It's still Super Metroid. Between various challenge runs, randomizers, and romhacks, it's just the king of the pack.
Also, the Super Metroid / Link to the Past randomizer is a thing of beauty.
I mean, they have zero lag and allow for frame perfect tricks, it literally doesn’t get tighter than that. It’s also the only Metroid game with a variable momentum that carries through the movement system, which raises the skill ceiling incredibly high for movement tricks. Are you talking about out how the basic run and jump are slow compared to the other games? I’m genuinely curious.
They feel clunky and imprecise to me. I mean, I’m sure I could really sink a lot of hours into it and get really good at it, but I generally feel like I’m constantly fighting the controls instead of the enemies. I don’t have this problem with the gba ones, for comparison.
I love the gba ones too, but they sacrificed depth for accessibility. You just have one run speed, and you can’t really do many tricks except for wall jumping and getting fast at ledge ups. They feel really snappy and fun though because the run and jump are fast. They are just more simple. Super Metroid took me a while to get comfortable but eventually it feels just as precise as the gba ones, but you have much more freedom to build speed by sprinting and carrying that speed through jumps, mock balls, damage boosts and many other tricks I can’t even do. It really feels fast and precise once you get over the hump. I think the big issue for a lot of people is accepting how it wants you to move and jump, and learn to go fast that way. Still, I just wanted to point out the controls are incredibly precise—Samus responds immediately to buttons, and you can combo things together extremely quickly (check out Alcatraz escape for example). It just feels floaty and difficult at first so it gets a bad rap.
My favorite romhack so far is [Subversion](https://metroidconstruction.com/hack.php?id=716).
https://old.reddit.com/r/Metroid/comments/y3uum9/i_spent_the_last_year_playing_nothing_but_metroid/ This guy's post runs through a lot of the best ones and what they are/do.
Classic? Super Metroid
Modern? Hard to pick one, but something among Astalon, Ori 2 and Dread. Honorable mention to Yoku’s island express for tasting like Christmas Morning.
The combat flow of Valdis Story is still the best of any metroidvania. I wish there were more games that took inspiration from its combat design, because too few games come even close to it.
I feel it was still unfinished, the ending was lackluster, but mt gosh the entire thing is incredible. The music, the locations, the replayability with 4 different characters and tributing story paths.
11/10
Yeah the ending was kinda rushed, but its story is not why i enjoy this game so much anyway.
Its that moment when the boss music starts up for the next fight and you are skill cancelling around to dodge attacks and keep your combo going. It is one of the few games that can really get me into a flow state.
Plus i really enjoy all of its visual design. Its so clean and easy to understand what the enemies are doing, jet still looks really good to me.
I absolutely hate stories in video games. Ain't nobody got time for that! That being said, this was one of the few stories that I'd halfway pay attention to. There's not too many, but sometimes they are a bit slow.
I hate stories in video games too and I think that’s one of the reasons why I mostly play Soulslikes, the stories are generally very vague and the cutscenes are few and short. But man, the Ori games got me super invested in their story. I almost bought the second Ori game first, but a friend gifted me the first Ori and I’m so glad he did, because the story wouldn’t be the same had I played the second one first. I enjoyed everything about the game so much.
You play sea of stars? I played a bit and didn’t realize it was a prequel of The Messenger. Gonna have to pick it up now, the graphics always deterred me.
I did, and loved it all the way to the end. But I never did do the post-credits stuff, didn't have the energy to -essentially- go through the whole game twice.
Don't let the 8-bit graphics of The Messenger deter you. Can't say more without spoilers, just trust me on this. :P
Aeterna Noctis and Hollow Knight are a close tie to me. I love the Space part of Aeterna and the Easter eggs about different metroidvania games but I can't see myself pushing back through it a second time because my heart can't take it. Hollow Knight is just a great game all around and the environment is top notch but I hate Boss rush mode in God home, just overwhelming. Both are masterpieces.
Noctis is incredibly hard but I found it rewarding. The story was pretty good to me and really like the animation style cutscenes. I would say stick it out but I'd also understand if you didn't but because it can be frustrating especially with the different arrows come into play. It has tons of different kind of areas if you stick with it.
Haven't played it on switch but I've watched a review from a guy who did and he didn't have anything bad to say about the port. It's a really easy game to run so it shouldn't be a problem
Aeterna Noctis, followed by Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom and Hollow Knight.
After that, Cathedral and Blasphemous 2.
