Best Nintendo Switch Metroidvania Games

I would add Owlboy to this list. Not the most fun to play, but it’s absolutely beautiful, with a story that made me tear up a couple of times.

Pretty great list! A few comments, though:

I do not think Guacamelee 2 should be on the list over Guacamelee 1. Not nearly as good/memorable.

I do not think Half Genie Hero should be on the list over Pirate's Curse. Not only is it not as good (not even close), but it's not really even much of a Metroidvania.

Very disappointing that Monster Boy isn't on the list.

I hate Dead Cells. But I get why it's here.

I'm ok with Owlboy not being on the list, but it's really pretty darn good. Wouldn't have minded seeing it mentioned.

Overall, though...nice list! Makes me think I shouldn't have written off Mummy Demastered! Maybe I'll pick it up. I think I'll continue to stay away from Iconoclasts, though. I don't know what it is, but I find that game's whole vibe to be very unappealing.

These are some of the best games on Switch, let alone best Metroidvanias. Especially Hollow Knight!

Oh, and Monster Boy and The Dragon’s Trap also both definitely deserve to be in the mix. Wonder Boy has been doing Metroidvanias far longer than Castlevania has.

Nice list. I would add Salt and Sanctuary and Unworthy to this.

Once upon a time these were called arcade adventure games.

Half-Genie Hero being on here in lieu of Pirate's Curse is unthinkable.

Momodora is a neat little Metroidvania, give it a try.

I own them all😎

I just wish a lot of indie games didn't run with the "pixel-vania" formula. Makes them feel interchangeable.

Great list, though I think The Messenger is a great game and it's Metroidvania component is it's weakest element, and Shantae is just the pits, and outclassed by Monster Boy in every single regard.

@JR150 same here, the pixel art thing leaves me totally cold.

Cave Story is a great game indeed, just not a Metroidvania.

Also, I’m not sure why you keep bringing up that non-existent Samus Returns Switch port each and every time you can, as if it were actually coming (spoilers: it’s not); it’s starting to get irksome to see it mentioned on every other article, when there is not a single reason to believe it will happen.

Hollow Knight and SteamWorld Dig 2 are both excellent games. Same goes for The Messenger and Axiom Verge. I wouldn't add anything to this list, tbh.

100%ed Monster Boy yesterday and it definitely deserves to be on anybody's list. I'd actually rank it second only after Hollow Knight.

@MisterMan what’s Unworthy? Can’t find it in the Switch eShop...

@GrailUK I do not ever recall hearing them called that. Nor do I ever recall playing anything even n remotely like the games mentioned in an arcade.

That said I either own or have all the games listed on my wishlist. Great list!

Good choice on your part for not giving these games any definite ranking. They're all great games, and we don't need this comment section to become as vitriolic as some of the other lists on this site.

It's a great list, though I find it strange that Shantae Half-Genie Hero is on the list instead of Pirate's Curse. Half-Genie Hero isn't even much of a Metroidvania, while Pirate's Curse is one of the best representatives of the genre. That said, again, good list. Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge in particular are utterly amazing games

@Krambo42 mummy is definitely one to get. It is completely worth the price. I own all these but dead cells and iconoclasts. Even owo boy and both monster boys. But def a good grab in Mummy.

@McDerbert Unworthy is a black and white platformer inspired by Dark Souls. It's on PC as well so you can find it on the Steam store to check out. It has the typical Metroidvania stuff (getting upgrades and going back to find secrets, etc.). There's also some light character upgrade stuff, several weapons and items. There's some lore and NPC stuff (typical of Soulslike games). The game was basically made by one person so it's pretty simple, but the boss fights alone are worth playing for. They are really well done, the levels themselves are OK, but not great. I bought it in the NA Eshop, I'm not sure if it's available everywhere? It took me about 10 hours to beat but I wasn't very thorough at all, and could have probably put in another 5 hours to find secrets and maybe more bosses?

https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/unworthy-switch

@TME totally agreed

@Dirty0814 Sweet! I don't really need a game right now, but I'll add it to my wishlist. Thanks!

@PortablexombieV2 You must have lived under a rock or be relatively new to gaming mate.
http://www.everygamegoing.com/landing/mag_articles/zzap/html/reviews/c64/palace/The_Sacred_Armour_Of_Antiriad_000.html
(Check the overall score.)
Arcade in this case is referring to the type of gameplay as opposed to an arcade where you would find coin-ops lol.

Other MVs I’ve really enjoyed on Switch are:

A Robot Named Fight!
Chasm
Salt and Sanctuary

All excellent - I’d also argue that Dead Cells can’t be considered as a MV, as it has sequential levels. Nice game though!

@jswhitfield8 You may as well explain why.

@LunarFlame17 I've heard Owlboy's structure makes it more of a Zelda-like. Would you agree?

Weird, all that loads for me is Hollow Knight listed a dozen times.

Must. Play. More. Hollow Knight.

I grew up on the N64 so these games that are made to look like they were made in 1990 do nothing for me

@brunojenso Well, it’s a side-scrolling, 2D exploration game with a large interlocking map and some backtracking and you unlock new areas by acquiring new abilities, so call that what you will. I mean, there’s a lot of overlap between a “Zelda style” game and a “Metroid style” game, but Owlboy felt more Metroid style to me.

@Krambo42 Huh. I found Owlboy and Iconoclasts to be very similar, in that, they both have beautiful, retro-inspired graphics, they both have really good stories, and they both are not really that fun to play.

@JR150 I'm still in my pixel-loving phase. So no complaints from me!

@brunojenso I agree with @LunarFlame17. If forced to compare it to either Metroid or Zelda, I'd go with Metroid, no question.

@MisterMan Thanks for the detailed explanation, sounds and looks right up my street... it’s not available on the UK eShop though 😟 hopefully it will come out sometime soon, I’ll definitely pick it up if it does.

@LunarFlame17 I thought Owlboy was very fun to play :/ But anyway, I don't know. I don't really like what I've heard about the story, I think the game is kinda ugly, honestly, and I wasn't too impressed by the admittedly short demo my buddy gave me. Seemed like the puzzles could easily get annoying, and the controls were kinda frustrating.

@LunarFlame17 Cool thanks for your take – and yeah I guess when you remove the perspective shift is there a particularly big difference.

@Krambo42 Yeah I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Iconoclasts, it just surprised me to hear someone say they loved Owlboy but don’t want to play Iconoclasts. I played Iconoclasts first, and as I was playing through Owlboy, I kept thinking, “Man, this really reminds me of Iconoclasts.” I did like Owlboy better, though.

Would be awesome if either Metroid or Castlevania were on this list!

Next time guacamelee goes on sale, I'm taking the plunge

Would definitely add Salt and Sanctuary to this list.

@jswhitfield8 Hmmm, In general I see your point but at least Metriodvania is a bit more specific than some other terms we use in gaming - such as JRPGs, rogue-likes, shmups. At least Metroidvania gives you a fairly reasonable idea. 'Platformer' for example used to mean something very specific but now it's used in a very loose sense that drives me crazy - and recently NL did an article on the best so called platformers. Half the games on the list were not at all - and they missed many of the most prominent examples on Switch. To me the decades-long established genre grouping for a platformer is something like:

An action based game that revolves predominately around precision jumping in particular - with many 'true platformers' also involving the classic jumping-on-heads attack move. But NL's list included a lot of Metroidvanias, rogue-likes and run and guns that have never traditional been consider platformers. The article showed me most of these terms are losing meaning and that even professional gaming websites that I generally respect don't give a c**p about using established game-genre conventions.

Maybe we need to start from scratch ...and I'd agree with your terms 'Action-platformer, 2D exploration games, side-scrolling adventure' being a good starting point.

I hate this fad of calling games by the name of a another game or mash up of names... it’s often misleading and always annoying. Agree with what others are saying about better genre based names.

Completed steam world dig 2 a couple of days ago. What a game! Had great fun from start to finish. Will defo grab the 1st one.

