A Communal History of Metroidvania Video Games – Lost In Cult
£39.99
Product description from their website:
Most people who play video games know of the portmanteau origins of ‘Metroidvania’: combining classic series Castlevania and Metroid, the term was coined to describe titles that feature non-linear exploration and gated progression. Plenty more are familiar with the status Metroidvanias now command – games like Hollow Knight and Animal Well capture hearts with each upgrade unearthed and door unlocked. Like its masterworks new and old, the genre’s story is sprawling, extending down surprising and rarely travelled routes.
A Communal History of Metroidvania Video Games retraces the genre’s steps back to the 1970s, from there uncovering fifty years of discoveries and dead-ends. Through incisive retrospectives and personal essays, twenty writers lend their unique expertise to this shared story, mapping both its critical path and far-off fringes. Together, they explore not just how Metroidvanias have changed over time, but how the genre has touched the lives of countless players around the world.
Celebrate titans of the genre while making space for offbeat icons. Journey back to the pre-Metroid era with essential historical curiosities like Below the Root and Xanadu. Imagine a different sort of Metroidvania with atypical adventures like La-Mulana and Tomba. Meet the overlooked greats of the Japanese indie scene, like Hack9 and Pharaoh Rebirth+. And, of course, chart the growth of the Metroid and Castlevania series from their foundational entries through to their modern classics