Favorite Metroidvania games!

I recently caught this weird metroidvania bug and I'm just devouring anything I can find in this genre. My personal favorites are the Sorrow games for GBA and DS and I'm making my way through the rest of the GBA Castlevanias as soon as I beat the finally boss of Aria of Sorrrow. What are your favorites of this genre?

Shadow Complex still tops this list for me

I really like the Shantae games. They're charming and very competently made.

Shadow Complex - Great game, more Metroid than Vania

Dust: An Elysian Tail - If animator Don Bluth made a metroidvania, this would be it. Great combat, loot drops, a crafting system, a lengthy campaign, all from just one developer. An amazing achievement.

Salt and Sanctuary - Pretty much a 2D Dark Souls, which of course plays a lot like a metroidvania. It's from the same guy who did the Dishwasher games, and it's quite good.

Hopefully something there will interest you. Welcome to the forums.

Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow are both amazing games. I quite enjoy Shadow Complex too.

Thanks for the replies! Shadow complex has been on my radar for a while, I'll be sure to check it out. I completely missed Dust the first time around but that sounds amazing.

I'd recommend it. Here's the trailer, including a 5 out of 5 from Giant Bomb:

And here's Salt and Sanctuary:

Definitely Shadow Complex. Would Ori and the Blind Forest be considered a metroidvania-esque? I think it could be. Check that one out!

I still feel like Super Metroid is the best.

@tyn0mite: Ori is absolutely part of this category and it's one of the best. I tend to favor games with excellent movement options (I'm a Melee player) so this game really spoke to me.

Guacamelee is a criminally underrated one.

My favorite in recent memory is Dust. Plays well, has a of content. Still looks great. Shadow Complex is pretty good, but the 360 I had it on is done broke and I didn't like it enough to find another copy.

A recent one that I really didn't like was Axiom Verge. For a variety of reasons, but probably the biggest one is that of all of these games, it most clearly cribs from Metroid but only succeeds in reminding you all the ways Metroid is better. I wrote a review which is floating around somewhere on my profile.

And yes, Super Metroid is still the G.O.A.T.

This is so true! Also Guacamelee's soundtrack is fantastic as well.

I've only played the latest one but I was shocked at how great it was and surprised that the series completely slipped me by considering how much I love these types of games.

I'm guessing the original Metroid Prime doesnt count so i'd probably go with either AM2R or Super Metroid. I like Castlevania but I prefer the movement in the metroid games which gives them the edge for me. Gucamelee! is really good but they kind of nerfed it with the Super Turbo Championship Edition which made it much less satisfying. Strider's (2014) pretty decent if fairly simplistic. Dust is also worth playing even if the combat basically just plays itself.

And obviously Castlevania: Symphony of the Night mostly due to the awesome music and great bosses. I've never been the biggest fan of the level design though.

EDIT: Forgot Salt & Santuary which is weird because it's one of the best games i've played this year. I would have enjoyed it much more if it had a map though.

@lawgamer: I didn't like axiom verge either! I found myself unable to finish it due to similar reasons you listed. Super Metroid or Metroid Prime may be the GOATs but there are only so many times I can play through them. I probably finish them once a year.

Looking past the actual Metroid games, my personal favorite would easily be Axiom Verge. Aquaria, Shadow Complex, and Ori and the Blind Forest are also up there as ones I like a whole bunch. I'll toss in Cave Story and Outland too if they count (what qualifies as a "Metroidvania" has always been nebulous at best, but those are great games whether you count them or not).

Symphony, Dust, Metroid: Fusion, and the Shantaes are all dope.

Reminding me that I should go back and try Metoid Fusion. I've been listening to the fantastic Dev Game Club podcast and got to their Super Metroid episodes and I started it with the idea to play along with them... I just do not find Super Metroid engaging or fun. Respect it, but yeah. I never got to Fusion though.

@artisanbreads: fusion is a more directed experience than super metroid and the gameplay feels just a bit tighter. It's definitely the game id recommend to a newcomer to 2D metroid.

Fusion is so fucking good. It's the tightest little GBA experience ever made. It even manages to be creepy.

I think I will boot up Fusion. Thanks for the kick in the pants @kcin@octopusrocketmark

Super Metroid is maybe too obvious of a pick, but I still think it's the best.

In recent years, Guacamelee, Axiom Verge and Ori were all stellar games

Dust deserves more recognition. kinda sad people got so hung up on the art style.

Yeah, I tried a couple of times to play it, but I just couldn't get into it. I also didn't think much of Shadow Complex.

Personally, my favourite Metroid/Castlevania game is Metroid Fusion. Outside those franchises, Wario Land 3 is great, as is VVVVVV. Also, check out Hero Core: It's short, it's free, and it's pretty damn fun.

If you want to stick to strictly Metroid or Castlevania games then I think Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is a really underrated game. It gets a lot of shit because Igarashi disowned it but it is a great game.

Outside of those I would also recommend the same games as everyone else: Ori, Shadow Complex, Axiom Verge and Guacamelee.

@majormitch: Hey Mitch have you played that fan remake of Metroid II? AMR2?

I'm about halfway through and really digging it, just curious what the Metroid superfan thinks of it. Seems to me like it fixed most the old Gameboy game's shortcomings.