Honestly I've never heard "castloid" before, and I think we should keep it that way.

Mark of the Ninja should also be considered. Superb game!

Excuse me Nintendo Life, but why on earth is Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo not on this list?

Of that list which are the top three? or I need a ranked list that would help narrow down which one or two I might buy. I already have Axiom Verge on Wii U which if you like Super Metroid I would dare to say it's even better.

Seems any old platformer these days is branded “Metroidvania”.

My favourite Metroidvania games are Metroid games and Castlevania games.

Sundered Eldritch Edition is my number one

Too bad there’s not a physical release of Mummy Demastered

@Valdney Ye. I must admit that game is very high on my wanting to own list.

So many games that I’ve loved on this list. I think this list might have benefitted more from listing franchises like Guacamelee and Shantae in their entirety instead of listing their latest games.

I played Mummy before it was adjusted with some updates. It was frustrating to get a game breaking bug 3/4 through it, and then a glitch in my second playthrough with the final boss that took out the challenge. 5/10 for me, but I’m sure it’s better now.

The only truly frustrating thing is that there are no Metroid nor Castlevania titles except for Metroid on NES for Switch.

I own and have completed all of these other than ironclasts and the mummy. Both are on my wish list and will be next in line when they go on sale.

It’s funny, this is my favorite genre and I really enjoyed (or loved in a few cases) every game on this list other than axiom verge. I know it’s a master class to most people but I felt it was a slog and was happy to finally beat with no desire to continue after to find secrets.

I would add the games Ghost 1.0 and omega strike as other (smaller) hidden gems in the genre as well. I really enjoyed both games and enjoyed the short 10 or so hours of each. Also both are around $10 and can usually be gotten on good sales from time to time. I think I paid $5 for Ghost and $6 for Omega.

Where is Odallus? That is the best Metroidvania I've played since Castlevania SOTN and Super Metroid.

@GrailUK It's very enjoyable.

Sorry, you guys totally butchered the name Metroidvania...

I am going to play the Metroidvania game super mario Bros. 2 😒

@Edgarmtanaka game of the year since 1988

Feudal Alloy.

All the fun of Hollow Knight without being a huge waste of time.

I can't put my finger on why, but I just don't like Hollow Knight. I like the genre and I typically like a good challenge, but something about the pacing in Hollow Knight just rubs me the wrong way. I actually much preferred Salt and Sanctuary.

The two accepted definitions of Metroidvania:
1) A platformer (jumping on platforms!) where you can go in and out of levels, upgrading your items to access more levels and beat harder bosses. Going by where the word comes from, there probably needs to be either castles or rockets. ex. Dig 2
2) A platformer where you play each level in order, sometimes gaining better weapons when you beat bosses. ex. Mega Man

Personally, I like definition #1 more. I don't even know what Castlevania and Metroid are actually like because when I tried the originals, they were too pixelated to enjoy. For all I know they could be more like definition #2.

Why pick Shantae 1/2 Genie Hero, a level-based platformer over Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, an actual Metroidvania?

Hm, what a list. Shantae, Axiom, Hollow Knight, and Yoku are all fantastic. But I don't know why Iconoclasts keeps getting mentioned. I played it through and it just lacked heart. Blaster Master was pretty good. Some of the other I haven't played yet but expect to enjoy. And yes Owlboy could be added, but again, I didn't really think it was all that great.

Hollow Knight would be my favourite metroidvania game on the list, although if Monsterboy were up the too I'd probably pick that.
I guess I'm one of the few out there that prefers Half Genie Hero over Pirates cures by the sound of it. I will say that I still think Pirates Curse is brilliant and probably more of a metroidvania then Half Genie Hero.
As for the term 'metroidvainia', I vote we keep it. When some one says metroidvania I pretty much know right away what they're getting at. And it's unique to our hobby. Things like that are what make this industry fun, I dont know why people get upset about it.

I'd add A Robot Named Fight! to the list. It mixes some roguelite elements into framework inspired by Super Metroid with pretty satisfying results. (As much as I love Dead Cells--which is LOTS--I think Robot Named Fight does a better job of really hybridizing these styles.) Plus it has lots of mutant alien gore. YMMV, but the somewhat randomized nature of roguelites really keeps me coming back in a way that more traditional metroidvanias don't anymore.

The Messenger really is fantastic, and I even listen to the soundtrack in my car quite often. It's such a great listen.

I'd never really heard The Mummy Demastered was worth playing. I may have to look into it.

The absence of Monster Boy in this list is disgusting.

This is weird. I was expecting way more comments that follow this following storyline that follows below:

1.) "I refuse to play (insert one of the best games ever) until it comes out on a tiny chip inside of a plastic clamshell with some dorky stickers."

2.) "And if that day comes, and it's being offered by (insert random limited release style manufacturer), I won't play it, ever."

3.) "The jokes on you, you guyz. In five hundred years, when I'm a cyborg connected to the internet with nano-bot implants and there's no parts for my broken Nintendo Switch, I will totally be keeping track of that game card the size of my thumbnail."

Personally, the ones I really enjoyed from this list are Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge.

I really did not care for Steamworld Dig 2 (despite loving the first game) or The Messenger.

The one I'm eager to try next is Momodora. Any reason that one didn't make the list? I've only heard very positive things about it.

@RushDawg I'm guessing because HGH is the only shantae game they can add an amazon affiliate link to xD

Sad there's no mention of Toki Tori 2+ , my favorite next to hollow knight

Yoku’s Island Express is such a fun game! Similar game mechanics to Donkey Kong’s Crash Course (in Nintendo Land).

Does Blaster Master Zero on the 3DS feature stereoscopic 3D? I cannot find concrete info on this anywhere at all. Not even on the official website or eShop pages. Or lists of stereoscopic games. Or.. anywhere.

The fact that A Robot Named Fight is not on this list-- a true roguelite love letter to Super Metroid-- is NOTHING less than a travesty. It's more Metroid than pretty much every game on this list.

It's actually a Metvania, or a Castleroid. A successful portmanteau should combine parts of two words, not use a whole word and a partial word, like Metroidvania. May as well use Metroid altogether, especially when Castlevania was initially known mostly as a linear style of game before adopting the Metroid style for Simon's Quest and, especially, the GBA and DS games. Since Metroid started the genre, a Metvania would be preferable to a Castleroid, both with game style and medically speaking, of course.

The only one on this list I've played is Blaster Master Zero. I put in about 5 hours before moving onto other things. I'll consider The Messenger, Steamworld Dig 2, Dead Cells, Guacamelee 2 and Hollow Knight in time.

@sketchturner

I enjoyed it, but it is definitely not as deep and lenghty as something like Hollow Knight.

Metroidvania, the term is now part of video game culture. Get some culture you pagans.

@sketchturner Momodora is one of my favorites, It’s a bit short but I loved the boss fights and overall feel of the game. Combat feels very satisfying.

@jswhitfield8 It's a very specific sub-genre that none of those names accurately describe. It's not very hard for someone to just look up the traits of a Metroidvania upon first encountering the term.

It's no different that someone initially encountering the term "RPG" or even the full name of "role-playing game," another popular genre with a rather obtuse name that's complicated to properly explain, especially when it's then divided into subgenres like Western, Japanese, strategic/tactical, action, MMO, etc.

@LinkSword yeah! Why isn’t Momodora on this list?!

Ghost 1.0 is also great. It looks a bit bland graphically, but at least they didn't go for generic 16 bit graphics.

It has some interesting mechanics, lots of powerups and upgradable weapons. I also like how consistent the game world is. There is even an in-universe explanation for the saverooms. I like attention to detail like that.

And last but not least I loved the story and characters, especially Ghost herself.

Having never played Metroid or Castlevania, the phrase Metroidvania is meaningless. But I played a lot of action adventure games in the 80s.

Same with Rogue-like, having never played Rogue, I’m clueless as to what this entails. Although I do know it gets confused with Rogue-lite ... which I also know nothing about.

