Recomend me a Metroidvania styled game

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Doing some more research on level design. Mainly to know what has and hasn't been done before. And that's where I need you guys.

Do you know any great 2D Metroidvania styled games?

And as a second question, how do you feel about Video Games that use level ideas and concept from other games as a homage?

Your imput is very important to me.

[akaSM]

Kirby and the Amazing Mirror

A 4 player metroidvania game for the GBA where any person can go wherever he/she decides to go.

As for my opinion on those games, I like them as long as you don't outright take a game and doll it up with your stuff.

Look at Banjo Kazooie and DK64, which used ideas from Super Mario 64 and, they're great games on their own right.

[Kim]

Monster Tale for the DS is pretty good. Not great, but pretty good.

[Revising Ocelot]

If you've got a 360, Shadow Complex was apparently very good. Not played it myself (no 360), just going on hearsay here.

[Arcanum]

The only problem with Shadow Complex is that you're supporting Orson Scott Card, who is a homophobic ass face. But other than that, it's a great game.

[Revising Ocelot]

The only problem with Shadow Complex is that you're supporting Orson Scott Card, who is a homophobic ass face. But other than that, it's a great game.

Hm, didn't know that. What else has he contributed to?

[phil_]

Have you tried Super Metroid? Should be a given, might not be, I dunno. But you really should play it. Or Metroid Zero Mission, that's good. Aria of Sorrow is my favorite Castlevania, but it's probably not the best anything and I just got excited by the giant skeleton monsters. I do love me some goryo.

Now, if you want a 2D Metroidvania that isn't Metroid or certain Castlevanias, there's always Cave Story in its many forms. Or Drill Dozer, though that's less applicable since the levels are discrete and most of the back-tracking is for treasure, but I like it so much I gotta recommend it.

As for borrowing, heck if I know. I can't make anything without stealing ideas; you could at least credit major influences, I guess. Just don't do the exact same thing the original did with every idea you borrow and I'm cool with what usually comes out, but I'm not a very critical audience.

[Arcanum]

Hm, didn't know that. What else has he contributed to?

A lot of things. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Scott_Card) But probably the most notable is Ender's Game (and the sequels).

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Hm, didn't know that. What else has he contributed to?

He didn't contribute to nor owns that series. He merely got permission to use some of it's story elements in his novel. Or so I've learned after a brief google session.

Edit: Thanks guys for the recomendations and feedback/advice so far. If anyone else knows any more titles, fill free to list them.

[EVILNess]

Some of these aren't "true" metroidvania games, but since you are more concerned with level design I tailored this list to fit that. I also tried to go for the less obvious suggestions.

Tomba!
Eternal Daughter
Shantae
Megaman Zero (It's actually suprisingly hard to notice that all the areas are connected due to the game's mission structure!)
Megaman ZX
La Mulana (and it's remake)
Blaster Master
Samurai Jack: Amulet of Time
Bunny Must Die!
Escape From Puppy Death Factory (This is an Adult Swim Game)

[Kim]

Oh fuck, how did I fail to mention La Mulana. Get on that remake like it's the cure to a deadly illness.

[Arcanum]

Oh also check out Outland. It's more of a platformer-meets-Ikaruga but it still has a splash of Metroidvania.

[Ramary]

Dark Souls is metroidvania if you want to see a good example of 3D metroidvania since you have a choice to go a lot of places early on, and if you start with the master key you can basically sequence break and skip a lot of things like Blight Town because Blight Town is terrible.

You know if you can handle the whole "OMG ITS SO HAAAAARRRRDDDD" thing.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Once again, thank you guys for the recomendations and feedback. Studing these titles and seeing what's been done and what shouldn't be done will help me come up with my own unique level design ideas.

[Arhra]

Bunny Must Die was a weird Japanese game I found out about through the miracle of TV Tropes.

It was pretty nifty for the fact it has a second playthrough as a different character where you completely sequence break the thing since you have a different ability set.

Also you're a time travelling bunny-girl(?) named Bunny who got cursed by a cat after being caught in a cattomic power plant explosion. So pretty random.

EDIT: Oh, oh! The first upgrade you get is the ability to walk right. Supposedly you can complete the game without it.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Very random indeed, it's one of the strangest games I've ever seen. XD

[Locke cole]

It is very Japanese...

