Metroid drops you on a hostile planet with a blaster and very little else. Nintendo designed it as a shooting game that combined the platform jumping of Super Mario Bros. with the non-linear exploration of The Legend of Zelda and a darker aesthetic. Super Metroid then gave fans a sprawling alien world where each power-up reaches an area you could not reach before. That moment when a new item gets you past a wall you walked by an hour ago is why people still replay these games.
Metroid is one of the few series with a genre named after it, and Super Metroid shares the credit for the Metroidvania genre with a Castlevania game. These are the 25 games players recommend most to Metroid fans, ranked by how many different people named each one. Metroid games are left out, and four Castlevania games made the list.
25 Games Like Metroid Where Each Power-Up Opens a New Part of the Map
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)
Dawn of Sorrow is the first Castlevania on the Nintendo DS and the sequel to Aria of Sorrow. Dracula has been defeated, and his powers now belong to his reincarnation, Soma Cruz. Soma absorbs the souls of the monsters he beats. Ability souls are the ones a Metroid fan will love. They give him new abilities and are required to move into certain areas of the castle.
The big difference is the role-playing side. Dawn of Sorrow mixes platform games with role-playing games, so Soma has stats like hit points and strength. You can equip only one soul of each type at a time. It sold 164,000 copies in the United States in its first three months. Play it on DS, or on Switch in the Castlevania Dominus Collection from 2024.
VVVVVV (2010)
VVVVVV is a puzzle-platform game by Terry Cavanagh, built from more than 400 individual rooms. You play Captain Viridian, out to rescue the missing crew members and find the cause of the dimensional interference. Like Zebes, the place is one big connected maze, and you learn its layout screen by screen.
The big difference is that you cannot jump. Whenever you stand on a surface you can reverse gravity, and Viridian falls upwards or downwards. Cavanagh first showed the game on his blog in June 2009, after two weeks of work. It was the first game he ever sold. His earlier games were all freeware. Play it on 3DS, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008)
Order of Ecclesia is the third Castlevania on the Nintendo DS, with producer Koji Igarashi back. You play Shanoa, who collects glyphs, abilities dropped by defeated enemies. There are over 100 of them, and some glyphs are used to solve puzzles. It works the way Samus uses a new beam or bomb to get past a block.
The big difference is the shape of the world. You travel between 20 locations on an overworld map, through forests and oceans. Glyphs use Magic Points, and when the gauge runs dry you have to stop attacking until it recharges. It is also the first canonical game in the series where the Vampire Killer whip does not appear in any form. Play it on DS, or on Switch in the Castlevania Dominus Collection.
Iconoclasts (2018)
Iconoclasts is a 2D platformer with metroidvania elements from Swedish developer Joakim "Konjak" Sandberg. You play Robin, and each tool she gains has a use in combat and a use in puzzles. Her wrench is a melee weapon that also turns bolts. That double use is close to how Samus's missiles both open doors and kill enemies.
The big difference is the bosses. There are well over twenty of them, and the game puts a lot of weight on those fights. Sandberg spent 8 years on it before its 2018 release. It also has far more story than a Metroid game, with a spacefaring entity called the Starworm coming to destroy the planet. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Sundered (2017)
Sundered is a Metroidvania from Canadian studio Thunder Lotus Games, inspired by Rogue Legacy and Super Metroid. You play Eshe, who finds Elder Shards along the way. An artifact called the Shining Trapezohedron keeps urging her to let it use those shards to corrupt her abilities, which makes them more powerful at the cost of her humanity.
The big difference is that choice. The game has three endings depending on what you do with the shards. Its genre is listed as roguelike as well as Metroidvania. Eurogamer ranked it 29th on its Top 50 Games of 2017. Play it on PS4, or on Switch as Sundered: Eldritch Edition.
Blasphemous (2019)
Blasphemous is a Metroidvania from Spanish studio The Game Kitchen. You play the Penitent One in Cvstodia, a land of religion shaped by Roman Catholicism and Holy Week in Spain. Upgrades raise your health and unlock abilities for exploring. Some items you equip give you access to areas you could not enter before.