@GrailUK nope I am too old is the problem. When I hear arcade I am taken back to rooms full of quarter munching machines. I forget that the label is applied to games that will never know what a real arcade is.

It's a good job A Robot Named Fight didn't release before Metroid, otherwise we'd be arguing about what constitutes ARobotNamedVania.

Axiom Verge starts well, but I've lost the will to continue with it around the area that's outside.

I own 9 of those games (yes, sucker for metroidvanias) and absolute adore hollow knight, the messenger and axiom verge.
For some reason steam world dig 2 did not resonate with me (I sincerely believe is a very crappy game), would not consider shantae or Yoku in the genre and absolutely disagree with dead cells as medroidvania as procedurely generated content do not go along

@Damo Good work guys, thanks.

@TME which monster boy are you referring to?

Ghost 1.0 gets a recommendation from me, based on the short amount of time I've spent on it.

@Damo Great to hear! Thanks!!

@PlayedNSlayed Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.

Seems it's got a lot of good feedback so may pick it up in a sale.....whenever that'll be 😄

@LunarFlame17 I wouldn't classify Owlboy as a Metroidvania, though I could say the same about more than one game on this list.

@Damo but then what about A Robot Named Fight pleeeeease?

(am biased because I'm the publisher and friends with the dev, but as objectively as possible)

@damo Dandara would be worth adding to the list, especially since the update. I'd encourage anyone who was discouraged by the difficulty level to go back and have another go. That's what I did and I wasn't disappointed. The map being able to now be orientated to the direction the character is facing is the greatest improvement and the way you move between platforms is much smarter this time around aswell, ie the game seems to just 'know' where you want to jump to without having to directly point towards it.

I'm not sick of Metroidvania yet, keep an bringing more!

@gamekill I got Blaster Master Zero on 3DS because I hadn't bought a Switch yet at the time. Disappointingly it does not have stereoscopic 3D at all. I also thought that it was just ok. Not bad but not great. I never found much of a challenge in it so it kind of felt like I was just going through the motions to get through it.

I haven't played the sequel. Can anyone tell me if that one is worth getting, for someone who didn't especially like the first one?

With so many games on switch now I really appreciate lists like this and as someone else mentioned, I'm glad that the games weren't ranked in this list.

But many of the games listed here I don't really consider metroidvanias. For me a true metroidvania isn't just an interconnected map, but it has to have exploration and a sense that you can go in many different directions. Some of the games in this list are completely linear so you're essentially just playing a series of levels in order, even if they are interconnected.

Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge are outstanding examples of what I consider true metroidvanias.

anyone know when or if Shantae 1 and 2 will be on The Switch?

I like how this has been updated to include time-spinner and Gato Roboto. I’ve completed time spinner and enjoyed it very much. Just started gato about ten min ago and so far so good.

@Zach777 how big/what type is your sd card?

@dDankGM

SanDisk 1TB micro SD

@Zach777 wow, didn't even know the switch can even handle a size like that

@dDankGM

I’m pretty sure it can handle up to 2TB micro SD cards but no one has manufactured one of that size yet.

Glad to see this list continues to be updated. I even ended up saving this as a link on iPhones homepage now to periodically check. The only think that would make this article better would be to have every metroidvania game on the switch listed even if only the top ones were discussed in any depth. That way I could really know if I had a chance to view all of them. Everyone has those few games they love but haven’t reviewed well and others don’t like as much. Mine is Unepic and it is the game that got me into metroidvanias. Still love that game and probably give it another play through about once a year. I wish the developer would expand the castle or allow an editor so others could. I’ve played his other game, ghost 1.0 and while I enjoyed it, something about it didn’t click as much with me as unepic. Plus I’ve never found another game like it.

@JR150 that's why hollow knight, guacamelee, Ori, and Bloodstained Ritual of the Night really stick with me. There so unique and none of them rely on pixel graphics, but I can see why indie companies use pixel. It's cheap. But at the same time groups like Team Cherry and the Behmoth hand drew their games and both groups had less than a dozen working on their games (Team Cherry had 4 ppl working on Hollow Knight and The Behemoth had 8 ppl working on Castle Crashers).

@dDankGM @Zach777 Yeah. I have a 1TB card too. I need it. I currently have 154 Digital games, and 62 Physical games. And I have more games that I plan on getting, when they release, as well as games that are already released that I just haven't bought yet. So, this 1TB isn't going to last forever. Will definitely need to upgrade to a higher size, whenever they make one. But yeah, I enjoy, and need, my 1TB card.

That said, I have most of the games on this list. Not all, but most. I like some better than others, but I like the genre as a whole, and will check out more in the future, when more inevitably get made.

What about Super Metroid? It's awesome, and it's playable on Switch.

Oh, and why Stantae 4 instead of 3? Not only is Pirate's Curse a better game, but it's more of a Metroidvania. Half-Genie Hero is almost a linear platformer. Still a great game, though.

Do Rogue-like’s count as MetroidVania’s? Seems they are two different styles.

@Mr_Zurkon I say no but Dead Cells is kinda a mix of both

Click hoping to find new games, only two on the list I don't already have. And how in the heck is Feudal Alloy not on this list? I just got it yesterday and am HOOKED. I feel this one seriously slipped under the radar.

I am happy you acknowledge the term rubbing people the wrong way. At least it's not as bad as roguelike or worse... rogue-lite. shudders

Shinsekai not being in this list is frankly puzzling to me. Gorgeous art direction and soundtrack, potent Metroid (especially Prime) vibes, solid exploration and progression, etc. I dunno, I personally thought it was pretty spectacular, especially for a game initially developed for iOS. Team Shinkai put out some great work.

Thanks for posting list. I love best of. thanks...

Khm.. and what about Sundered eldritch edition?

Just an opinion, but don’t really know if Owl Boy is a real Metroidvania. Definitely more of a linear action-adventure game. Fairly short and not really open to much backtracking either.

I would add "Dead or school" in there too. It's a pretty fun game to play.

So do you update the list? Because I saw a comment that wanted to add something, I check and it's on the list. I don't think they would comment that if it was already on the list. Nice list Bytheway.

Sundered deserves to be on this list.

Time to get Pac-man Championship Edition 2 Plus, after it was included in the Namco Arcade Pac release, leaving us early digital adopters of Namco Museum without the extra game (that could've been given to us for free as a patch).

So we're still ignoring the fact that Bloodstained exists, huh?

A "Metroidvania" is a Castlevania game that features the exploration and area-unlocking characteristics of Metroid. The term was first used by forum users who were discussing the three Castlevania games on the Game Boy Advance, along with Castlevania Symphony of the Night. They were jokingly asking, "Is this Castlevania or Metroidvania?", because the games played more like Metroid than Castlevania.

A non-Castlevania game that has Metroid chaaracteristics is simply a Metroid-like. A few idiot youtubers use the term Metroidvania to refer to any game that is similar to Metroid (even if it has nothing in common with Castlevania). That sucks because if this goes on, we'll have no word by which to identify the Castlevania games that play like Metroid. In other words, the idiot youtubers actually risk deleting a word from the English vocabulary. It's sad to see Nintendo Life misusing this word, especially since they're English and should understand their own language better than anyone else.

@TME same here!

Shantae & the Pirate’s Curse is not only a better game than Half-Genie by a wide margin, it’s also a better Metroidvania. Although they both are level based with backtracking, Pirate’s Curse is far more exploratory than HGH.

Dust: An Elysian Tail is a criminally overlooked Metroidvania, lots of people overlook it for art or furry characters but put that aside, it's one of the best Metroidvania games, has some cool RPG mechanics too so I guess not pure Metroidvania but Metroidvania is definitely the genre that describes it best.

