This game, addition to wonder boy for the master system are the fondest gaming memories I have as a kid playing with my father. ![]() But it certainly reminded me of why I was drawn to the genre in the first place.īonus favorite transformation: Being forced to turn into a chicken by Carlos Calaca in Guacamelee only to find out it was a new gameplay mechanic was prettttty sweet. Honestly, I don't know if Axiom Verge is my favorite Metroidvania. Along with that, the soundtrack rolls over you bringing scents of trepidation and excitement at just the right times while also overflowing with little details and variety that give the enemies and world a richness that isn't often found in the genre. Bosses are terrifying, Giger-esque abominations that feel just as much a part of a CAVE shmup as a Metroidvania but the exploration reminds you exactly where the game stands. Axiom Verge manipulates the genre making it richer and bigger. The game is instantly legible as an ode to the original Metroid, but it doesn't allow itself to be pinned by that. It understood the connection between excitement and challenge enigma and curiousity gameplay and aesthetics. Going back to the roots of Metroidvania, the game understood how important the relationship between environments and upgrade were. It was a love letter to a series long laid dormant. Since then, not much had managed to rekindle the love/hate relationship I had with the original Metroid games.Īnd then Axiom Verge came out. The aura of mystery around the main character, the multitude of paths to explore, the ease of getting lost - all of these things were very different to someone who had only really started playing games on the Xbox. One on hand, the game was challenging and exciting in ways that few other games could claim. Growing up, Metroid always gave me mixed feelings. there can only be one answer to that question: RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE. ![]() On top of all that it had multiple endings and some light RPG elements to it.Īs for favorite TRANSFORMATION? Come on. The code deciphering element was another nice hook - requiring pages of notes for me to take.Īnd of course the music was AMAZING. Exploring the base was amazing at the time - finding secret passageways in the hallways, encountering locked rooms you would later need to revisit, with great platforming and combat mixed in. The whole idea of exploring this underground base, with the option of locating your 2 missing friends for extra support, was really engaging. Anime wasn't really a big thing back in the late 80s, so anything carrying this look and feel immediately grabbed me.īut what really sealed the deal was the game setting itself. ![]() The anime character designs were what initially drew me in because it reminded me of shows like Robotech and Voltron. This was my second type of Metroidvania-type game I ever played - with the first being the original Metroid.
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