LogFAQs > #965580366

pjbasis posted...

Is this like an evolutionary thing where metroid is like the mammaliaformes to the mammals.

This is too niche of an analogy but maybe? Metroidvania is a Castlevania which is Metroid-like, to distinguish it from the other Castlevanias which are totally not like Metroid. So the game needs to be somewhat Castlevania-like to be Metroidvania, so Metroid itself doesn't apply.

BUT I just realized there is Metroid 2, which is almost structured like the non-Metroid Castlevanias. So you could call that a Castletroid. So if Metroid 2 is a Castletroid, Rondo of Blood is a Castletroidvania. SotN on the other hand is a non-Castletroidvania aka a Metroidvania. And Super Metroid ends up being a Metroidvaniatroid.

But the point is, something like Iconoclasts doesn't count no matter the definition.