My Top Platform Adventure/Metroidvania Games (WIP)
Top lists sorted by decade for those who just want a quick list of my personal recommendations.
1980s:
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II/Dragon's Curse (SMS/GG/PCE)
Knightmare II: Maze of Galious/Majou Densetsu II (MSX)
Zillion (SMS)
Faxanadu (NES)
The Goonies II/Goonies 2 (NES)
Zelda II (FDS/NES)
Blaster Master (NES)
Rygar (NES)
Metroid (FDS/NES)
Spellcaster (SMS)
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (MD/PCE CD)
Cyborg Hunter (SMS)
Tengoku Yoitoko (Welcome to Heaven)(MSX)
Zeliard (PC)
Exile (C64/AMI)?
Clash at Demonhead (NES)
Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV (NES)
Below the Root (C64/PC)
Getsu Fuuma Den (NES)?
Battle of Olympus (NES)
MV-lite/Semi-Platform Adventure/Proto-Platform Adventure:
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SMS)
Kenseiden (SMS)
The Treasure of Usas (MSX)
Kid Icarus (FDS/NES)
Bionic Commando (NES)?
1990s:
Super Metroid (SNES)
Gargoyle's Quest 2 (NES/GB)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
Gargoyle's Quest (GB)
Wonder Boy in Monster World/Monster World III/Dynastic Hero (MD/PCE CD)
Ufouria: The Saga/Hebereke (NES)
Demon's Crest (SNES)
Monster World IV (MD)
TMNT 3: Radical Rescue (GB)
System Shock (PC)
Adventure Island IV/Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima IV (NES)
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES)
PowerSlave/Exhumed (SAT/PS1)
Super Adventure Island II (SNES)
Spyro 2 (PS1)
Phantom 2040 (MD/SNES)
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64)
Tails Adventures (GG)
Popful Mail (MCD)
Tomba! (PS1)
Shadow Man (N64/PC)
The Divide: Enemies Within (PS1)
Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB)
Odyssey (AMI)
Milon's Secret Castle (GB)
Fantastic Dizzy (MD)
Ax Battler (GG)?
The Adventures of Rad Gravity (NES)
Stanley: The Search for Dr. Livingston (NES)
Dr. Franken II (GB)
Semi-PA/MV-lite:
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES)
Quackshot (MD)
DuckTales 2 (NES)
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (SMS)
System Shock 2 (PC)
Strife (PC)
Flashback: The Quest for Identity (PC/MD)
Goemon's Great Adventure/Mystical Ninja 2 (N64)
Mega Man Legends (PS1)
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1/DC)
Bionic Commando (GB)
Brave Fencer Musashi (PS1)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Star Wars (NES/SMS)
Ghostbusters (MD)
Kirby Super Star (Great Cave Offensive mode)(SNES)
Cocoron (NES)
G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor (NES)
Rayman (PS1/SAT)
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne (PS1)
Holy Umbrella: Dondera's Wild!! (SNES)
Threads of Fate (PS1)
MediEvil (PS1)
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return (PS1)
Ape Escape (PS1)
Alundra 2 (PS1)
Outcast (PC)
Cadash (PCE/MD/ARC)
Unreal (PC)?
Banjo-Kazooie (N64)
Commander Keen IV (PC)?
Generations Lost (MD)
2000s:
Metroid Fusion (GBA)
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA)
Metroid Prime (GC)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
Cave Story (PC, 2004)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (NDS)
Aquaria (PC)
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (NDS)
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GC)
Shaman King: Master of Spirits (GBA)
Wario Land 3 (GBC)
Blaster Master: Blasting Again (PS1)
Shantae (GBC)
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA)
Banjo-Tooie (N64)
Lyle in Cube Sector (PC/MD)
Okami (PS2)?
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)
An Untitled Story (PC)
Within a Deep Forest (PC)
La-Mulana (PC, 2005)
Blaster Master: Enemy Below (GBC)?