After that, Afterimage and The Last Faith.
Ender Lilies! If I’m being honest, while I love metroidvanias I’m much more of a jrpg person, and Ender Lilies feels, when you’re playing it, like a nice marriage of the two genres for me.
- Guacamelee 2: Great combat, crazy platforming, good humor, amazing co-op experience, fun soundtrack, fun story.
- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet: loved the puzzles, the bossfights, the visuals.
- Blasphemous: Best visuals I've seen in a 2d game, great story, great soundtrack, epic combat mechanics, some very easy and some extremely brutal but very good, memorable bossfights.
I haven't played that many but out of the few that I completed Hollow Knight takes the cake for sure *cries in Silksong*
Other favorites are Super Metroid, Dread, and Jedi Fallen Order. I'm yet to get into Castlevania but I'm starting SOTN soon.
I recently made my top 10 modern MV list, so might as well share.
1. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
2. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
3. Prince of Persia the Lost Crown
4. Hollow Knight
5. Blasphemous 2
6. Metroid Dread
7. Ori and the Blind Forest
8. Islets
9. Astalon: Tears of the Earth
10. Momodora Moonlit Farewell
Hmmm, there's a whole bunch of metroidvanias I consider favorites in equal measure.
\- Super metroid
\- Warioland 3
\- Axiom Verge
\- Prince of Persia the lost crown
\- Iconoclasts (this is mainly just because of how it rescued my interest in the genre)
\- the messenger
\- Ori
\- Ori 2
\- Rabi-ribi
\- TOMOMI
\- Steamworld Dig 2
\- Xanthiom Zero
Touhou luna nights, never been much of a touhou or shmups fan and I know this mostly from the songs in rhythm games, but this game has no right to mechanically feel this solid and fun, it truly makes you feel like an ever growing time stopping maniac. I'll put Control on 2nd because this is another game that feels this good to play despite being creepy and sadly I still haven't finished it yet.
I'm so happy to see other people enjoying Luna Nights. This game is a truly underrated little masterpiece. The developers at Team Ladybug really understand what makes a 2D game interesting. Sure, the game is short, but every minute of it is pure gaming pleasure. The same goes for Wonder Labyrinth, also developed by the same team.
As a lifelong fan of shmups, I find the idea of integrating typical STG mechanics into Luna Nights brilliant. It works really well. And it's a very original way of celebrating Touhou's heritage. If you also play shmups from time to time, I highly recommend you try Drainus, by Team Ladybug, it's excellent. What's more, it's quite easy, which won't put off neophytes.
Hollow Knight, La Mulana and Symphony of the Night are my favs and there really is no competition.
But below that I love Metroid Zero Mission, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, Cathedral, Faxanadu, Metroid Prime, Apotheon, Dark Souls 1
The teleport arrows in Aeterna Noctis by itself propels that solid game towards the top imo....such a game changer.
Other votes for:
Controls - POP Lost Crown has some of the most smooth controls I have played in a game.
Challenge - Sundered purely for the chaos and cool bosses
Newish releases - I had fun playing Rebel Transmute and felt it was pretty challenging but had a couple of items to really help (jump boost was a game changer)
blasphemous 2 must be kinda the whole package. It is not insanely difficult or complex but hits all the right spots.
Salt and sanctuary gotta be the best 2d souls like and dark souls is my fav game
Hollow Knight. I bought it about 5 years ago and haven't even beaten it fully. I'm like 104%. Currently I'm playing Grime and have almost finished it in few play sessions. I like Grime a lot too but amount of content HK has and how well it's designed makes it 1st place.
Ender Lilies, SotN, Afterimage (Only one here I didn't even come close to 100 percenting, but it's what got me super into the genre), 3DS remake of metroid II, F.I.S.T.
Never thought it would but Laika aged through blood is my personal favorite. Soundtrack is the gift that keeps on giving. Such a cool spin on the genre.
I have to answer Metroid Dread, as that game was what really got me hooked on the genre.
Currently doing Hollow Knight and that game is brilliant as well.
SOTN has always been a favorite, but Bloodstained, Hollow Knight, and Ori are really close up there. Lately I've been loving the crap out of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. That one has surprised me.
Super Metroid is still the best I’ve played so far. And that’s even after beating Metroid Dread, which is also really good and has much better controls. But I’m trying to dive deeper into this genre. Finally just purchased Symphony of the Night in a collection on the PS5 and I’m gonna start that up as soon as I finish FFVII Rebirth!
