The Best Metroidvania Games From Every Console Generation

It is no secret that Metroidvanias has become one of the most popular subgenres in the gaming industry nowadays – and, somehow, a new title comes with more backtracking and non-linear exploration to make players fall in love with it.

That is exactly why, from massive indie hits to high-budget titles, we are all still obsessed with that satisfying “click” of finally finding the right power-up to unlock a new path or find an exciting secret.

However, while it feels like a pretty established staple of the industry now, this specific style of play didn't just appear overnight. It actually has deep, ancient roots that grew and evolved slowly over several decades.

And the name itself gives away some of its legendary DNA: a perfect hybrid of Nintendo’s Metroid and Konami’s Castlevania. While both franchises started with different philosophies, they eventually merged into a single, cohesive design language that blends the atmosphere of isolation and ability-gated progression with RPG elements and interconnected map designs.

Together, they created a formula so potent that it defined an entire way of thinking about how we navigate digital worlds! And, guess what, tracing the history of Metroidvania is just like wandering through one of its iconic maps: you constantly find new secrets and realize how interconnected everything truly is.

So there's no better way to appreciate where we are than by looking back at where we started! Shall we take a nostalgic trip through gaming history, picking out the definitive Metroidvania title that represented the genre’s peak for every console era?

8 Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II

The Second Generation

Okay, I’m going to cheat a little bit for this one, but I promise it is for a good reason! Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II is widely considered a “proto-Metroidvania” because it featured many of the elements that would eventually define the genre (long before the genre even had a name).

It is basically a chaotic puzzle-like maze game, with a lot of non-exploration, light RPG mechanics, resource and stat management, backtracking, and different items that manipulate the world around you. All these elements combined into a lengthy, classic adventure that feels like a Metroidvania when you play it today.

That is why so many players consider that Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II had a direct influence on the original Metroid (and therefore on Metroidvanias, of course) more than any other game at the time, even if it doesn’t get the credit it deserves!

Oh, and yes, I know it was originally launched on the PC-8801, which was a Japanese home computer and not a console, launched in 1981 by NEC. But it arrived right in the heart of the second generation. Believe in the process, guys; this pioneer earned its spot.

7 Metroid

The Third Generation

The choice for the third generation couldn’t be anything else, other than the very first Metroid, which officially established half of the genre's name (alongside Konami’s Castlevania, of course). Without this game, the subgenre simply wouldn't exist as we know it!

Basically, the game drops you into the boots of a lone bounty hunter, Samus Aran, who is completely lost on a hostile alien planet. With that setting, you have to find upgrades and tools in order to progress, constantly returning to previous areas to reach regions that were once inaccessible.

All of this takes place on an impressively vast and interconnected map with platforming and combat that felt incredibly smooth for the 8-bit era. But the real challenge was that Metroid didn’t have an in-game map, meaning you had to rely entirely on your memory to uncover all of its secrets.

I remember that my friends and I literally drew our own maps on paper to keep track of where we were and help us to locate ourselves – oh, the good, old days!

And the original Metroid wasn’t just the start of a legendary franchise from Nintendo, but also one of the most important games on the NES and the foundation for one of the most popular ways to play games today.

6 Super Metroid

The Fourth Generation

If the original Metroid was literally the first step, Super Metroid was the giant leap that really established a brand-new industry standard. It simply took everything that worked in the original and refined it into the definitive blueprint for the entire Metroidvania subgenre.

In this Super title (which, in fact, is truly “super” in every way), players find themselves back on planet Zebes (from the first Metroid), but with a much denser and more complex level design for the map. For instance, the entire scenario was completely redesigned to reflect the destruction of Mother Brain's base and is absolutely packed with plenty of items to uncover, little secrets, and hidden passages around every corner.

It also provided almost endless opportunities for sequence-breaking and speedrunning, which massively extended the game’s life in a brilliant way – and made it even more impressive for the time it was first launched.

Beyond the mechanics, the atmosphere was equally unmatched, since the game uses its environment to tell a story of isolation and tension, and to truly make you feel that you are alone here.

So, yeah, I could spend hours praising this game (and making myself want to replay it literally now), but let’s just say that Super Metroid is a timeless masterpiece that serves as a reference point for platformers even to this day.

5 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

The Fifth Generation

We have finally reached the "Vania" half of the equation, and it is obvious that we are talking about Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which is an absolute masterpiece and was responsible for a massive leap forward for the series.