Eternal Daughter (PC)
Semi-PA/MV-lite:
Deus Ex (PC)
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC/PS3)
Psychonauts (PC)
Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet & Clank 2 (PS2)
Beyond Good & Evil (PS2)
Mega Man Zero (GBA)
Spider-Man 2 (PS2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (PC)
Mega Man Legends 2 (PS1)
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (GC)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
Chibi-Robo! (GC)
1980s:
Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap/Monster World II/Dragon's Curse (SMS/GG/PCE)
Knightmare II: Maze of Galious/Majou Densetsu II (MSX)
Zillion (SMS)
Faxanadu (NES)
The Goonies II/Goonies 2 (NES)
Zelda II (FDS/NES)
Blaster Master (NES)
Rygar (NES)
Metroid (FDS/NES)
Spellcaster (SMS)
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (MD/PCE CD)
Cyborg Hunter (SMS)
Tengoku Yoitoko (Welcome to Heaven)(MSX)
Zeliard (PC)
Exile (C64/AMI)?
Clash at Demonhead (NES)
Legacy of the Wizard/Dragon Slayer IV (NES)
Below the Root (C64/PC)
Getsu Fuuma Den (NES)?
Battle of Olympus (NES)
MV-lite/Semi-Platform Adventure/Proto-Platform Adventure:
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (SMS)
Kenseiden (SMS)
The Treasure of Usas (MSX)
Kid Icarus (FDS/NES)
Bionic Commando (NES)?
1990s:
Super Metroid (SNES)
Gargoyle's Quest 2 (NES/GB)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
Gargoyle's Quest (GB)
Wonder Boy in Monster World/Monster World III/Dynastic Hero (MD/PCE CD)
Ufouria: The Saga/Hebereke (NES)
Demon's Crest (SNES)
Monster World IV (MD)
TMNT 3: Radical Rescue (GB)
System Shock (PC)
Adventure Island IV/Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima IV (NES)
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen (SNES)
PowerSlave/Exhumed (SAT/PS1)
Super Adventure Island II (SNES)
Spyro 2 (PS1)
Phantom 2040 (MD/SNES)
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon (N64)
Tails Adventures (GG)
Popful Mail (MCD)
Tomba! (PS1)
Shadow Man (N64/PC)
The Divide: Enemies Within (PS1)
Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB)
Odyssey (AMI)
Milon's Secret Castle (GB)
Fantastic Dizzy (MD)
Ax Battler (GG)?
The Adventures of Rad Gravity (NES)
Stanley: The Search for Dr. Livingston (NES)
Dr. Franken II (GB)
Semi-PA/MV-lite:
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (SNES)
Quackshot (MD)
DuckTales 2 (NES)
Land of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse (SMS)
System Shock 2 (PC)
Strife (PC)
Flashback: The Quest for Identity (PC/MD)
Goemon's Great Adventure/Mystical Ninja 2 (N64)
Mega Man Legends (PS1)
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1/DC)
Bionic Commando (GB)
Brave Fencer Musashi (PS1)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
Star Wars (NES/SMS)
Ghostbusters (MD)
Kirby Super Star (Great Cave Offensive mode)(SNES)
Cocoron (NES)
G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor (NES)
Rayman (PS1/SAT)
The Misadventures of Tron Bonne (PS1)
Holy Umbrella: Dondera's Wild!! (SNES)
Threads of Fate (PS1)
MediEvil (PS1)
Tomba! 2: The Evil Swine Return (PS1)
Ape Escape (PS1)
Alundra 2 (PS1)
Outcast (PC)
Cadash (PCE/MD/ARC)
Unreal (PC)?
Banjo-Kazooie (N64)
Commander Keen IV (PC)?
Generations Lost (MD)
2000s:
Metroid Fusion (GBA)
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA)
Metroid Prime (GC)
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
Cave Story (PC, 2004)
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (NDS)
Aquaria (PC)
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (NDS)
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GC)
Shaman King: Master of Spirits (GBA)
Wario Land 3 (GBC)
Blaster Master: Blasting Again (PS1)
Shantae (GBC)
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (GBA)
Banjo-Tooie (N64)
Lyle in Cube Sector (PC/MD)
Okami (PS2)?
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)
An Untitled Story (PC)
Within a Deep Forest (PC)
La-Mulana (PC, 2005)
Blaster Master: Enemy Below (GBC)?
Eternal Daughter (PC)
Semi-PA/MV-lite:
Deus Ex (PC)
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (PC/PS3)
Psychonauts (PC)
Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando/Ratchet & Clank 2 (PS2)
Beyond Good & Evil (PS2)
Mega Man Zero (GBA)
Spider-Man 2 (PS2)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GC)
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (PC)
Mega Man Legends 2 (PS1)
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (GC)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
Chibi-Robo! (GC)