not official.

*** Depending on the definition, possibly ''all'' games in the Zelda series, since the leading characteristic of a Metroidvania is not its sidecrolling nature, but the hybridization of Puzzle/Adventure elements, and the use of VideoGameTools ''specifically'' to make it to new areas. ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'', despite having many of the same elements, ''cannot'' be considered this, since these tools are restricted to dungeons, rather than being used to move around in the world itself.
*** Lufia 2 is a Metroidvania, as much as any Zelda game is. While you don't use your items on the world map, aside from vehicles opening up later exploration (which probably also counts as far as world maps go), most maps require going into a "dungeon" zone for transitioning between areas which allows item use (there are several dungeon by-passes, and hidden areas that can be found after acquiring certain items and are required for further progress), and often after first few towns, have items or side quests you need to backtrack later to complete/acquire. By your logic, neither is Symphony of the Night since the whole game takes place in a single dungeon.

* All of the ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' games and most of the recent (post-2001) ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games, of course. Some people don't consider the [[MetroidPrime 3-D]] ''VideoGame/{{Metroid|OtherM}}'' titles to count, but even those games play out as if they were Metroidvania games with a first-person perspective. The main difference here is the environments are arranged in 3 dimensions rather than 2. ''SymphonyOfTheNight'' isn't the first time that the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series experimented with the genre; ''Vampire Killer'' and ''CastlevaniaII: Simon's Quest'' shared many of the same gameplay elements, though the latter didn't have the closed complex setting typical of the genre (and the former had no RPGElements.)