In June of 2017, the Retronauts podcast released their first episode in a series on the evolution of the Metroidvania, a term used commonly used to describe platforming games with a heavy focus on exploration and expanding powers. Over the course of several episodes, the hosts established a historical through-line from the prototypes that laid the groundwork to the genre defining games Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
I’d never played any of the games they discussed, but setting the games within their historical context piqued my interest.
Medium Quality 