That sounds like the sort of thing a crazy person like Jeff Gerstmann would say. Of course it counts! In fact, depending on the Phaaze of the moon, I might pick it over Super Metroid as my favourite Metroid.

My favourite metroidvanias in my experience are (not necessarily in order):

1. Super Metroid
2. Metroid Prime
3. Metroid: Zero Mission
4. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
5. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
6. Dust: An Elysian Tail
7. Shadow Complex
8. Axiom Verge (definitely not the best, but definitely good relief in this recent drought)
9. The Legend of Zelda

For me it is tied between Metroid Fusion and Symphony of the Night.

Aria of Sorrow, Guacamelee, Dust, Shadow Complex, Ori, Axiom Verge, Super Metroid and Cave Story have been good one of those games as well. But the first two will always hold a special place in my heart.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is a really underrated game.

I concur. The other GBA games (Aria of Sorrow, Harmony of Dissonance) are both great, but there's just something about CotM...

I guess shadow complex as it's the only one i've actually played that wasn't super metroid. Tried some of elysian tale but didn't get far enough to even know it was a metroidvania, haven't dipped into salt and sanctuary yet.

Cave Story is so good!

I played it on the 3DS and enjoyed it a ton. They also had a 3D remake that looked a bit messy but that original 2D game is great.

Any love for the DS castlevanias? Dawn of Sorrow is still my favorite.

Wonder Boy in Monster World, Super Adventure Island 2, You Have to Win the Game, Super Win the Game, Rex Rocket, Xeodrifter.

Rogue Legacy and Abyss Odyssey if you're into action/exploration roguelike sidescrollers.

@meteora3255: Totally with you on Circle of the Moon, it's actually my favorite Castlevania :)

@slag: I haven't yet, but I would definitely want to get to it someday! I liked a lot of what Metroid II was trying, but it was clearly limited on the GB. Heard nothing but good things about AM2R.

You guys forgot Batman: Arkham Asylum.

@hans_maulwurf: The new Shantae game coming up looks so goddamn good.

I had a great time playing Guacamelee when that was released on PS3/Vita. I played through it twice on the Vita, but it has since been released on XONE and I think PS4.

That ranked pretty high in my personal list for 2013 and it is probably my favorite game of that genre.

@l33t_haxor: I mean I can't help but be a little sad they're dropping the 2d pixel art style, just because they were really good at it. But yeah, it looks fantastic. Easily my most anticipated title for the rest of the year.

For 2D games Castlevania: SOTN, Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Zero Mission, and Dust: An Elysian Tail are my favorites. Shadow Complex was pretty great too. Guacamelee was fun, but something about it just didn't really vibe with me and I ended up dropping it near the end. Any of the others I've tried never really had much of a lasting appeal. I should try out some of those GBA/DS Castlevania games.

For 3D games Batman: Arkham Asylum is the only one I've played that really feels like a metroidvania and I love it to pieces. Probably my favorite game from last gen.

I love the genre but I feel like standouts are very few and far between. Maybe I'm just playing the wrong ones though.

Super Metroid - Unbeatable.
Shadow Complex - Liked it a lot, they should make more.

I haven't played SotN more than 15 minutes so I can't mention that. Also haven't played Ori and Metroid Fusion and watching several speedruns doesn't count.

Yes! And it had something that the later Arkham games didn't have.

Speaking of Salt and Sanctuary... any word on that coming to XB1?

Castlevania SOTN is the best, but GBA and DS Castlevanias are pretty good too. Also, more people should definitely check out Pharaoh Rebirth. It is a metroidvania style game that is also pretty funny. One of my favorite games of this year for sure.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor

Grab a GB Micro and play this.

I actively dislike Batman but I'm making my way through asylum regardless because it is a pretty good game.

Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is very good, if a smallish game.

Valdis Story is worth looking into. I'd say it's missing a bit of polish in a few places, and might be hit or miss, but I also haven't played the game since before they rolled out some pretty significant updates like the 3rd and 4th characters and stuff. Probably closest to Dust out of all the games mentioned here, although Dust is still better overall.

But seriously, Dust is one of the best in the genre, full stop. Get over the furry accusations; just tell people it's like old skool Disney.

I really liked that Outland game. I only played it because it was free on PSN a few years ago. Coincidentally, it was the only reason I checked out the newer Strider, which I also enjoyed. Both good Metroid types.

It's also got a lot more direction than the other Metroid games. It does have moments where you need to find your own way and, despite what anyone says about it, you can backtrack to your heart's content. As a whole, though, it's less about wandering around like a dope and more about navigating smartly-built, interesting spaces.

The Wonder Boy/ Monster World games are worth a look, and you can argue certain things SOTN is known for popularising exist within Wonder Boy III Dragons Trap(Master System)/Dragons Curse(TGFX).

The second WB is the first MW, , the MW's are Metroidvanias, with Shantae being a homage to MW.

There is two projects currently remaking/continuing the franchise with Sega's blessing. www.thedragonstrap.com and www.monsterboy.com

@admiral_crunch: Outland was indeed pretty cool! The dual color mechanic is a lot of fun and they went crazy with it. I remember spending a few hours trying to get past the final boss.

So many great games listed. One I didn't see mentioned was Monster Tale, which had some interesting touch screen things on the DS.