What's your favorite genres?

[graffix_13]

-2D Platformers
-Action/Adventure
-Action-RPGs
-Beat-Em Ups
-Light-Gun Shooters
-Metroidvania
-Shoot-Em Ups

Interesting....do you consider "Metroidvania" type games their own genre (not saying they aren't, just curious)? I always put them as platformers OR Action/Adventure. And I guess you could almost put them Action-RPG's.

For the record I love the Metroidvania-type games. Besides some of the Castlevania and Metroid games, what are some others games like those? I want to play them!

[BoneSnapDeez]

I like Metroidvania stuff, though I get lost very easily in those games.

I've always found it easier to remember the layouts of games with a top-down view.

One Metroidvania hidden gem that I always recommend is Zeliard, a Japanese PC game localized by Sierra.

[Wispmage]

Hmm good question. If I really had to chose a select few, I'd probably have to say my go-to genres are RPGs (of all shapes and sizes), Platformers, and Stealth. I love me a good stealth game every now and again. Those are just my top three though, I thoroughly enjoy a lot of others, like FPS, RTS, Fighters, etc.

[BurningDoom]

-2D Platformers
-Action/Adventure
-Action-RPGs
-Beat-Em Ups
-Light-Gun Shooters
-Metroidvania
-Shoot-Em Ups

Interesting....do you consider "Metroidvania" type games their own genre (not saying they aren't, just curious)? I always put them as platformers OR Action/Adventure. And I guess you could almost put them Action-RPG's.

For the record I love the Metroidvania-type games. Besides some of the Castlevania and Metroid games, what are some others games like those? I want to play them!

Cave Story is freaking excellent, and is a lot like that. It's on PC and Wii Ware.

Battle of Olympus on NES is somewhat like this, but less labyrinth like, and more like moving around an open side-scrolling 2D world.

Blaster Master on NES, is another. But truthfully, I haven't gotten too far in that game before, so I can't tell you how good it is or not.

I'll probably come back here with some more suggestions for you, but I'm about to leave for a camping trip so my head isn't really in it right now.

And yeah, you're right. Metroidvania-style games really are just an action/adventure game, but I love them so much that I just wanted that to stand out in my preferences.

I guess for that matter, I should have said open-world sandbox type games & survival-horror, too.

[Gamerforlife]

For me, Metroidvania boils down to a platform game that involves back tracking to old areas to unlock new paths with newly acquired abilities + RPG elements. Take out the rpg elements, and it's just a metroid style game in my opinion.

So, Dust: An Elysian Tale = Metroidvania
Guacamelee (which has no RPG elements) = Metroid style game (with some cool beat 'em up elements thrown in)

The backtracking is key in either case. And yeah, those two games both come highly recommended by me, especially Dust. Shantae Risky's Revenge is pretty cool too, and Shadow Complex is okay. It's a much more modern twist on the genre.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Faxanadu and Legacy of the Wizard (both NES) are two other good Metroidvania games. Both are part of Falcom's Dragon Slayer series.

And of course Zillion was kinda like the SMS equivalent to Metroid.

[Xeogred]

Blaster Master on NES, is another. But truthfully, I haven't gotten too far in that game before, so I can't tell you how good it is or not.

I have never had a problem saying Blaster Master beats Metroid to its own game. It came out a few years after and so naturally was a little more refined, but yeah. I love the original Metroid to death, but comparing the two... Blaster Master easily surpasses it. The level design and graphics are far more distinct, the game is bigger, there's the tank and powerups, the music stands out so much, and there's the top down sections. It truly is a huge game with a lot of depth.

It's a fair bit harder though, especially since it lacks saving or passwords. I think I may have only beaten it once without emulation in the 20 some years I've been a fan. There's really no room for era if you expect to conquer the last stages and bosses.

I'm a big fan of the genre myself. Although I have to admit I honestly couldn't really get into Cave Story... I know I'm probably alone on that. I liked Shadow Complex though.

Ufouria was another Sunsoft game that definitely follows the formula. I've never played too much of it yet though.

[Retronomy]

My favorite Genre is actually the Metroidvania. I would consider it a "sub genre", if you wanted to get technical, like Death Metal is a subgenre but is easily identifiable. Besides, saying "Metroidvania" has a much better ring to it than "Non-linear Platformer with RPG elements" just as "Rogue-like" sounds better than "exceedingly randomized dungeon crawler."

[AppleQueso]

I would consider it a "sub genre", if you wanted to get technical, like Death Metal is a subgenre but is easily identifiable.

Does that mean that Brutal Death, Death 'N Roll, Slam Death, Melodic Death, Deathgrind, and Blackened Death are all sub-sub-genres?

[graffix_13]

Thanks for the suggestions. I really need to go back and play Faxanadu. I remember loving the game as a kid, but it's been so long that I don't remember specifics.