Bloodstained is my favorite and is actually a pure metroidvania. Hollow Knight is right up there yet different. More Metroid than Vania.
I'll never get why Dead Cells is always on these lists. Help me understand that.
Axiom, Timespinner, Gato, Ori are all good ones I've beat. But bloodstained made me go back and play all the iga games. Gets no better with only competition being Super Medroid and Hollow Knight

Half Genie Hero is not a Metroidvania, it has more in common with Mega Man! Wonder Boy Dragon's Trap is a far better choice

Hard disagree on Blasphemous. While I agree the world is very interesting and the game looks and sounds great, not to mention top-notch combat, the level design is terrible, with blind spots littered with insta-death traps, enemies in places you cannot avoid taking damage from, and so. much. BACKTRACKING! You have these lanterns that resurrect you but you can't warp between, and the world being as massive as it is, only having 5 warp points makes for a tedious experience. All the other games I can get on board with, but Blasphemous, not just for it's inclusion here but the for 9/10 score you somehow gave it, shouldn't be on this list.

I like these lists, but I really wish there were screenshots next to each game instead of just art. Would make it much easier to know if it looks like my type of game at a glance.

So, when will you guys be renaming this genre "Shooty-maze games that mustn't cost 60 USD"? I mean, so many have assured me that complex 2D action-exploration games should cost $25 US at most...

From a game design point of view, Bloodstained is the best. There are so much gameplay possibilities you can unlock in this one. It was a big success and sold more on Switch than other platforms with audience who hate japanese games and a sequel is already locked so I can understand why you prefer putting the light on inferior options.

Playing through Bloodstained: RotN for the first time now. So far it definitely seems like it belongs on this list.

To everyone: please play gato roboto. It’s such a nice little game for a few bucks. Very fun mewtroidvania. Loved it

@COVIDberry you, sir, should read this article... there are so many different kinds of shampoos out there. Why is there a price difference between shampoos?
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/06/talking_point_why_metroid_dread_will_be_worth_usd60

There are too many games on this list and a VERY noticeable omission in the way of Bloodstained Ritual of the Night. Fan of the switch port or not (I think it has improved a LOT with patches), it still very much belongs on this list.

I remember when this list included Half Genie Hero. It doesn't fill me with hope that the majority of games on this list are even metroidvania games. And since I have no way of confirming without playing the games it renders this list useless to me.

I think this article needs to be completely refreshed rather than changing it over time, as it is still FAR from a perfect list. Perhaps a user poll to list the best metroidvanias on the switch instead?

Question for everyone: how well do you think these games would have done if they cost $60 on release?

Do you think those games would have gotten the same exposure that they got, if they released for $60... by unknown Indie Developers?

Example of brand power at work:

Sneakers 1: made by an unknown company who makes very good quality sneakers

Sneakers 2: made by Nike, the Jordan line.

Both companies use EXACTLY the same method to make their shoes. The only difference being the logo and the Nike iconic Jordan logo.

The unknown company charges $40 for the shoes.

Nike charges 150$.

What do everyone think they would be paying that additional $110 for?

People are paying for the brand... it's the same as Nintendo charging $60 for a game that an unknown Indie developer wouldn't DARE charge more than $20 for.

Thats what they call "brand power".

there are so many different kinds of shampoos out there.

@Friendly I don't feel comfortable discussing my fur care in this thread.

Why is there a price difference between shampoos?

I never did understand that, actually. I will say, though, that I find pricing is best thought of as a logarithmic scale (if you're reading this, @Dr_G_Lemaitre, I'm saying Hello!). That is, just like the Richter Scale, the numbers do not increase linearly - a 60 USD game is not worth twice that of a 30 USD game (to the player). By this token, I don't think Dread should be priced at the same point as BOTW (unless it is exceptionally long and varied), but I think an arbitrary limit of 25 or 30 USD is absurd.

Like @MisterWhen mentioned before, Dust: An Elysian Tale is also absolutely worth your time. I believe it's on sale atm as well!

@RoguePirate Your comments have taught me one thing, at least - I have to make my sarcasm much, much clearer when conveying nuance online. At any rate, I think my reply to Friendly will suffice here.

@COVIDberry we have absolutely no idea how much it costs to develop a game. And you have no idea yet how much value Metroid Dread holds, since you’ve seen a ... trailer.

I think BotW was way underpriced compared to almost any other game. But Nintendo uses the same price for most its first party games for clarity. And they probably priced BotW very sharp so it could be used as a selling point for the switch. These indies are also priced very sharp because otherwise they would be lost in the bin that’s called the internet or eshop.

The obvious question is: is Metroid Dread worth 60 euro TO YOU? And apparently not. But to me it is. It has been almost two decades for a sequel to fusion. Those two decades of development and two cancellations must have cost Nintendo a lot of money already. And it looks like the 2D series finally will be revived as it should be. I’ve been waiting on the conclusion or continuation of the story for almost two decades. I will certainly pay 60 euros, and more if I happen to get my hands on the special edition.

@Friendly I'm buying it Day One. I haven't purchased a new first-party game in years. You've misunderstood me, I'm afraid.

@COVIDberry yeah, I think so . I just saw you said your comment was sarcasm. Didn’t see that reflected when I first read it.

I agree with your statement that an arbitrary ceiling for a price is weird.

@COVIDberry yeah your sarcasm flew well over my head.

I'll untag you from my comment and alter it so it doesn't look like I'm directing it at anyone in particular.

My bad man.

@recent_mantis - I’ve had Dust on my wishlist for years, and I think this is the first time it’s been on sale in the US eshop, which is kind of amazing really. The combat looks great, but I’m not really into a ton of back tracking anymore. Where would you say Dust falls on the international metrovania backtracking scale?

@Exciter89 me too!

If you're adding Die-Upgrade-Die-vanias (as embodied in Dead Cells) why do you omit Sundered? It is a Lovecraftean masterpiece with a neat art style and a lot of fun ideas about how to make one of these into MORE of a Metroidvania than Dead Cells is.

Consider Wuppo for this list!

@bimmy-lee Definitely spring for it! I had it years ago, but didn't get a chance to play much then, so I also just picked it up on the sale, and have been having an incredible time.

If you've played any of the Shantae games, it's along those lines for backtracking requirement, which is to say not too much. Mostly for side quests and collectibles. It gives me the same sense of enjoyment I got when I played through Steamworld Dig 2!

Owlboy was so incredibly dull. And interesting gameplay aspects are introduced in the last like 2 hours or less of the game. Would not recommend it

You could buy a big chunk of this list for the same price as Nintendo is charging for Metroid Dread.
Dread had better be AAA quality and not just a standard Metroid game, especially when it's going up against and triple the price of such amazing games as Hollow Knight and Ori.

Phoenotopia is phenomenal!

@Mr-Fuggles777 Yeah i won't buy it. Like @CactusMan just said, you could buy 3 or 4 of these games for the same price that Nintendo are charging for Metroid Dread.

I just won't be able to fully justify a purchase.

I never see it on these best Metroidvania lists, but I think it should be on them.

Ghost 1.0

It was one of the earlier Metroidvania’s available on the Switch, I had a lot of fun with it.

Also, I think Cave Story+ is overrated. I finally bought it due to all its glowing recommendations everywhere. I didn't like it, it felt more like a side scrolling action game and definitely not like a Metroidvania game. Even then, I still found it boring.

I agree with your statement that an arbitrary ceiling for a price is weird.

@Friendly Ah, I'm feeling reassured that English is at least partially working for me, then. If I may elaborate on pricing:

The MSRP of BOTW at $80 (all figures Canadian) - before DLC - is an important reference point for me. I found BOTW to be "worthy" of that price because of its many surprising and joyful qualities (innovation, artstyle and quality of animation, mastery of the exploration ethic, clever iterations of older elements of Zelda, freedom to attack Beedle, etc. etc.). The game had its flaws, of course, and was incomplete, as far I can tell, but we are speaking of relative value here. So, $80; very well.

Is Yoshi's Crafted World worth the same as BOTW? Not by any metric I know.

The same goes for Mario Maker 2, Tropical Freeze, or Mario Tennis Aces. The $80 price point for these games were set as being the "maximum the market will bear", underlined by the brand pricing @RoguePirate alludes to. To my mind, if $80 is the maximum, then these games - and I see value in all of them, the DKC game especially - should not exceed $70.

