Today I thought I would share with you a little bit about my relationship with Metroidvanias.
I've always liked the Metroidvania format for games. The freedom the genre brings to the player when it comes to exploration and backtracking, and the progression through the game when you get new unique abilities that opens up previously inaccessible areas. And that’s what drew me to to start making a game like this myself.
One of my favorite games in the genre is, maybe not surprisingly, Super Metroid. The atmosphere, the powerups, the controls, the look of the game - all parts of what I think makes the game so good. However, I have to confess, I actually like the ROM hack "Super Metroid Redesign" even more than the base game! It has taken all the things I love about Super Metroid and made them even better!
Anyway, here's a short list of Metroidvanias I've played that I really like:
- Ori and the Blind Forest - an incredibly well made game in every way
- Magicians and Looters - a really fun game that doesn't take many things seriously
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - where would we be without the classics?
- Dark Souls - a to me very frustrating game, yet somehow also very satisfying to play
- Axiom Verge - a nice homage to Metroid
- Environmental Station Alpha - a surprisingly large game compared to the "small" pixel-art graphics
Of course there are still many Metroidvania style games I haven't played but can’t wait to try such as La-Mulana, Guacamelee! and Xeodrifter. I can't wait to play them all! :)
Right now Momento Temporis is still awaiting greenlight on Steam, if you haven’t already checked it out there, please do. And you can still of course buy the game through the website if you want to support my work going forward. (All early supporters through the website will be honoured with a Steam key upon early access.) I’ve a clear picture in my mind where I want to go next with the development of the game, but I’d also love to get some feedback from you and hear what you’d like to see in the future.
All the best,
Marcus, Burning Ice Games
