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“Metroidvanias” That Show Your Upgrades On Your Character

pikachief

pikachief

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,526
Super-Metroid-large-150.jpg


So I was thinking about Super Metroid's suit upgrades, which I love and are Iconic, but aside from the suits there arent any appearance changes. High jump boots don't change your boots and x-ray visor doesn't change your visor. Although the arm cannon changing with different beams in Metroid Prime is great.

These aren't flaws but just something I realized, which is most metroidvanias do not have your progress reflected on your character's physical appearance.

What are some Metroidvanias that show your upgrades on your person? Are there any of which every upgrade changes a cosmetic aspect?
 
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BDS

BDS

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Oct 25, 2017
13,845
Almost all of Samus's suit upgrades cause visible changes to her suit in the Prime games, not just the beams.
 
Kroze

Kroze

Member
Oct 28, 2017
466
A Robot Named Fight definitely does this to a crazy degree since they keep adding items to the game over time.
I love all the different suit combo colors that can happen.
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(and in the new update, the Dog upgrade changes colors too to reflect yours!)
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

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Oct 25, 2017
31,849
I don't think Mega Man X counts as a Metroidvania but it DOES show certain upgrades change your character sprite.
 
theotherMittens

theotherMittens

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Jul 20, 2018
2,684
You can pick different capes in SotN which are reflected on your model, but they're not really "upgrades" in the same sense as Metroid's are.

Salt and Sanctuary similarly has a wide variety of armor options.
 
butman

butman

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Oct 30, 2017
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This remind me how i hate games that doesn't show the new armors or weapons you pick.
 

Deleted member 9971

User requested account closure
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Oct 27, 2017
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Kroze said:
A Robot Named Fight definitely does this to a crazy degree since they keep adding items to the game over time.
I love all the different suit combo colors that can happen.
coolant04.png

603530_20190118154627_1.png


(and in the new update, the Dog upgrade changes colors too to reflect yours!)
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This game is so freakin underated its the best metroid roguelike out there.
 
Alek

Alek

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Oct 28, 2017
8,471
It's not quite what you're asking for but I always felt that Zelda Ocarina of time was good at this. The player character gains a vast array of abilities throughout the game, and this is reflected in his physical form. Tunics, boots, and even becoming adult link fall into this category.
 

Deleted member 16876

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
39,148
God of War 4 should kind of count as a metroidvania technically so I will go with that.

Every weapon, item, armor etc is shown on your character. Even runes show up on weapons.
 
Kroze

Kroze

Member
Oct 28, 2017
466
Squiddo ᔦꙬᔨ said:
This game is so freakin underated its the best metroid roguelike out there.
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Right?!?!? The new upcoming update is gonna add a TON of new stuff and armors along with the new alt area for the caves. Should be hype!
I wish there was more Metroid (and mainly Super Metroid) styled metroidvanias existed out there
 
1upsuper

1upsuper

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Jan 30, 2018
5,489
Kroze said:
Right?!?!? The new upcoming update is gonna add a TON of new stuff and armors along with the new alt area for the caves. Should be hype!
I wish there was more Metroid (and mainly Super Metroid) styled metroidvanias existed out there
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ARNF is such a good game. I love the Super Metroid physics.
 
OP
OP
pikachief

pikachief

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,526
Kroze said:
A Robot Named Fight definitely does this to a crazy degree since they keep adding items to the game over time.
I love all the different suit combo colors that can happen.
coolant04.png

603530_20190118154627_1.png


(and in the new update, the Dog upgrade changes colors too to reflect yours!)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

This is cool, I've never heard of it! I'll have to check it out. Love the metroid doors.

Lots a great suggestions, love shadow complex and I'll attempt to give axiom verge another try.
 
Spring-Loaded

Spring-Loaded

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Oct 27, 2017
19,904
spad3 said:
Batman Arkham Origins was great with this. Asylum too kinda
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Aside from visible damage and the electrical gauntlets in Origins, what upgrades cause a visual change on Batman throughout the game? The only other instance of visible upgrade in a main game was in Arkham Knight, but that was an entirely new suit early on.

If we're including DLC, then the Mr. Freeze story where Batman gets a heat-based suit is the only other instance.
 
KDR_11k

KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
Can't think of many Metroidvanias that do this. The coat upgrades in Axiom Verge appear on your character I think. Megaman ZX's upgrades are new forms for you to turn into so in one way you're seeing the upgrades but since you only have one form at a time it doesn't really work. What about Arkham Asylum? I don't remember enough about it but since it shows your suit progressively getting more worn I assume it also shows most of your gear in some form?

Roguelites tend to do it a lot more since Binding of Isaac codified most of their tropes and becoming a hideous amalgam of the items you collect is part of that game's core theme. Similarly you see every item you pick up in Risk of Rain 2 on your character (though not multiple copies of the items).

Squiddo ᔦꙬᔨ said:
This game is so freakin underated its the best metroid roguelike out there.
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I think most people run upon reading the name or upon seeing the combination of metroid and roguelite. Most roguelites are very punishing so getting a proper Metroid structure going in them tends not to work. For example Sundered tried and failed.

BTW, is there a way to tell which patches have reached the Switch version yet?
 
Noogy

Noogy

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Oct 25, 2017
162
Colorado
It's rare for 2D sprite-based games to show that sort of customization. A lot more challenges involved compared to a polygonal title.
 
Kroze

Kroze

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Oct 28, 2017
466
KDR_11k said:
BTW, is there a way to tell which patches have reached the Switch version yet?
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The Switch version is only one minor main patch behind right now... the next patch that includes the new area and crapton of new items and features is suppose to be hitting Steam and Switch at the same time in the next month or so roughly... the one guy behind it is still adding and polishing for the new content (as well as his testers are going crazy trying to stomp out bugs), but he wants to do a simultaneous release.
 
Shoe

Shoe

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Oct 25, 2017
4,184
I liked how the loading screen for Metroid Prime Trilogy shows off Samus's equipment for the save you're loading, even down to minor details, like the Prime 1 Varia suit vs. the Prime 2 and 3 Varia Suit, the Grapple Beam, the Gravity Boost, the various stages of corruption in Prime 3, etc.
 
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OP
pikachief

pikachief

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Oct 25, 2017
6,526
Noogy said:
It's rare for 2D sprite-based games to show that sort of customization. A lot more challenges involved compared to a polygonal title.
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I guess I'm using a looser definition of metroidvania which is basically an exploration based game in which character upgrades open up more of the game as you explore and unlock more.

So Batman Arkham Asylum would be included in the discussion along with any other similar examples as far as even GoW. Not only sprite games, although they are much more common for the genre.
 
Noema

Noema

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Jan 17, 2018
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Mexico CIty
Not a "Metroidvania" but Shadow of the Colossus somewhat subverts this.

The more colossi you kill, the paler the skin of your character, Wander, becomes. It's very subtle and I didn't notice it on my first playthrough. His transformation into a blue eyed, white skinned demon doesn't happen out of the blue; it's a gradual process. It's actually very noticeable once you know it's coming.
 
azeke

azeke

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Oct 30, 2017
1,220
Astana, Kazakhstan
pikachief said:
What are some Metroidvanias that show your upgrades on your person?
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While not sprite itself, but both La-Mulana shows full height drawing of main character wearing all of the equipment:
lamulana-20-480x360.png


pikachief said:
Are there any of which every upgrade changes a cosmetic aspect?
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Very few games overall do this to actual playable character. One of the ones which pulls this feat is Binding of Isaac which has 500+ items of which majority of them change/disfigure the main character. And moreso -- all these cosmetic changes STACK on top of each other (just like their effects):
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