In my estimation, $80 titles should be few and far between. Skyrim. Dragon Quest XI. Possibly FE3H (with DLC included - NB I've not played the game). Horizon Zero Dawn. GTA V.

Elsewhere on the scale, I was delighted with the Day One cost of Mega Man 11 ($40) and Shovel Knight Treasure Trove ($50), and I am displeased with the Day One prices of Catherine Full Body, Final Fantasy XII and Disgaea 6 (all about $65).

So, where does this leave Dread on my scale? Somewhat overpriced, unless we all have a shock awaiting us. I will pay for quality (it is not entirely correct to call it "brand power", although I do have a keen ardour for Samus), but pricing the game at the same point that BOTW occupies is not wise. That kind of pricing does not place Metroid, Yoshi and other worthy franchises in the best possible position to succeed.

Shantae and the aseven Sirens is more of this genre but not as good as Pirates Curse

The two Ori games and Hollow Knight are absolute masterpieces, in my humble opinion.

@COVIDberry "That kind of pricing does not place Metroid, Yoshi and other worthy franchises in the best possible position to succeed."

This is literally my main concern, this game is not priced reasonably and it'll effect the sales figures for the game.

This game could easily sell 5m+ copies if it was priced between 20$-30$.

With a $60 price tag I'd be surprised if it sells 2m. I actually want this franchise to do well.

I came here specifically to see if you listed Dead Cells which is NOT a classic-style Metroidvania. It’s a rogue-like!
If you’re going to list Dead Cells you might as well list Dark Devotion too which is NOT a Metroidvania either.

EDIT: shout out to Gato Roboto! That game is overflowing with charm and detail and I absolutely loved my play through of it. Honestly my only gripe is that it is indeed a tad short. It’s not that I wanted filler, it’s just I want more gameplay. A cat in a suit that you can disembark from like Blaster Master?! YES, MORE OF THAT PLEASE

DEAD CELLS IS NOT A METROIDVANIA!!!

Castloid sounds like something you need to apply an ointment on.

@COVIDberry it remains a question of development costs vs asking price and return of investment. Not a question of ‘the maximum the market can bear’.

A million times 60 is less than ten million times 60.

I would refrain from looking at games whether they are worth x amount of dollars, and just look at them whether they are worth x amount of dollars to you.

How on earth is Bloodstained not on this list? I'm basically going to ignore it based on that omission alone.

@MisterMan OMG dude, this looks my kind of game, thanx for bringing it up, I will check it out for sure

@iuli So many people make a big deal out of whether metroid is 60 euros or not. If you’re not happy with the asking price, don’t buy it at launch and wait for a sale. Easy. And stick to indie metroidvanias in the mean time.

I will buy it at launch. Cause it’s definitely worth 60 euros to me.

@LunarFlame17 It's on the 2nd page!

Phoenotopia: Awakening! That was my favorite game of last year!

Not really sure I’d put Cave Story on this list. Don’t get me wrong, absolutely adore the game (it was my all time favourite game until I played BotW) but I don’t think it fits the genre. Definitely a lot of Metroid inspiration there in many ways but it’s very linear and doesn’t encourage/reward exploration in ways the term Metroidvania implies. It’s a close to perfect game IMO, would recommend it to anyone- but I wouldn’t go into it expecting a Metroid-like. It very loosely fits the description all things considered.

Hollow Knight, Ori 1+2 and SteamWorld Dig 2 are the proper standouts on this list. Some of the absolute best in the genre and some of the best games on Switch in general.

Gotta say that now that I've played almost 8 hours of Samus Returns on my 3DS (and really started to dig it after several attempts), it's a much better game with much better graphics than the only game I've played from this list, Axiom Verge.

I still think $60 is a bit pricey for Dread though (would have prefered $50, as Samus Returns was $40 and it would be a good middle ground IMO).

But I'm definitely still interested in Dread, but will wait for reviews and (hopefully) a slight price reduction for the physical edition (got RE Village for around $52 launch day, so I think it wouldn't be completely out of the question).

No Katana Zero?

Bloodstained RotN is bar none, the BEST on the Switch as SotN isn't available on the Switch.
EVERY enemy drops a unique skill, the SotN team made the game IGA and his crew

@Krull I like hollow knight more than any other Metroidvania even Metroid itself which I am a huge fan of. Top 5 favorite game for me. Surprisingly polished and atmospheric just like the best Metroid. Art style and animation is stunning, and the lore is interesting and fun to unravel into a full fledged story. Combat is fun yet simple.

@shgamer if you like Samus returns for 3ds play am2r a free fangames version with a super Metroid style. I enjoyed it even more than Samus returns and found it just as polished. It did the games atmosphere more justice than the 3ds one although both are great I'd recommend you play am2r as it (to me at least) is the definitive Metroid 2 experience. This isn't a knock on the 3ds game but am2r was a true masterpiece for me. It took the guy ten years to make and it's clearly something he was really passionate about so maybe try it out if you have time.

Edit: google the download for am2r as it's a PC game you have to download I think it works on Mac as well but I don't remember

@recent_mantis - Ah, that’s great news then, backtracking for collectibles & bonuses is how I like them. Really appreciate the response, I’ll be buying it before the sale is up. Enjoy!

I had to double check. This is memes that bloodstained is not on this list

@Ghostchip
Ok, thanks for the head up.
Can it run on a small laptop? Because that's all I got (but it does have ssd though - it's fairly new).

Isn't Seven Sirens considered the weakest Shantae game? And Wonder Boy is a visual treat, but gameplay wise it really shows its age. It's rather dull and not that well designed. A few of the entries seemed like scrapping for an even number.

Interesting that Minoria made the list yet Momodora didn't. I personally think Momodora is better than Minoria.

rdein said he was working on a new pixel-art Momodora game, didn't he? Hopefully he's not feeling too down from the relatively lukewarm reception to Minoria. ...At one point he shared concepts of a 3D Momodora game, but decided to cancel it after fans demanded more pixel art...He seems pretty sensitive to fan feedback.

Ton of great games here. No genre benefited from the Indie boom more. Hollow Knight is actually my favourite now, it's just an improved upon remix of the best-of Metroidvania 😎

Never used to be into the Metroidvania genre, but then I played Yoku's Island Express and really enjoyed it. Then Ori and the Blind Forest... Loved it! And currently playing Will of the Wisps and consider it a masterpiece.
And I got all 3 games in eshop sales (Yoku around £3-4, Ori 1 & 2 for £10 each!) absolute steals!
Hoping I like Metroid Dread if I get it once it releases 🤞

Super Metroid is still king of the genre.

Let’s hope Dread can dethrone it 🙏

Why no ranking? The whole point of lists like this is so the fans can post a million comments like “How can you rank X above Y? Y is so much better than X!” and then we can have flamewars about it.

@riki_sidekicks both X and Y suck! B is where it's at. B oobs, B utts and B eers!

@MisterWhen I loved Dust, what a great game, great game play, great exploration and great story, thanks for posting that!

@LunarFlame17 Your description of those games is spot on--I agree. I liked Owlboy better, but still, although the graphics were nice, I did not get that satisfaction after playing it. And with Iconoclasts, I played many hours, got near the finish, and realized, hey, this isn't fun, and I dropped it.

I just can't love Hollow Knight. I'm fine with bosses having patterns to memorise. That's how old games worked after all. But they take so many hits that I died so many times and it became so frustrating, especially with the breakable charms.

It's a shame because the rest of the game is amazing.

Metroidvanias are my favorites (next to turn-based RPGs) and I hope developers never stop making them.

I'm currently playing Blasphemous, and while I hate the lead character's design (that stupid helmet), the gameplay made me forget about it. It's punishing but not unfair, artistically amazing in all its disturbing glory and just all around engrossing.

I've been meaning to try The Messenger. It's been on my watchlist and it's been on sale, but something has always held me back from pulling the trigger. Maybe I'll give it a look after I finish Blasphemous. That or The Mummy Demastered. Played the demo of Astalon and I'm thinking I'll nab that in due time too.