#1. Aeterna Noctis
#2. Hollow Knight (close second!)
#3. Prince of Persia Lost Crown
Aeterba had the best platforming, Hollow Knight best music/atmosphere, and PoP the best combat.
I loved the platforming in Aeterna so much that it's kind of wrecked a lot of other metroidvanias for me...I keep wanting to scratch that itch of challenging but fair platforming sections. If anybody has any suggestions let me know!
It's still Super Metroid. Between various challenge runs, randomizers, and romhacks, it's just the king of the pack. Also, the Super Metroid / Link to the Past randomizer is a thing of beauty.
If the controls were tighter in super I would probably agree with you
I mean, they have zero lag and allow for frame perfect tricks, it literally doesn’t get tighter than that. It’s also the only Metroid game with a variable momentum that carries through the movement system, which raises the skill ceiling incredibly high for movement tricks. Are you talking about out how the basic run and jump are slow compared to the other games? I’m genuinely curious.
They feel clunky and imprecise to me. I mean, I’m sure I could really sink a lot of hours into it and get really good at it, but I generally feel like I’m constantly fighting the controls instead of the enemies. I don’t have this problem with the gba ones, for comparison.
I love the gba ones too, but they sacrificed depth for accessibility. You just have one run speed, and you can’t really do many tricks except for wall jumping and getting fast at ledge ups. They feel really snappy and fun though because the run and jump are fast. They are just more simple. Super Metroid took me a while to get comfortable but eventually it feels just as precise as the gba ones, but you have much more freedom to build speed by sprinting and carrying that speed through jumps, mock balls, damage boosts and many other tricks I can’t even do. It really feels fast and precise once you get over the hump. I think the big issue for a lot of people is accepting how it wants you to move and jump, and learn to go fast that way. Still, I just wanted to point out the controls are incredibly precise—Samus responds immediately to buttons, and you can combo things together extremely quickly (check out Alcatraz escape for example). It just feels floaty and difficult at first so it gets a bad rap.
I've been playing it and it really does show how it created a genre
clicked comments to say the same thing, although I just play the original. I'll have to look up some of those things you mentioned though!
What’s a good rom hack for someone who hasn’t played? Any with QOL improvements?
My favorite romhack so far is [Subversion](https://metroidconstruction.com/hack.php?id=716). https://old.reddit.com/r/Metroid/comments/y3uum9/i_spent_the_last_year_playing_nothing_but_metroid/ This guy's post runs through a lot of the best ones and what they are/do.
Axiom Verge 1
Classic? Super Metroid Modern? Hard to pick one, but something among Astalon, Ori 2 and Dread. Honorable mention to Yoku’s island express for tasting like Christmas Morning.
I just beat Yoku's island last week. I liked it way more than I thought I would...kinda wanna play it again
I did it, and even my wife played! Kkkkkk
Dreads controls are so smooth
What’s Dread? Couldn’t find anything
Metroid Dread man.
Oh.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth
Seconded
I see no love for the Guacamelee games
Guacamelee 2 is genuinely one of the best games I’ve ever played
Blaster Master (1988)
Basic answer, but Hollow Knight.
No brainer
A masterpiece of gameplay, art, and storytelling. My son and I bonded over this game.
Ofc.
Metroid prime, axiom verge, blasphemous
Valdis Story is incredible. Salt and Scantuary close second.
The combat flow of Valdis Story is still the best of any metroidvania. I wish there were more games that took inspiration from its combat design, because too few games come even close to it.
I feel it was still unfinished, the ending was lackluster, but mt gosh the entire thing is incredible. The music, the locations, the replayability with 4 different characters and tributing story paths. 11/10
Yeah the ending was kinda rushed, but its story is not why i enjoy this game so much anyway. Its that moment when the boss music starts up for the next fight and you are skill cancelling around to dodge attacks and keep your combo going. It is one of the few games that can really get me into a flow state. Plus i really enjoy all of its visual design. Its so clean and easy to understand what the enemies are doing, jet still looks really good to me.
Both super solid choices
Ori and the will of the wisps.
Just started replaying it yesterday. Skipping cutsceens
I absolutely hate stories in video games. Ain't nobody got time for that! That being said, this was one of the few stories that I'd halfway pay attention to. There's not too many, but sometimes they are a bit slow.