While Konami had released several great titles for the franchise before this, Symphony of the Night was the one that truly brought the RPG-exploration hybrid to the table with plenty of freedom for the player.

It serves as an incredible sequel to the classic Rondo of Blood, featuring a massive, interconnected castle bursting with secrets, equipment, and multiple upgrades. It just perfectly captured the feeling of non-linear exploration, giving the player a sense of agency and freedom that was rare at the time.

You can literally find every core element of the subgenre here, polished to perfection! It is the game that made players fall in love with the franchise all over again, and there was simply no way the fifth-generation spot could belong to any other title.

4 Metroid Prime

The Sixth Generation

By the sixth generation, the Metroidvania genre was absolutely on fire, mainly due to the launch of handheld gems like Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Metroid Fusion, tearing up the charts. However, one game stood taller than the rest: Metroid Prime.

As soon as it was launched, it quickly became a primary reference point for the genre and remains a massive inspiration for modern developers, since it successfully translated the classic 2D formula into a captivating, complex 3D world (an idea that made many players sceptical about it at the time).

But it managed to keep the focus on non-linear exploration and backtracking on the planet Tallon IV, with a first-person lens that made everything even more immersive.

This basically was the moment the franchise reached a new peak in terms of atmosphere and environmental storytelling (the scanning mechanic alone was a stroke of brilliance!). With stunning visuals, smooth controls, and a perfect mix of puzzles and action, it proved that the Metroidvania spirit could thrive in any dimension.

And don't even get me started on the boss fights, which require a level of strategy, using every Samus’ unique mechanic that still feels fresh and really fun today, or I will never shut up about this masterpiece.

3 Cave Story

The Seventh Generation

It was in the seventh generation that we saw a massive boom in Castlevania titles for handhelds, giving us greats like Dawn of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia. However, another title stole the spotlight and silently changed the future of the genre: Cave Story.

I know that some might argue it isn't a "full" Metroidvania title because it doesn't rely as heavily on backtracking, but its influence is undeniable.

And the thing is that the game feels so unique that I understand how hard it is to label it as just one thing, but the core pillars of the subgenre are all there, such as interconnected maps and ability-based progression. And even its creator, Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya, revealed later that he was openly inspired by Metroid and Castlevania, and you can feel that DNA in every sequence.

But the reason Cave Story takes the top spot for this generation in this article is that it probably was the first major indie title to take the Metroidvania formula and give it a personal, modern spin, conquering players’ hearts all over the world.

By doing that, it basically paved the way for the indie revolution, showing that a small team (or even one person) could create a genre-defining landmark – which led many other independent developers to do the same afterward.

2 Hollow Knight

The Eighth Generation

Speaking of indies that perfected the formula, the highly acclaimed Hollow Knight takes the undisputed top spot for the eighth generation.

Developed by Australian studio Team Cherry, Hollow Knight is a Metroidvania that was born from a quite atypical scenario: small game jams and crowdfunding that only reached its initial goal in the final hours.

Released in 2017, the game has a relatively simple premise, but one that proved powerful, in which you control a knight who must find a way to save Hallownest, a mysterious underground kingdom that has been taken over by an infection that controls the minds of insects.

In this context, the gameplay focuses on non-linear exploration and a huge map with 15 interconnected regions, as well as (very) challenging combat and several bosses. And this mix eventually resulted in an experience guided by the player's own curiosity – and, unsurprisingly, it ended up winning over a legion of fans around the world, selling over 15 million copies for PC and consoles.

1 Hollow Knight: Silksong

The Ninth Generation (So Far)

While the beginning of this list was dominated by Metroid and Castlevania, the modern era belongs to the world of Hollow Knight!

Jokes aside, Hollow Knight: Silksong finally launched in September 2025 after seven long years of anticipation, and it immediately consolidated itself as one of the most acclaimed releases of the decade – or even better, its generation.

That’s because it simply excels at being a sequel that respects the original while amplifying the experience in every way, offering an experience that is even more friendly to new, curious players. Now playing as Hornet, the game maintains that tight Metroidvania structure but introduces a faster, more agile protagonist. Set in a brand-new kingdom, it features expanded mechanics, multiple endings, and over 40 bosses (!!!).

In the end, Silksong proved that Team Cherry could catch lightning in a bottle twice, showing that the genre still has plenty of room to evolve. So yes, since the ninth generation is still ongoing, Silksong comfortably sits on the throne – so far.