Hollow Knight over Ori? Get the eff-outta-here!

Ok, so basically any sidescroller that has a little more depth than a Mario game can be called Metroidvania 🙄

Since Metroid Dread is coming out, how about a list of games that are actually much more closer to the Metroid style? 🤔

There will be a couple double-ups from this list, but it would narrow it down much more for people who may not have played 2D Metroid before and would like a taste.

Penciling in Gato Roboto for future pickup. Forgot that one existed despite the fact it features one of my favorite animals. XD

@RoguePirate I don't think you're disagreeing with folks who think Dread is overpriced. I wouldn't dream of paying $150 for $40 sneakers. I don't give a s*** about shoes.
I do however give a great big s**** about Metroid. Several, in fact. So I'm not hesitating on Dread.
But for those who think it's too much when (I'm sure) similar experiences are available for far less - I totally get it.

Best metroidvania on switch is super Metroid on the Nintendo online app.

Mark of the ninja was tremendous - not sure you can call it a metroidvania though.

Blasphemous is punishingly difficult - I have completed dark souls but found this extremely hard.

Thought cave story was pretty poor tbh - highly rated but I just didn’t like it

No Kunai on this list

I definitely prefer a Castleroid. Who wouldn't?

So many of these games I've been waiting for big discounts . The Messenger and the first Ori are two. The Messenger seems to have been out for ages too.

Bloodstained should be on the list.

God I love HollowKnight

In 2021, Hollow Knight is still the king of indies on Nintendo Switch. I can’t wait for the sequel (Silksong)

Timespinner and Chasm are the best.

Just going to throw another affirmative nod to Phoenotopia, it deserves more love. And also, Dust only belongs on the list if one enjoys a Metroidvania that never shuts the heck up. I can forgive the lame level designs, but loading a game in this genre with so much unnecessary cloying dialog & constantly interrupting the gameplay is a huge offense.

Hollow Knight, the two Oris, Monster Boy, Steamworld Dig 2, Blasphemous and The Messenger are the best, imo. I highly reccomend them, they're totally worth it.

@shgamer I think so it's in the style of super Metroid so I'd expect it to run fine

Edit: I ran it on a early 2010 Mac if your computer is fairly new you are more than good

@Kaori-chan Walmart had weirdly good game prices I got the battle for bikini bottom rehydrated SpongeBob game for like 20 bucks at launch and monster hunter generations ultimate for 30 at launch by at launch I mean around launch but we'll within the everywhere it's still 60 or 40 bucks range

I love Metroidvanias! Hallowknight is awesome. One of my favorite games.

You like metroidvanias and 2d platformers ? Well you are in for a treat on the Switch!! I completed 275 games on that system and there are so many good games that most People do not know about like Aggelos, Nightmare Boy, Pankapu, Shu, Little Triangle, Outbuddies DX, Sydney Hunter, Momodora, etc.........

I really don't get Hollow Knight and the love for it. Some little bug boy with crappy over world music....slow start to a game. It's like a bad show where some says "wait until episode blah blah and it gets good." yeah whatever.

I just got Ori 2 and bloodstained ritual of the night for my birthday. I cannot wait to start them. I beat Ori 1 on xbox a few months ago so will probably play the sequel first.

One of the very best Metroid-likes is Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan!

I think celest should have been on that list, even if it's a platformer. I thought it was so much fun. That I'd list it anyway. Might not have been a popular choice, however.

I think Rain World also belongs on this list. A very overlooked and amazing game.

I still havent tried Dead cells, i will give that one a go.

@Andors Celeste is a pure platformer. Nothing metroidvania in it.
It's amazing, but not a metroidvania

"Astalon Tears of the Earth will likely only last a handful of hours."
This is far from true! Most players on Steam seem to take 20-30 hours to complete it. That's not a handful of hours. It's a really meaty game and personally, I think it's the best Switch game in the genre besides Hollow Knight.

Ender Lillies? Hello?

Another update, and it's still not Sundered, which is what you get if you make Dead Cells into a januwine Metroidvania (which it ain't, because it doesn't encourage re-exploration in the true sense).

What is wrong with you, people.

@FrankoAmmo I've heard of some of these but not others. Wishlisting Aggelos and Shu, thanks a bunch for the recs!

@Moonsorrow999 I haven’t played it yet but with all the good press around it I am surprised Ender Lillies didn’t make the list.

@LunarFlame17 Owlboy is on this list. Was the list later updated?

Mind Sieze is a great game that should be on that list
It has been patched well which fixes a lot of the bugs too.
It has great in game graphics (ignore the cutsecene art, it's terrible) and I really love the soundtrack.
The sound effects are great too.

I bought it digitally and enjoyed it so much that I have the Collectors Edition pre ordered.

Still no Phoenotopia: Awakening?

@Shiiva yeah, these all sound like common parts of metroidvania games except the death pits

Ori and The Will of the Wisps became very quickly one of my all time favorites

Not really a fan of this genre but I enjoy most of the Castlevania games and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. I also plan on getting Metroid Dread.

As others said before, why didn't Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night make the list? Aside from the upcoming Metroid Dread, Bloodstained is as close as you're gonna get.

As taken from Wikipedia:

"The game's development was led by former Castlevania series producer Koji Igarashi and is considered a spiritual successor to the series."

www.nintendo.com/games/detail/bloodstained-ritual-of-the-night-switch/

Too bad Simon's quest isn't available as a standalone game on the switch. It would have definitely made first place.

@JustMonika Play Blasphemous then!

@PROPS There are much better metroidvania games on Switch than Bloodstained, imo. Even there are better "Castlevanias". They should have never used 3D models and stages, sometimes it makes the game very weird.

@the_beaver

Around the time the term Metroidvania was coined, the two titles, I believe the term was referring to, were Super Metroid and most importantly, Castlevania: SOTN (specifically because of the timing).

At that time, I worked in video game retail/re-sales industry, at a national chain known as Funcoland. My coworkers and I had talked about those two games and recommended them to just about everyone that walked through the door. I remember it like yesterday. Both expanded on thier original concepts, improving the old formula in everyway...and in my opinion, making each franchise much more desirable. Especially when it came to Castlevania: SOTN. Expansive maps, back tracking, experience, loot, abilities, faster gameplay, fast travel, etc.

For me, that's what Metroidvania symbolizes. Castlevania with character growth and loot, merged with the exploration of Metroid. So as I stated in my comment above, Bloodstained is just that, a true Metroidvania.

Now a days, I don't have time to play video games, but if I read or hear of anything that comes close to the Metroidvania formula; I'll go as far as to buy a console and give it a try. Even then, there aren't that many true Metroidvania's. Out of all of the games I've played, the only examples that come to mind are:

Dust: An Elysian Tail (Metroidvania)
Chasm (Metroidvania)

Other examples would be:

Dead Cells (Castlevania rogue-like)
Steamworld Dig 2 (Super Metroid-like)
Rogue Legacy (The name says it all)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Super Metroid-like)
Axiom 1 & 2 (Metroid-like)
Hollow Knight (Metroid rogue-like)
The Mummy: Demastered (Metroid-like)
Blasphemous (Metroid rogue-like)

On another note, I can't wait until Metroid Dreads release.

@Noelemahc Cool! Hope you enjoy Sundered is awesome as well. Bleed games are cool/different. Loved Iconoclasts, Fox N Forest, Alwa's games, The Messenger (masterpiece), Giana Sisters, Blossom Tales (top down game A link to the past style), Timespinner, Cathedral (awesome), etc.

Ok so most of what I would say has been said but I will make a few points in an unspecific response.

Only one other post mentioned it but please.....why is Mark of The Ninja not on here? This is a stealth platform game but fits as well in the MV genre as most others on the list. Any way you slice it, it is one of the best games of its type. Great art style, decent enough story, incredible level design, and great replay-abilty as you unlock the Ninja styles each one warrants a complete playthrough and produces a different play style.