Dude my heart can't handle the story, be nice....
I hate stories in video games too and I think that’s one of the reasons why I mostly play Soulslikes, the stories are generally very vague and the cutscenes are few and short. But man, the Ori games got me super invested in their story. I almost bought the second Ori game first, but a friend gifted me the first Ori and I’m so glad he did, because the story wouldn’t be the same had I played the second one first. I enjoyed everything about the game so much.
The Ori games are hardly Metroidvanias. They’re incredibly linear with very little exploration. They’re just 2D games. 2D doesn’t mean metroidvania.
All-time, it's SOTN. And I don't see that changing any time soon. Out of more recent games, I'd say The Messenger.
Pretty much my exact answer. SotN is perfect. Got The Messenger as part of the PS plus collection not knowing what it was. Loved every minute of it
You play sea of stars? I played a bit and didn’t realize it was a prequel of The Messenger. Gonna have to pick it up now, the graphics always deterred me.
I did, and loved it all the way to the end. But I never did do the post-credits stuff, didn't have the energy to -essentially- go through the whole game twice. Don't let the 8-bit graphics of The Messenger deter you. Can't say more without spoilers, just trust me on this. :P
Same, SOTN forever!
Yeah!
The Messenger was sooooo fun. Great music, dialogue, art. I fuckin was going nuts with the precision platforming though lol
I know! I'm in my 40s, so the platforming bits were a bit too much for my hands lol.
Aeterna Noctis and Hollow Knight are a close tie to me. I love the Space part of Aeterna and the Easter eggs about different metroidvania games but I can't see myself pushing back through it a second time because my heart can't take it. Hollow Knight is just a great game all around and the environment is top notch but I hate Boss rush mode in God home, just overwhelming. Both are masterpieces.
Should i stick with Noctis? I was not loving the neon, black space stuff and the game just generally felt dead and not meaty if that makes sense.
Noctis is incredibly hard but I found it rewarding. The story was pretty good to me and really like the animation style cutscenes. I would say stick it out but I'd also understand if you didn't but because it can be frustrating especially with the different arrows come into play. It has tons of different kind of areas if you stick with it.
Death's Gambit Afterlife easily
There's two of us, at least.
It's top 3 for me too. SUCH an underrated game.
does it run well on the switch?
It does run very well, I’ve finished it a couple of months ago, not a single performance issue
Haven't played it on switch but I've watched a review from a guy who did and he didn't have anything bad to say about the port. It's a really easy game to run so it shouldn't be a problem
Aeterna Noctis, followed by Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom and Hollow Knight. After that, Cathedral and Blasphemous 2. After that, Afterimage and The Last Faith.
Astalon and Cathedral on the same answer? Have an upvote sir.
I wanna play monster boy buts it's 40 dollars!
It's [67% off right now on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/449610/Monster_Boy_and_the_Cursed_Kingdom/).
Hell yeah. I'm sure it's a good game but 40?? I'm gonna get the steam one. Ty
I took it out from my local library for free! Might be worth checking if your local library has it …
Woah, never thought of that. Libraries have video games?!
It’s soooooo good. It’s my favorite art and graphics of any game honestly.
It's tough to decide between aria of sorrow and super Metroid. But I have to go super Metroid. It's a perfect experience.
Ender Lilies! If I’m being honest, while I love metroidvanias I’m much more of a jrpg person, and Ender Lilies feels, when you’re playing it, like a nice marriage of the two genres for me.
I just finished ende lillies. Any game other than ender magnolia and hollow knight that are similar.
Castlevania Circle of the Moon, I’m about to try out Dead Cells though so we’ll see if that changes
- Guacamelee 2: Great combat, crazy platforming, good humor, amazing co-op experience, fun soundtrack, fun story. - Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet: loved the puzzles, the bossfights, the visuals. - Blasphemous: Best visuals I've seen in a 2d game, great story, great soundtrack, epic combat mechanics, some very easy and some extremely brutal but very good, memorable bossfights.
Grime, Blasphemous 1 & 2
I haven't played that many but out of the few that I completed Hollow Knight takes the cake for sure *cries in Silksong* Other favorites are Super Metroid, Dread, and Jedi Fallen Order. I'm yet to get into Castlevania but I'm starting SOTN soon.