The English patch is pretty hilarious.

The whole thing is also very difficult. It's one of my favorite freeware games.

[Krylo]

skip a lot of things like Blight Town because Blight Town is terrible.

But Blight Town has sweet swag.

Also, I had to deal with those toxic dart fucks so everyone does.

[Arcanum]

The only hard part in Blight Town is when you have to fight your way past 6 of the toxic dart blowers to get the firekeeper soul. Spider Shield + Patience = super easy Blight Town.

[Krylo]

I think it's more the 'getting shot once basically means you're dead and they can shoot you before it's physically possible to see them' thing, personally.

Like, yeah, eventually once you figure out where the darts are coming from it's pretty easy, but toxic is just a terrible terrible thing.

To be honest I found the firekeeper soul part one of the easiest parts of Blight Town because I could SEE most of those dart blowers right off and thus didn't get shot in the side or the back or while attacking a rat person or whatever other thing that generally doesn't happen if I can see what's shooting at me, so it was easier for me to avoid all six of them/shoot half of them before exposing myself to the full gamut, than it was to avoid, say, the first one you run into who shoots at you while you're fighting three of those other guys.

[Arcanum]

I think it's more the 'getting shot once basically means you're dead and they can shoot you before it's physically possible to see them' thing, personally.

Across my numerous characters it has always taken two dart shots to apply toxic, so I could always run around like crazy to throw off their aim until I noticed where the dart was coming from. I guess I was never unlucky enough to be wearing armor with terrible poison resist.

[Ramary]

The only places level wise I hated in Dark Souls was Blight Town with its general terribleness and THOSE TWO FUCKING ARCHER SHITWITS SHOOTING TREETRUNKS AT ME AHHHHHHHHHHH.

Besides that the only HUGE walls I had were certain bosses first time though like Bell Gargoyles, Artorias and Kalameet in the DLC, and the Bed of Chaos which can fuck right off too.

Dark Souls is still one of my favorite games ever now though.

[Kim]

Across my numerous characters it has always taken two dart shots to apply toxic, so I could always run around like crazy to throw off their aim until I noticed where the dart was coming from. I guess I was never unlucky enough to be wearing armor with terrible poison resist.

fuuuuuuuuck

yoooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[Krylo]

I wonder if that's one of those things they changed in the patch that landed after we already beat it a couple times, Kim?

[Arcanum]

I believe it was like that for me on the PS3 at launch.

[EVILNess]

The only real problem I had with Blight Town was frame-rate issues.

Also, I constantly got lost. Forever.

Then I learned there was a back way through, and all was well with the world.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

So far, I'm looking more into the Metriod series (mainly Super Metriod, and Metriod Fusion).

I feel with those titles, I can gain a better understanding of how to handle exploration and non-linear/semi-linear gameplay.

[Jagos]

How is out that no one mentioned Cave Story this entire thread?

[Kyanbu The Legend]

How is out that no one mentioned Cave Story this entire thread?


Now, if you want a 2D Metroidvania that isn't Metroid or certain Castlevanias, there's always Cave Story in its many forms. Or Drill Dozer, though that's less applicable since the levels are discrete and most of the back-tracking is for treasure, but I like it so much I gotta recommend it.



Phil mentioned it earlier.

[phil_]

I mention Cave Story in every thread I post in.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

I have roughly $100 that I can blow off on games. (probably won't spend all of it since I promised to spend time with an old friend and his girl friend at a Regional Yugioh tourny a few weeks from now)

It'll probably be PSN stuff. Cause my PS3 has collected dust long enough. I think some of these titles are on PSN, So I'll likely try and pick some of these up.

[Arhra]

PLAY CAVE STORY

IT'S FREE

[phil_]

PLAY CAVE STORY

IT'S FREEThere is a download link in my signature. You have no excuse.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Already downloading it.

EDIT: And all ready playing through it.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

Played some Cave Story. Very fun game. :)

Will probably try to pick some more titles up on PSN.


Thanks for the recs guys, I think that's more or less most of the best metroid styled games. these will help me gain a better understanding of open world 2D action puzzle adventure games.