My personal favorites (beyond Mark) are: SteamDig2, Iconoclasts, Hollow Knight and OwlBoy.

Now to those that just can't stand the upcoming price of Dread. First, don't buy it, or wait (likely well into next year) and get a discount. Still its not fair to just compare it too top Indy productions as the cost of production is likely no where in the same ball park nor will the end product. What Indy game can even come close in quality, animation and overall build to DK Tropical Freeze......not any really.....so you know Dread will be done to a similar high quality and looks like it has a fair bit of CGI cut scenes (which none of the Indy games have). Then there are those who are 'worried' it won't sell well. That's probably the same crowd that thought Switch @ $300 was gonna doom it....ummm 90M units later I guess the price point was good? With the thirst for this game (remember this was long ago planned and left on the cutting board), with the Switch's ridiculously large base and with the pre holiday window release I think its going to do quite fine....5M minimum.

Good list, but here are some very notable omissions:

HAAK
Infernax
Haiku

Metroidvania: combo of Super Metroid & SotN. The entire team that made SotN made Bloodstained, which is better than all of these indie games...but you left it out because you didn't like it's performance? I had no issues with the performance and it's literally made by the team that created the genre. My creditability in this article is ruined

"Combining elements from both the Metroid series and Koji Igarashi-produced Castlevania titles"

what essential elements did castlevania bring to the mix that werent established in metroid?

SOTN is a "metroid style game." 👍 not the first, not the last.

in any case, metroid is just zelda on its side 😆

@QuickSilver88

i love MOTN but i disagree that it is a metroid style game. it has distinct levels, and a level select screen.

all metroid style games have one continuous map, it is a hallmark of the genre.

I do not prefer Castloid. Castlevania barely deserves the right to be included as it is.

Dead Cells shouldn't be on the list.

I would love to add Symphony of The Night here.

I would really love to, Konami!

Finally, The Messenger gets highlighted somewhere. Very underrated game.

@Kasparius Infernax should defenantly be on the list

https://youtu.be/B5X46IS0B6k
I would put Vernal Edge high on the list.

@-wc- I guess gear and leveling

I don't consider myself a huge fan of Castloids (man I love that term), but I own like 6 games on this list, have maybe only played 2 or 3, and have something like 10 more on my wish list. Maybe I like them more than I thought. Or I want to like them.

I thought blasphemous wouldve made this list

“Combining elements from both the Metroid series and Koji Igarashi-produced Castlevania titles”

Lol, the Castlevania games are Metroid clones. They’re good ones, but the genre isn’t a combination of anything. The term “Metroidvania” was coined to describe games in the Castlevania series that ape the Metroid style, to distinguish them from the earlier action titles. At some point people started describing indie games with the same word, so everyone just adopted the it’s-a-combination backstory because that’s what it sounds like it’s describing, but that’s not what happened and that’s not what that word was supposed to mean.

It's good that they added Disney Illusion Island to this list. I hope that it gets added to the Best Licensed Switch Games for the Switch Essentials list as an update.

After playing through Ori 1 and 2 back to back, I've got to say the difference between them is night and day. I was honestly pretty disappointed with the first game. After how much praise they've both gotten, I guess I set my expectations too high, but the slow, heavy controls made every movement feel like a chore, and your main attack is so basic, I'm not sure using it even qualifies as combat. The art style is fairly pretty, but a lot of the world feels a bit stiff and fake. On the other hand, Ori 2 is one of the best metroidvanias I've ever played. It takes a lot of hints from other entries in the genre that all work in its favor, while conversely, its rare combination of challenging combat/platforming with a very generous checkpoint system makes for a refreshingly difficult but non-punishing experience. It also takes the original's art style and dramatically improves it with more fluid and vibrant animation. The way they make 2D and 3D assets work so well together is really impressive. If Moon Studios ever releases another metroidvania, I could easily see it contending with Hollow Knight and Steamworld Dig 2 for the top spot on my list.

In my opinion, Cave Story, Dead Cells and Monster World/Wonder Boy games are not really metroidvania. They lack a real interconnected world with a sense of exploration.

Anyway, I am playing Ender Lilies and I am really enjoying this game.

I think you are missing a couple of crucial great Switch Metroidvanias:

HAAK
Infernax
Haiku, the Robot
Death’s Gambit Afterlife
Salt and Sanctuary
Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight
Trash Quest

Also are Metroid and Castlevania games not included here? I’m confused. Super Metroid, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Dread and Castlevania Advance Collection should be here.

@Rudolf

Monster Boy is 100% a Metroidvania.

@chefgon Symphony of the Night added an RPG element fully absent of the Metroid series. Leveling up, random enemy armor and weapon drops not to mention familiars. It’s not fair to say it brought nothing when many modern indie MV games try to emulate it and not Metroid.

Afterimage is missing.

I'll add.....
Afterimage, Salt and Sanctuary, Haak, Aeterna Noctis, Super Daryl Deluxe to the list

I have nearly all those games on the list and I wouldn't consider Narita Boy a Metroidvania, it's a great game but not really a Metroidvania.

@Kasparius I think not because Monster Boy's overworld is just a hub a la Zelda from which we access to different zones that are not interconnected. If game's map is not like Super Metroid's map, it can't be a metroidvania as I imagine. So I consider Monster Boy rather like a Zelda-like: gameplay focuses much more on puzzles than exploration in maze like environments.

@chefgon In fact, the true direct ancestor of Castlevania Symphony of the Night is another Konami game that was released on MSX in 1987: The Maze of Galious (aka Knightmare II). Almost everything came from The Maze of Galious (which was not inspired by Metroid, but by The Legend of Zelda). The true innovation brought by Symphony of the Night is the concept of getting new skills allowing the player to go to new areas (a concept that we can also find in Zelda games).

So, the true basis of Castlevania Symphony of the Night is The Legend of Zelda.

@Rudolf Sounds very dogmatic and pedantic. It’s a Metroidvania and one of the very best.

@Kasparius You are free to disagree with me. I just think "Metroidvania" does not mean anything nowadays since we tend to consider all 2D side-scrolling action/adventure games with overworld as metroidvania. As for me, that is not enough at all to consider it as a Metroidvania as I imagine, containing ALL of the following elements:

• exploration of an openworld with interconnected zones
• Zelda's/Metroid's concept of accessing new areas by acquiring different skills
• platformer gameplay
• Action-RPG elements

If just one of those elements is missing, this is not a metroidvania for me. As for Monster Boy, it lacks a true openworld with interconnected zones to consider it as a metroidvania. But this game has big dungeons with true puzzles to solve, as well as Action-RPG elements and the concept of acquiring new skills allowing us to access new areas, so I consider this game MUCH closer to Zelda.

You consider Monster Boy as one of the very best metroidvania: fine, I disagree, but ok, why not. As for me, I consider this game as one of the very best Zelda-like games.

My metric is this:

I’m in the mood for a Metroidvania. I play a game that is supposed to be one, if it scratched that very particular itch, it’s a Metroidvania game. Which is why Cave Story or Dead Cells aren’t you me, because they don’t satisfy the craving I have.

Is Monster Boy influenced by Zelda games? 100%. That doesn’t mean it’s not a Metroidvania. A Game doesn’t have to adhere to every genre rule 100%. It’s at least as much informed by Zelda as it’s informed by Metroid.

Anyway I’ve had my share of arguing about what is and isn’t a MV on r/Metroidvania. I think it’s mostly an exercise in frustration and futility. I could have used this time playing a Metroidvania.

Salt and Sanctuary absolutely should be on the list. My favorite from the list is probably Ender Lillie's. Not sure if other metroidvanias have emulated it, but ender Lillie's tells you if a room is "complete," (i.e. all items obtained) which was a great quality of life type of improvement. I'm actually playing the Metroid Prime remake at present and wish this game did something similar.

You guys did this article already!!!

I remember commenting that Bloodstained RotN is made by the entire team that made SotN, one of thr two games that made the name Metroidvania and it lives up to it..just that Switch version runs slower than Steam/xb/ps

Also - bring Lone Fungus to Switch!!