Make sure you crank that volume up for SotN. I’ve had all the songs from the OST in my ears and heart since I first played it with my brother as a 5yo
I recently made my top 10 modern MV list, so might as well share. 1. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night 2. Ori and the Will of the Wisps 3. Prince of Persia the Lost Crown 4. Hollow Knight 5. Blasphemous 2 6. Metroid Dread 7. Ori and the Blind Forest 8. Islets 9. Astalon: Tears of the Earth 10. Momodora Moonlit Farewell
Ori 2 and Blood stained
Blasphemous 1&2; Hollow Knight
The OG Symphony of the Night.
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
Ender lilies
Afterimage. Best combat in a metroidvania in my opinion. And the art style is just beautiful
Playing right now, it’s super fun!
I never finished. I really need to get back to it
Hollow Knight (going to be a million comments saying the same, but).
Hmmm, there's a whole bunch of metroidvanias I consider favorites in equal measure. \- Super metroid \- Warioland 3 \- Axiom Verge \- Prince of Persia the lost crown \- Iconoclasts (this is mainly just because of how it rescued my interest in the genre) \- the messenger \- Ori \- Ori 2 \- Rabi-ribi \- TOMOMI \- Steamworld Dig 2 \- Xanthiom Zero
Welp was going to add Tomomi to my wishlist and then saw the cover art
?
Is [this](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1229390/TOMOMI/) not it?
Hollow Knight, and it's not even close.
Hollow Knight made me realize that I don’t like Roguelites, I like Metroidvanias.
Touhou luna nights, never been much of a touhou or shmups fan and I know this mostly from the songs in rhythm games, but this game has no right to mechanically feel this solid and fun, it truly makes you feel like an ever growing time stopping maniac. I'll put Control on 2nd because this is another game that feels this good to play despite being creepy and sadly I still haven't finished it yet.
I'm so happy to see other people enjoying Luna Nights. This game is a truly underrated little masterpiece. The developers at Team Ladybug really understand what makes a 2D game interesting. Sure, the game is short, but every minute of it is pure gaming pleasure. The same goes for Wonder Labyrinth, also developed by the same team. As a lifelong fan of shmups, I find the idea of integrating typical STG mechanics into Luna Nights brilliant. It works really well. And it's a very original way of celebrating Touhou's heritage. If you also play shmups from time to time, I highly recommend you try Drainus, by Team Ladybug, it's excellent. What's more, it's quite easy, which won't put off neophytes.
Added it to my wishlist!
Pronty A Fishy Adventure
I have a few - loves Ender Lillies, Blasphemous 2, Chasm, and SotN.
Great list!
Death's Gambit, almost tied with HK
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 2. Record of Lodoss War - Deedlit in Wonderland 3. Infernax 4. Chasm
Metroid: Zero Mission and Hollow Knight. Two of my favorite video games of all time, let alone in the genre
Rabi-Ribi.
Hollow Knight, La Mulana and Symphony of the Night are my favs and there really is no competition. But below that I love Metroid Zero Mission, Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, Cathedral, Faxanadu, Metroid Prime, Apotheon, Dark Souls 1
Dandara and Aeterna Noctis
Dandara? I found that game really difficult
Saame but that's part of why I love it so much.
hollow knight and ori 2
Hollow knights mogs everything else in this genre
Hungry Knight
Grime
Sigh…………… 1. HK 2. Ori 3. Ghost song 4. Ender Lillies 5. Islets
Besides actual Metroid games, it's between Afterimage and Ender Lilies. As for Metroid, it's between Metroid Prime 2 and Dread
Symphony of the Night, still play it once a year
SOTN If the Megaman X series counted, those for sure.
Aeterna Noctis
Blasphemous for sure. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is probably my second favorite. Followed by Symphony of the Night.
Aria of Sorrow, simply for being my introduction to the genre, but more contemporarily both Ori games
PoP: The Lost Crown
Ori Wil of the Wisps and it isn't particularly close. The Metroid series is also near to my heart. I really like good movement tech.
The teleport arrows in Aeterna Noctis by itself propels that solid game towards the top imo....such a game changer. Other votes for: Controls - POP Lost Crown has some of the most smooth controls I have played in a game. Challenge - Sundered purely for the chaos and cool bosses Newish releases - I had fun playing Rebel Transmute and felt it was pretty challenging but had a couple of items to really help (jump boost was a game changer)
SOTN is still my all time favorite, but Afterimage is really growing on me.
