Feature
I did not invent the word “metroidvania.” I have, however, played some small role in its popularization due to my willful abuse and misuse of the term in high-traffic venues such as 1UP, and for that I apologize. It’s not a particularly good word, and in some ways it actually does a disservice to the games it describes. On the other hand, it does have the advantage of being concise, catchy, and somewhat on-the-nose: Important survival traits in the harsh evolutionary testing ground of modern linguistics.
In its proper, original sense, the term “metroidvania” referred specifically to Castlevania games that aped the map and layout structure codified by Super Metroid — Symphony of the Night, Harmony of Dissonance, Aria of Sorrow, etc. — hence the mash-up of “metroid” and “(castle)-vania”. In the decade since I first read the term online, though, it’s become synonymous for any two-dimensional platform-style action game that emphasizes exploration and progression through the acquisition of skills and tools. The format seems to wax and wane in popularity as time goes by; it was huge in the 8-bit era, faded away to a handful of notable releases in the following decade, and has seen a resurgence through portables and independently published PC games in more recent years.