The big difference is how harsh it feels. Resting at an altar refills your health and Bile Flasks and saves your game, but slain enemies come back, apart from the bosses. Enemies drop Tears of Atonement, the currency you spend in shops. It began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)
Aria of Sorrow is the third and final Castlevania on the Game Boy Advance, the console Metroid Fusion came out on. The abilities you have decide which areas you can reach. The route starts out linear, and your options widen as Soma Cruz picks up more abilities.
The big difference is the Tactical Soul system, which lets Soma absorb the properties of defeated enemies. It is set in 2035, decades after Dracula's castle was sealed in a solar eclipse. Some critics called it the best Castlevania since Symphony of the Night, and one of the best Metroidvania games. Play it on GBA, Wii U, PS4 or Switch.
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
Ori is a 2D Metroidvania that puts its weight on exploring and on backtracking to areas you could not reach before. Moon Studios took some of its gameplay from the Rayman and Metroid series. You play Ori, a white guardian spirit, and you collect health cells and new abilities.
The big difference is how you save. A system called Soul Links lets you save at will with limited resources. The story draws on The Lion King and The Iron Giant, and it is far more emotional than anything Samus goes through. It came out to critical acclaim. Play it on Switch, where it arrived in September 2019.
Knytt Underground (2012)
Knytt Underground is a side-scrolling open action-adventure with the exploration of a metroidvania, and it fuses the mechanics of Nifflas' earlier games. You play Mi, whose goal is to ring the Six Bells of Fate, which a prophecy says will prevent the destruction of the world. Many secret areas are off the in-game map, and counting them there are over 1,800 locations in all.
The big difference is that nothing hunts you. There are no hostile characters, only robots that follow a preset behavior and stay in the room where they spawn. Mi can also turn into a bouncing ball, an idea from Nifflas' From Within a Deep Forest. Anyone who used the Morph Ball will feel at home. The soundtrack is a free download. Play it on PS3, Vita or Wii U.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014)
Pirate's Curse is the third Shantae game, made by WayForward for the 3DS and the Wii U. To reach each new island, Shantae must get into its Den of Evil, find one of the pirate items there and beat a boss for the map. Those items work like Samus's gear, opening paths on islands you already visited.
The big difference is the jokes, and critics praised the writing. It is funny where Metroid is lonely. You spend gems from enemies and breakable objects on upgrades to Shantae's hair attack. Jake Kaufman wrote a new soundtrack for it. It was in the Top 10 of the Club Nintendo 2014 survey of fans' favorite games. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS4 or Switch.
La-Mulana (2006)
La-Mulana is a platform-adventure designed to imitate the look and feel of MSX games. You play Lemeza Kosugi, a professor of archaeology who follows his father's trail to the ruins of La-Mulana. Many power-ups let you reach new areas, but the game gives no indication of where to go. That is how the first Metroid felt to a lot of players.
The big difference is the puzzles. There is only one ending, but there is no obvious recommended path to it. The manual tells you to solve as many puzzles as possible before your life runs low, then teleport back. Some rooms make it very difficult to return after you warp out, and the game explains these traps as protection for the sacred ruins. It first came out in Japan in 2006, in Japanese only. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Chasm (2018)
Chasm comes from Bit Kid, a studio from Maryland, and it was inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. You play an aspiring knight on a quest to a mining town, and the map is split into themed sections like catacombs and gardens. Along the way you find townspeople trapped in cages. Free them and they go back to town with a shop or service.
The big difference is the map itself. The story is the same for all players, but the layout of the world map is unique for each adventure, built with procedural generation. The boss fights rely on memorizing attack patterns. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (2019)
Ritual of the Night follows the Metroidvania-style gameplay of the post-Symphony of the Night Castlevania games. Former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi co-founded ArtPlay, the studio that made it. As Miriam, you explore a labyrinthine series of rooms and earn keys or powers that open areas you could not reach before. For a Metroid fan, that loop is the whole appeal.
