GAME TIME: Metroidvania

“Metroidvania” is a term used to describe a game from the Castlevania franchise that combines elements of its own series and the popular Metroid games. The most notable example is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, whose fantastic game experience served as the de facto blueprint of many, if not all, future Castlevania games in the last decade. This article will explore the pieces necessary to craft a true Metroidvania game.

The Castlevania series is comprised of side-scrolling, action-adventure games. The character progresses through environments in a linear fashion until the screen stops moving, usually marking the appearance of a boss. This is Castlevania’s contribution to the formula. Metroid’s contribution is the notion of exploration and item-hunting. Samus Aran (the leading heroine) begins with a basic set of moves and abilities. Progression means encountering doors and passages that are impossible to access—without additional abilities or powers. In the original Metroid, the routes are blocked by massive walls. The only points of entry are corridors too small for Samus to go through. She must first gain the Round Ball item, which reduces Samus to a small, circular ball. Armed thus, Samus can now squeeze through the unforetold inaccessible corridor.

Symphony follows this formula to a tee. The path of protagonist Alucard can be charted by the items he must obtain to navigate otherwise inaccessible areas. First he gains the Leap Stone, which allows him to jump twice in midair. This gets you to the Library, where you must purchase the Open Door gem. This opens a previously-sealed door, which leads to a switch. Alucard presses the switch, which opens a passageway into the Coliseum, which ultimately yields the Mist Form power (turns one into mist). Backtracking through the Library, Alucard now has the abilities needed to advance to the Library’s upper levels, fight its new boss, and obtain the Bat Form (change into a bat). Now the game really opens up for Alucard…and so on and so forth.

Metroidvania games offer a world that encourages exploration through obtaining items. Each new ability upgrades the character’s base moves, gaining the protagonist (and, in some cases, their allies) an ever-increasing foothold in the game world. The Metroid games provide the necessary items to navigate that world, while the Castlevania games flesh out that world (and how the character interacts with it) with the side-scrolling elements that made them famous.

It’s no coincidence that all the Castlevania games after Symphony adhere to this blueprint. It’s the exploration of a giant, sprawling world combined with the relentless hunt of abilities that unlock earlier areas. Metroidvania games are quite addictive, but hey, if you don’t believe me, buy Symphony of the Night. Once you start, you’ll be wondering where all your time went.

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