by mento
Explormers* - known elsewhere on the internet as Metroidvanias, Castleroids, or JumpyFindyMapExpandies - are extremely my shit. I've long been trying to put into words why exactly that is, and my usual pitch is that these games frequently combine my love of 2D platforming, the keeping notes and updating maps more common to CRPGs, and the many varied approaches to level design that results from gating off specific areas based on necessary upgrades. That there's so many games being made in this specific model speaks highly to how compelling it is, and even if their developers start running out of ideas as market saturation hits critical mass I'll still probably never get tired of playing them and meticulously exploring their every dead end.
With the following list of Explormers What I've Played, I've tried to highlight the most exceptional or unique aspect about each one. It's easy to think of these games moving off a production line with the volume that are released each year, but the majority of developers creating these are always looking to put their own spin on it or emphasize different facets of the platforming/combat/exploration/puzzles/character development paradigm that they appreciate most. I've also put this list in chronological order, to better demonstrate how much the genre has grown.
And hey, not to put too fine a point on it, but if you happened to need the distraction of a few giant maps to explore at the moment I hope you find some inspiration here. (And be sure to contribute your own suggestions in the comments; I'll have a master list of those I've yet to try going on too.)
*I recently saw a new explormer on Steam refer to itself as an "explor-action" game, and... damn, that might be a better name for them. Steps around the "not a platformer" issue some of the below games have, like Aquaria and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.
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(Nintendo, 1986-08-06) The game that started it all. Well, possibly. Depends on how far into the weeds you feel like going: 1985's Xanadu and 1982's Pitfall had elements of non-linear 2D platforming, if there's where the definition begins and ends for you.
(SunSoft, 1991-09-20) Hebereke's NES debut also introduced the idea of a revolving cast of characters, each with their own particular strengths. (You could argue they sourced that idea from Legacy of the Wizard: a Falcom game I've never been able to finish.)
(Nintendo, 1991-11) Metroid 2's big change was having several targets instead of just one. Samus's quest to completely genocide the Metroids had her plumbing every depth of their home world to finish them off. Hey, sometimes a girl has to have hobbies.
(Nintendo, 1994-03-19) More a remake than a sequel, the 16-bit Super Metroid also introduced a lot of Samus's more versatile tools. Importantly, it was also the first (or one of) to have an in-game map to guide the player.
(Konami, 1997-03-20) While Rondo and Dracula's Curse had non-linear elements - branching pathways leading to different stages - Symphony of the Night was the first to truly embrace the concept. Alucard's patricidal quest was also one of the earliest explormers to have explicit RPG mechanics, with levelling and equipment customization.
(Konami, 2001-03-21) Circle of the Moon began a series of handheld "IGAvanias," and its most notable unique aspect was a magic system that depended on mixing cards together.
(Konami, 2002-06-06) The first of the non-linear IGAvanias to actually have a Belmont in the lead (unless you count Symphony's prologue), Harmony of Dissonance cleverly modified the "two castles" conceit of Symphony to make them two geographically-similar structures that coexisted in the same space but in separate dimensions. That meant puzzles where you'd make changes to one castle to open up paths in the other.
(Nintendo, 2002-11-08) Super Metroid's follow-up and, to this day, the furthest game in the Metroid timeline. Fusion introduced the X parasites: creatures able to transform anything they inhabit. Honestly, my favorite innovation of this game was the Nemesis-like "SA-X": a near-unkillable X parasite that had taken over Samus's old Varia Suit and was persistently on her trail, creating some tense encounters.
(Nintendo/Retro, 2002-11-17) I'm skeptical about most 3D explormers, largely because 3D platformers already embody a similar but distinct genre that's all about exploration and collecting stuff, but the Prime series is a deliberate attempt to evolve the 2D Metroid explormer blueprint into a first-person 3D action game. Between the informational scanners and the immersive aspect of the first-person perspective, I dig this trilogy a lot.
(Konami, 2003-10-21) This one's more of an edge case, since there's only a small amount of backtracking with the right upgrades. Most of LoI involves a series of empty rooms with different enemy encounters to whip through, and maybe the occasional room full of giant traps. This focus on combat serves it well enough, at least, and I liked the alternative protagonist modes.