The big difference is the shards. You get them by defeating monsters, and each one holds a power reflecting the monster it came from. You can equip only a few at a time and swap them on the fly. The Kickstarter raised more than $5.5 million, eleven times its goal. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Strider (2014)
This Strider puts Capcom's ninja Hiryu in a massive interconnected game world. Hiryu goes to Kazakh City to kill Grandmaster Meio, and the city is freely explorable in search of weapons and items. Upgrades for his plasma sword, the Cypher, turn up as you explore. The old arcade dash becomes a map you fill in.
The big difference is the pace. It is a hack and slash game first, and Hiryu cuts through enemies far faster than Samus ever shoots them. Double Helix Games made it with Capcom's Osaka studio. The producers wanted the classic Strider games less linear and longer. Play it on PS3 or PS4.
SteamWorld Dig (2013)
SteamWorld Dig is a 2D platform game about mining, from Swedish studio Image & Form. You play Rusty, a steam-powered robot who arrives in the Western mining town of Tumbleton with a deed to a mine from his long-forgotten uncle, Joe. As you progress, you upgrade your digging tools and unlock new abilities.
The big difference is that you carve the map yourself. The platforms you stand on are what you left behind. You also need coal for light and water for special abilities. It first came out on the 3DS in August 2013, and SteamWorld Dig 2 followed in September 2017. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Dead Cells (2018)
Dead Cells is a roguelike Metroidvania from Motion Twin. You play the Prisoner, who wakes up with amnesia in the depths of an island prison. It feels a lot like Samus starting a game with her gear gone. You find weapons and tools by exploring its procedurally generated levels.
The big difference is death. When you die you lose all your items and other abilities, and Cells from defeated enemies buy the permanent upgrades. Critics praised the combat and that permadeath system. By June 2023 it had sold over 10 million copies. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Xeodrifter (2014)
Xeodrifter might be the closest thing here to a pocket Super Metroid. Renegade Kid made it for the Nintendo 3DS. An asteroid damages your astronaut's spaceship, and you must visit four nearby planets to repair it. Each planet is a different environment. You can visit them in any order, but how far you get on each depends on the power-ups you have found.
The big difference is the length. Players who recommend it nearly always mention that it is short, and they still call it fun. It has a retro graphical style. The 3DS version holds a Metacritic score of 73/100 from 17 critic reviews. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Shadow Complex (2009)
Shadow Complex is one of the games most openly built on Metroid. Chair Entertainment made it with Epic Games, and its gameplay was inspired by Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. When his girlfriend Claire goes missing, Jason finds a massive underground complex with soldiers and high-end technology. You move freely through it and gain new abilities and weapons that reach new areas.
The big difference is the 2.5D view. The world is three-dimensional, but you can only move in two dimensions. Enemies move in any direction, and auto-aim lets you hit them off your plane. It broke sales records for Xbox Live Arcade, with over 200,000 copies in its first week. Play Shadow Complex Remastered on PS4.
Rogue Legacy (2013)
Rogue Legacy sends you into a randomly generated dungeon with four bosses in four different environments before the final boss. Runes you find in fairy chests unlock abilities like double jumping and dashing, the same kind of movement upgrades Metroid gives you. Gold you collect pays for better gear and abilities, and that progress passes on to your heirs.
The big difference is your family tree. When your character dies, you choose one of three randomly generated heirs, and each has traits of their own. Dwarfism makes a character short enough to fit into small gaps. Brothers Kenny and Teddy Lee made it as Cellar Door Games in Toronto. Play it on PS3, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Cave Story (2004)
Cave Story is a Metroidvania made by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya, and it is reminiscent of the games he played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania. You play Quote, a robot who wakes up with amnesia and explores the caves to uncover his backstory and escape. He gets into new areas as he powers up his weapons and solves platforming puzzles.
The big difference is the weapons. You power them up by collecting triangular experience crystals, and you can switch between the ones you carry with the press of a button. It also has more story than any Metroid, and critics praised its characters. It showed that a single person could make a game. Many consider it one of the most influential video games of all time. Play it on 3DS, Wii or Switch.
