Mega Man ZX
3 out of 5. Combining Mega Man X with Metroidvania level design seems like a match made in heaven, but Mega Man ZX needed some significant changes to make it really work.
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
4 out of 5. All of the fat has been trimmed off the previous 3D Castlevania title, leaving strong combat and a new addictive monster raising system to keep it interesting for multiple playthroughs.
Smelted Kin
2 out of 5. The first half of the game is intensely engaging and has an alluring lonely atmosphere once you learn how to play, but the payoff for your efforts will likely leave you disappointed.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
3 out of 5. Competent crunchy action and addictive exploration are marred by fixed camera angles and awkward story presentation, creating an enjoyable but somewhat flawed Belmont Origin story.
Super Daryl Deluxe
3.5 out of 5. It’s so incredibly stupid that it circles around to being purely entertaining. You have to be the type that enjoys its brand of humor, but if you are then you’re in for a good time.
Enter Digiton
3 out of 5. Clever and sometimes relaxing platforming challenges are intermixed with mostly frustrating boss fights and a bit of loose control design. What sets it apart is its one-of-a-kind charm.
UnEpic – Single Player Mode
3.5 out of 5. UnEpic pulls off strategy and action with varying degrees of success, but the true value of the game will come from whether you are in the target audience for the story it presents.
Metroid: Other M
3 out of 5. You’ve already heard about its problems, but there are some of positives to enjoy, making it a fun game. In an alternate universe this could have been a perfect Metroid game.
Mask of Mists
3 out of 5 – A relaxing semi Zelda-like experience that will provide a pleasant five hours of basic gameplay to enjoy. It’s fun. It’s not a groundbreaking title but I don’t think it’s trying to be.
Rain World
4.5 out of 5. It is beautiful and terrifying, and you’ll hate it a long time before you may fall in love with it. But if you make it to love, it becomes one of the most unique masterpieces out there.
Jumplord
3 out of 5. Nothing creates the feeling of being in an alien world like a game that does things completely different. Jumplord begins and ends with infinite jumping, but it’s more complicated than that.
SteamWorld Dig
3 out of 5. A fun novelty mining game with some Metroidvania-like upgrades that will provide several hours of entertainment. Recommended for those who enjoy the loop of looting and selling goods.
Tower Hunter: Erza’s Trial
2.5 out of 5. A lighthearted and more RPG-focused interpretation of Dead Cells that, in spite of some wonky design choices and stiff enemies, will still provide a few hours of relaxing Roguevania fun.
Leowald
2.5 out of 5. High levels of customization and novelty mitigate some floaty controls and repetitive design, however beyond that there’s still something truly special about Leowald that can’t be scored
Zeran’s Folly
1.5 out of 5. Initial impressions are good, but gradually the story, boss, and level design completely fall apart, leaving behind only vulgar jokes and wasted potential.
Dreaming Sarah
3 out of 5. More of an Art Museum than a Metroidvania, every individual is going to take something different from it. You may get nothing more than a pleasant experience, or it could be much deeper.
Eagle Island
4.5 out of 5. Eagle Island doesn’t care about genre rules. It just takes inspiration and makes a wholly unique, and truly amazing, game out of it. It’s a roguelike platformer you won’t want to miss.
Toki Tori 2+
3.5 out of 5. Puzzle Game enthusiasts will likely be enamored by the innovative spatial reasoning puzzles of Toki Tori 2, but with its theming Action Platformer fans may struggle to stay interested.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
4 out of 5. Its only “Metroidvania” game, Simon’s Quest, may be skippable for most players, but the rest of these games are must have hard-but-fair classics. Save states help with accessibility.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
2 out of 5. There are interesting design ideas in Simon’s Quest, but a ton of little niggles prevent it from being as good as it could have been.
Creepy Castle
4.5 out of 5. Takes common RPG tropes and turns them into a deep narrative experience. Very much a niche game, but it’s good enough that you owe it to yourself to find out if you’re in that niche.
Wuppo
4 out of 5. Primarily an adventure game, Wuppo’s greatest strength is in its immersive world and its hilariously presented characters. Exploration is about escapism rather an imposed goal.
Weebish Mines
3 out of 5. A unique exploration experience about resource management and goofy lighthearted themes. The oldschool design is likely to turn off many, but if you can get past that it’s very rewarding.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
3.5 out of 5. While there are some standout scenes, the Metroid identity is somewhat lost in Metroid Prime 3’s more linear focus. The motion controls are novel – when they work correctly.
Death’s Gambit
3.5 out of 5. It’s good, but it’s definitely not finished. There are plans to rectify some of its flaws, so you may want to wait, but for now it still has well thought-out level design and fun bosses.
The Messenger
5 out of 5. A nearly flawless execution of both linear platforming and non-linear level design. As icing on the cake, also has tremendously entertaining characters and fun narrative surprises.
Dead Cells
3.5 out of 5 – Roguevania – Delightfully addictive. Fast and fluid combat and movement is designed where Skill will still trump the RNG, but that RNG will still provide plenty of aggravating runs.
Ghost 1.0
3 out of 5. Emphasis on Wave-Based challenge rooms and robot possession puzzles add a unique twist to the Metroidvania explorative format. Story seems cringe at first, but it really grew on me.
Cave Story
5 out of 5. While relatively linear and more story focused, Cave Story provides some of the best challenging shooter-platformer gameplay available. Full of secrets to uncover and lovable characters.
Apotheon
2.5 out of 5. Beautiful Graphical Style and fun exploration, but the simplicity of its story clashes with its devotion to its visuals, and while the combat is promising, it fails to deliver.