SOTN still not on the switch, the switch is the perfect platform for it and has a massive user base to warrant it. Ori is a close second best then.

For someone who hasn't played any games in this list, what's the best place to start? A lot of the games seem to have high difficulty. Any recommendations for an accessible point of entry?

@thiswaynow I would have said Castlevania Symphony of the Night, but this game is still unavailable on Switch.

It is not in this list, but maybe you could purchase Castlevania Advance Collection and try Aria of Sorrow: this game is good, rather short and quite easy.

@smeggysmeg They should release PSP's Dracula X Collection because it includes 3 games: Rondo of Blood, its remake, and Symphony of the Night.

Where are all the Metroid games? Are they not part of Metroidvania genre? Because if they were, Dread is the best there is closely followed by Hollow Knight.

Also, Castlevania Advance collection games are definitely Metroidvania's and they should be up there.

This should be called the best indie Metroidvania's.

@Cia I think Metroid games lack Action-RPG elements to be called Metroidvania.

@Rudolf
And what about the Castlevania games from the Advance collection? They are definitely Metroidvania's, and a lot better than stuff like Axiom Verge or Guacamelee 2. Actually, I did slightly enjoy the first Guacamelee but the second game was just too much the same with less interesting story.

@Cia I agree: I talked about Castlevania Advance Collection 5 comments before this one.

@thiswaynow Deedlit. It's easy and mostly linear. Get comfortable with the basics.

Hollow Knight is in a class of its own. It’s one of the best games I’ve ever played, period, not just indie or Metroidvania.

Thanks for the list! I just finished Metroid Samus Returns and I was wondering what I'd want to try next.

Metroid Dread is top of my list. But Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge from this list have caught my eye!

Not even "castlroid" but "castloid" at this point?😅 Why not "cloid" while we're at it? I'll stick to "metroidvania" myself, thanks.

Not counting Shantae or Wonder Boy/Monster World games, the Metroidvania that most impressed me was The Messenger. It's a hard, hard game, but is one of the few that lives up to the hype.

I love this list. I would easily buy most of these games if I had the time to play them.

I don't like blurred SNES-like graphics, but I really enjoy when they modernize it or try new art directions (such as Hollow Knight hand-drawn art). Such a fun subgenre to play!

Castleroid has a better ring to it than Castloid if you want to switch things around. That's now the third time since 2019 I've commented in this post about it. Damn it, I won't rest until Castleroid enters the gaming vernacular either.

As someone mentioned earlier, "Symphony of the Night added an RPG element fully absent of the Metroid series" so why not a Castleroid if RPG elements are involved? Metroidvania includes the full word of Metroid, so it's not even a good portmanteau. Metvania would be better, or just use Metroid-like since we use roguelike to describe a genre based on a game virtually no one's ever heard of. At least everyone knows Metroid.

See you all in another year or so when this list is updated again and I can talk about Castleroid for the fourth time!

I've always been a big fan of the Shantae series. It's one of my favorite Metroidvanias, if not one of my favorite third-party franchises out there. Really, it's not just the two games mentioned in this article that are worth playing, it's the entire series.

I really hope they go beyond just games and turn the series into an entire franchise, with movies, TV shows, and more. And I frankly hope she becomes playable in the next Super Smash Bros. game, as she's probably the one third-party character I want to play as the most.

Anyone tried Vernal Edge?
Is it any good? It looks pretty cool.

Not having Cathedral on here is a crime

Yoku's Island Express is so good and I cannot recommend it enough.

I'd also add a few more.

Kunai
Feudal Aloy
Blast Brigade vs. The Evil Legion of Dr. Cread
Ghost 1.0
Chasm
Shinseki Into the Depths

While it's not exactly a Metroidvania, I also recommend 'Treasures of the Agean'

@Anachronism Finally played Ori 1 a few weeks ago and I have to agree. Beautiful game, but a chore to play. I quit about halfway. The sequel is apparently better, but there are too many other games for me to worry about it.

@NintendoDad Both are excellent. Hollow Knight is one of the few Metroidvanias I've played that measures up to a real Metroid game.

I would put Transiruby on this list for sure

Metroid dredd has been removed from this list ?

Now that I've played basically every half-decent Metroidvania on Switch, my top picks are:
Astalon
Axiom Verge
Hollow Knight
Metroid Dread
Ori (both)

@Dr_Corndog Despite Ori 1's shortcomings, I really would recommend giving the sequel a go. It's everything the first game should have been, and I think my fourth favorite metroidvania after Hollow Knight, Steamworld Dig 2, and Blasphemous.

Played a few hours of PoP and it’s great. It’s Metroid Dread with swords

"Search-Action" is the "Latinx" of game genre names. Metroidvania for life.

@Dr_Corndog

RE: Hollow Knight / Axiom Verge . . .

+1. The more I see, the more I like.

I've just been holding off, because I want to force myself to finish off a couple of Switch games before I buy more. LOL.

But I think . . . if I just finish off one of the Switch games I've been working away at, I'll pull the trigger on one of these!

I'm pretty close to finishing off Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Only 1 world left.

What the hell is happening with Romancelvania? THAT’S the one I want to see!

I know im in the very small minority but.... i just cant get into hollow knight. Started 2 new games on it and got bored halfway through.

I absolutely adore Blasphemous 2 though. 1 of my favs ever as someone who is admittingly a casual gamer.

Hollow Knight is just straight up not fun at all to start playing. I hear such great things about it all the time but I’ve bounced off it multiple times because it does so much wrong at the beginning of the game. Way too high of a penalty when you die and commits my biggest gaming sin of wasting a player’s time. ‘Oh I died at this boss, let me spend 8 minutes getting back there’, no thanks.

Bloodstained curse of the moon 1 and 2 are closest thing to castlevania I’ve seen and since they are from ex Konami/ castlevania devs I’d say that’s a great place to start . And they have a few other bangers besides those 2

Afterimage? That one is definitely missing and I don’t know why it’s so unknown. It deserves better.

Also, is Dread not in the list for some reason? One of the best games I’ve ever played. Great work otherwise!

How about F.I.S.T.? I know it gets a bad rap but I rather enjoyed it.

I've really tried Monster Boy but can't for the love of me get into it. It just feels so... Lame, I dunno really how to describe it

This is a good list, but I'd add teslagrad.

The last Metroidvania I played was Iconoclasts and I have to admit I did not enjoy it very much.

The boss battles were well done but the gameplay otherwise was boring imo. The story itself was well done but most of it was conveyed through dialogue…lots and lots of dialogue (minimal cutscenes).

Add to the fact that you don’t have many upgrades and the tweaks were treated as an afterthought (which unfortunately are also the only things you are tasked to find through exploring)

Said it before, saying it again, and I’mma keep saying it until some hecker answers…

WHERE
THE
HELLS
IS
R O M A N C E L V A N I A ?

It’s been a year since the last visible update on Kickstarter, the latest one is walled off because I missed the campaign, and not-good noises are emanating from those who were in on it.

Howay, 2124, take a dump or get off the pot.

My personal reccomendations:

Hollow Knight - 9.6
Metroid Dread - 9.5 (why is not on the list...?)
Ori 1+2 - 9.4
The Messenger - 9.2
Blasphemous 1+2 - 9.1
Monster Boy - 9
Prince of Persia - 9
FIST - 8.8 (why is not on the list?)
SteamWorld Dig 2 - 8.5
Shantae and the Pirate Curse - 8.5
Aggelos - 8.2 (why is not on the list?)
The Mummy Demastered - 8.2

By the way, the Wonder Boy remake is NOT a metroidvania. Watch out.

@GrailUK
Bloody hell, Arcade Adventure is a term I've not heard in decades!
I remember Antirad from way back when tough but fun

There is no such terms its called action/adventure.

somewhat certain touhou luna nights should be on here if deedlit lodoss war is

@Kang81 I'll second you on Yoku! Incredible game.