Salt and Sanctuary (2016)
Salt and Sanctuary combines aspects of the Metroidvania and Soulslike genres. You explore an island and gather salt to gain power. Its paths branch and loop back, and you will remember spots to return to once a new power shows up. Ska Studios gave it 2D hand drawn visuals.
The big difference is the combat. It plays much like the Dark Souls series, and there are 600 items to use. You can parry with a shield. You also pick an origin and a class, and an extensive skill tree gives hundreds of combinations. It came to PS4 on March 15, 2016. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Hollow Knight (2017)
Hollow Knight is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania from Team Cherry, a studio in Adelaide, and Metroid is one of its named inspirations. You play a silent insect warrior exploring Hallownest, a fallen underground kingdom plagued by a supernatural disease. Items you find give you movement abilities like a mid-air jump and a dash.
The big difference is what happens when you die. You lose your Geo, the game's money, and a Shade appears near where you fell. You have to beat it to get the Geo back. Die before that and a new Shade appears, and the Geo it held is gone. Critics praised its music and its level of difficulty. The sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, came out in September 2025. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Guacamelee! (2013)
Guacamelee! wears its Metroid love openly. Your new abilities come from breaking open "Choozo statues", a direct reference to the Chozo statues in Metroid. You play Juan, a luchador, and explore an open, non-linear world while collecting the upgrades you need for the story. The world is inspired by traditional Mexican culture and folklore, like alebrijes and Day of the Dead.
The big difference is the fighting. DrinkBox Studios made it a hybrid of a 2D Metroidvania-style action platform game and a brawler. A friend can drop in as Tostada, Guardian of the Mask. Rom Di Prisco and Peter Chapman composed the soundtrack. Get the Super Turbo Championship Edition from 2014. Play it on PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U or Switch.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)
Symphony of the Night is the other half of the word Metroidvania. Alongside Super Metroid, it is credited for establishing the genre. As Alucard, you explore Dracula's castle, one large interconnected area, and fight enemies on your way. Life Vessels and Heart Vessels are scattered around the castle, much like Samus's energy and missile tanks, and each one permanently raises your maximum. Use a particular item while fighting Richter Belmont to free him, and a second portion of the game opens. The Inverted Castle is an upside-down version of Dracula's castle with new enemies and bosses.
The big difference is the role-playing. Alucard earns experience points from monsters and levels up, and his attributes rise with each level. Items, armor, weapons and spells make the exploring less difficult for unskilled players. It sold poorly at first, and critics now often cite it as one of the best video games of all time. Play it on PS1, PSP, PS3 or PS4.
Axiom Verge (2015)
Axiom Verge is a metroidvania by American indie developer Thomas Happ, and its graphical style draws inspiration from the Metroid series. Happ has defined Metroidvania games as side-scrolling adventures with continuous maps rather than discrete levels, where you collect items and backtrack. After a lab explosion, a scientist named Trace wakes up on the alien world of Sudra. It has the same alien-planet loneliness as Super Metroid.
The big difference is the arsenal. There are over 60 items and power-ups, and Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb gave it a perfect score for its huge variety of weapons. The gameplay also borrows from Contra and Blaster Master. Metacritic gave the PS4 version 84/100 from 61 reviews. Players recommend it to Metroid fans more than any other game. Play it on PS4, Vita, Wii U or Switch.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like Metroid. If you only have time for one, make it Axiom Verge.
If you miss being alone on an alien planet, play Axiom Verge, then Xeodrifter. If you want the castle version of the same idea, play Symphony of the Night, then Aria of Sorrow. If the hard boss fights were your favorite part, try Hollow Knight or Salt and Sanctuary. If you would rather the map change each time, try Rogue Legacy or Dead Cells. If you want to play with a friend, pick Guacamelee!. If you are picking for a younger player, start with SteamWorld Dig or Shantae and the Pirate's Curse.
