LogFAQs > #979557980

foolm0r0n posted...

No, Metroidvania is SOTN + everything that is shares with Metroid. If you image a venn diagram of Metroid and SOTN, Search Action is the intersection, while Metroidvania is the full SOTN circle (which is why it's equivalent to SOTNlike).

Well, there's the question. What exactly is in the "SOTNlike" circle that isn't in search action?
Is it aesthetics? Are Metroidvanias inherently fantasy as opposed to science fiction - but that doesn't work, as games that ape DS CV like Timespinner lean heavier on the science fiction side. Is it the weapon type - Metroid games have mostly ranged weapons, while CV has mostly shorter ranges? That doesn't really make sense either - some "Metroidvanias" dont have combat at all!

I think it makes the most sense to limit it to gameplay elements, and in this case what separates CV from Metroid is the EXP bar - killing enemies in SotN makes you stronger always, which is not true in Super Metroid. But with that in mind, doesn't it make more sense to call "SOTNlikes" Metroidvanias/Search Action games with RPG elements? That's how we describe most other games with an exp bar but not other RPG trappings.

I understand that Metroidvania meant CV games specifically, but linguistic drift strikes with furious fervor.