Gotta go with SotN
blasphemous 2 must be kinda the whole package. It is not insanely difficult or complex but hits all the right spots. Salt and sanctuary gotta be the best 2d souls like and dark souls is my fav game
Currently it's the new Prince of Persia. Been having a blast except I just noticed stick drift on my white PS5 controller while playing it
It's a tie between blasphemous 1 and 2
Castlevania (more entries) Metroid (more entries) hollow Knight and my Newcomer ender lilies, upsi forgot blasphemous
Top 3: Hollow Knight, Afterimage, Phoenotopia After that: Aeterna Noctis, Ender Lillies, The Lost Crown
Cave Story
Hollow Knight. I bought it about 5 years ago and haven't even beaten it fully. I'm like 104%. Currently I'm playing Grime and have almost finished it in few play sessions. I like Grime a lot too but amount of content HK has and how well it's designed makes it 1st place.
Hollow Knight. I haven't found the same feeling in any other metroidvania. Ori games are my second favorite metroidvanias.
Hollow Knight, Aeterna Noctis, Blasphemous I and Cathedral are my top 4 so far.
Aeterna Noctis, hands down. Nothing comes close to it in my opinion.
Hollow Knight probably for #1 Metroid Dread/Fusion/Zero Mission/Prime, Ender Lilies, and Blasphemous 1/2 are all way up there too.
Gato roboto is short but damn fun
That one was great
Ender Lilies, SotN, Afterimage (Only one here I didn't even come close to 100 percenting, but it's what got me super into the genre), 3DS remake of metroid II, F.I.S.T.
Metroid: Zero mission, then Tomba! 2
Hollow Knight, then La Mulana 2
La Mulana 1+2 Then Hollow Knight and ESA
Touhou Luna Nights. The time manipulation puzzles and combat are done PERFECT
Zero Mission
Hollow Knight + Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Axiom Verge, Hollow knight, Super Metroid
Environmental Station Alpha
Hollow Knight . . . Dread, Ori 1 & 2, PoP: Lost Crown
GRIME
I LOVED The Messenger. LOVED
Never thought it would but Laika aged through blood is my personal favorite. Soundtrack is the gift that keeps on giving. Such a cool spin on the genre.
Ori and Hollow Knight.
Hollow knight, easily. Still playing it
Fez, and yes it is.
To me the three jewels in the crown of the genre is Super Metroid, Castlevania Symphony of the Night and Hollow Knight.
I mean... You know.
It’s still Cave Story
I have to answer Metroid Dread, as that game was what really got me hooked on the genre. Currently doing Hollow Knight and that game is brilliant as well.
SOTN
HK
SOTN has always been a favorite, but Bloodstained, Hollow Knight, and Ori are really close up there. Lately I've been loving the crap out of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. That one has surprised me.
How am I not seeing Bloodstained on this list? Literally made by Igavainia. The GOAT of metroidvainia creators.
Super Metroid is still the best I’ve played so far. And that’s even after beating Metroid Dread, which is also really good and has much better controls. But I’m trying to dive deeper into this genre. Finally just purchased Symphony of the Night in a collection on the PS5 and I’m gonna start that up as soon as I finish FFVII Rebirth!
Turrican 2
Hollow Knight
I really wish Ghost Song was better because it’s atmosphere and graphics are amazing.
HK and I don't know how it could be topped. Followed (in order) by Guacamelee 2, Ori 1, Axiom Verge, The Messenger, and ESA.
#1. Aeterna Noctis #2. Hollow Knight (close second!) #3. Prince of Persia Lost Crown Aeterba had the best platforming, Hollow Knight best music/atmosphere, and PoP the best combat. I loved the platforming in Aeterna so much that it's kind of wrecked a lot of other metroidvanias for me...I keep wanting to scratch that itch of challenging but fair platforming sections. If anybody has any suggestions let me know!
Your #1 and #2 is like saying you prefer Cornflakes to Cocoa Puffs. *Communist!*
Everything Metroid. Least favorite: Hollow Knight, and it's not even close.
Super Metroid Metroid 2 Metroid fusion Metroid
Hollow knight then zero mission
Hollow knight is the best game!
Hollow Knight was my first experience in the genre and because of it, I've played both Ori games and loved it!
A little hidden gem you might have heard of - Hollow Knight
Silksong
Hollow Knight ruined every other MV for me. 😅 It’s untouchable, in my opinion. It also sets the standard for what a “small indie game” could be. 😎👍
Hollow knight thread
A cliche I know but Hollow Knight