There’s a reason why we call these games “Metroidvanias”. After a bunch of largely linear games, Castlevania opened its doors for exploration in 1997’s PlayStation classic, Symphony of the Night. In this video, we look at how it’s world design works, as we learn what it means to make a good Metroidvania.

Metroid was lost in space for eight long years... but suddenly, Samus was back. Metroid Prime turned the side-scrolling adventure series into a first-person shooter. But how does it stack up as a Metroidvania? Let's find out.

Two years after Metroid Prime, Retro is back with an all-new game. Prime 2 is both loved and loathed in equal measure by fans - but let's take a close look at its world design to see what it can tell us about making Metroidvanias.

Metroid Prime 3 might be best known for its inventive pointer-based control scheme. But in this video, let's take a close look at its world(s) design to see what it can tell us about making Metroidvanias.

Hollow Knight takes place in the sprawling kingdom of Hallownest: an underground ant's nest of forests, mines, basins, and waterways. In this episode of Boss Keys, I look at the shape, structure, and sequence of exploring this masterpiece game.

My favourite Zelda dungeons are the ones that move, turn, change, and travel through time. After much research, I return from the depths of Hyrule with some Boss Keys and plenty of design details on how these puzzle box dungeons work.

Metroid Dread is a Metroidvania with a sprawling, interconnected map. So how come I always knew where to go, and almost never got lost?