If you’ve been following Blast Brigade vs. The Evil Legion of Dr. Cread, you’ll know we often use the word ‘Metroidvania’ to describe the game. It’s no secret that Blast Brigade is indebted to its spiritual predecessors, and with the glorious return of the bounty hunter Samus Aran in Metroid Dread, we wanted to take a look back at the games that helped shape the development of Blast Brigade. Without further ado, let’s raid Dr. Cread’s secret archives for a gaming history lesson!
Back to the 1980s
‘Metroidvania’ is a genre popularized by the Metroid and Castlevania series, the name of which is a portmanteau—a blending of sounds and meanings—of the two franchises. Metroid, first released for the Famicom Disk System in 1986, is a 2D, side-scrolling action-adventure game developed by Nintendo. A genuine classic, it’s among the first to feature many of the genre’s now-beloved hallmarks.
Unlike many other games of that time, Metroid encouraged non-linear exploration and rewarded discovery. Completing Samus’ mission on Zebes was possible only by acquiring new weapons and retracing your steps to find new paths through previously locked areas.
Punishing bosses, precision platforming, enemies vulnerable to a particular type of weapon, interconnected, labyrinthine level design, and multiple endings encouraged speedrunning enthralled gamers in 1986 and beyond (in re-releases and the sequels Metroid II: Samus Returns and Super Metroid).
“All the damn vampires”
Though the original Castlevania, released just one month after Metroid in Japan, was a relatively linear introduction to the Belmont clan and their eternal war against Dracula, its sequel Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest utilized many of the elements that made Metroid a hit. Subsequent sequels throughout the 1990s returned to the series’ more straightforward platforming roots, until a certain PlayStation game released in 1997 changed the course of the vampire-slaying series and—alongside the Metroid games—set the standard to aspire to while pioneering a new genre.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is highly regarded as one of the greatest games of all time. Starring Dracula’s son Alucard, on a quest to stop his father’s resurrection, this sequel saw the return of the non-linear 2D exploration of Castlevania II married with the action-heavy gameplay that remained popular in its predecessors.
Konami was inspired by The Legend of Zelda games’ scale of adventure and their encouragement of backtracking to solve puzzles with new items, and thus introduced an open castle for players to explore at their leisure. In a nod to role-playing games, experience could also be earned to level up attributes, making for a rich and meaty experience for players to sink their fangs into over long sessions.
Join the Blast Brigade!
The popularity of metroidvania games has remained strong over the years, inspiring a new generation of instant classics such as Hollow Knight and Dead Cells, which continue to delight millions of fans around the world.
Blast Brigade vs. The Evil Legion of Dr. Cread is soon to join these hallowed ranks. It’s got Metroidvania DNA in spades: the interconnected map and biomes of Dr. Cread’s island, non-linear exploration, special abilities used to access new areas, intensely evil bosses, and the satisfying difficulty curve are all hallmarks of the genre that we love, cherish, and want to preserve within an all-new gaming experience.
Like the greats before it, we’ve added our own flourishes too. 1980s action movie vibes, cel-shaded visuals, a colorful cast of characters, and gameplay heavy on platforming and gun-toting action make for a unique, action-packed new entry in this storied genre. We can’t wait for new and veteran Metroidvania fans to join the Blast Brigade and master the secrets of Cread’s island!
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Demo Version of Blast Brigade, now available for free on Steam! There’s also a wealth of Metroidvania titles, new and retro, on just about every platform you can think of. So if you have played Blast Brigade vs. The Evil Legion of Dr. Cread and are itching for more exploratory action, you don’t have to look very far.