Genre: Explorable platformer / "Metroidvania"

Group Description

This group includes platform games that allow the player to move between interconnected areas rather than advance stage after stage in a linear fashion. Acquiring specific items and abilities is often needed to access new areas. Role-playing elements such as equipment management are also common, up to the point of featuring full-fledged RPG systems.

The genre was popularized by Metroid (1986) and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987), which later led to the widely accepted portmanteau term "Metroidvania", even though there exist earlier examples of this type of gameplay.

Limitations:

• Interconnected areas and a considerable degree of non-linearity in exploration is the main requirement.
• Only 2D platform games are allowed. Overhead games that fulfill the above requirement (such as most Zelda games) should not be part of the group. Games with 3D graphics can only be accepted if they imitate perspective and gameplay of 2D platformers.
• Role-playing games are allowed as long as they answer the above requirements.