Top 10 Metroidvania Power-ups and Abilities

It's been almost 20 years since the last new 2D Metroid entry, and the Metroidvania genre has seen a massive influx of stellar games since then. To celebrate the release of Metroid Dread, I look back at my favorite Metroidvania games and try to rank my top 10 favorite powerups.

Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know what your top Metroidvanias and powerups are in the comments!

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Thanks to Snoman Gameplay for allowing free use of his library of gaming clips.

0:00 Intro
1:16 #10
2:11 #9
3:15 #8
4:25 #7
5:52 #6
7:18 #5
9:07 #4
10:37 #3
11:52 #2
14:08 #1
16:06 Outro

#metroidvania #metroiddread #gaming

[evancarestia]

This might not count as an upgrade necessarily, but having the downward slash refresh your double jump in hollow knight was such an amazing feature!

[blau]

Mechanically, Ori's Bash is almost the same at it's core as the Ice Beam from Metroid, turning enemies into something that actually complements the core gameplay, a platforming challenge. But it's more refined.

The Speedbooster belonged on this list, no ifs or buts. And certainly not the Super Missile, what a knucklehead pick. The speedbooster might be the most complementory game mechanic to a Metroidvania's core gameplay, with how it asks you to think of the map as a whole. The map you have been exploring back and forth and memorizing more and more of throughout the game.

[weldlu]

If you haven't played 'webbed', I felt as though they did the grapple ability really well. I mean, it's the main mechanic of the game. You play as a spider haha

[type-moonfag]

the bash is also my number one pick, and i don't think ori 1 is in my top 10 metroidvanias either so that's how good it is, the moment you get it it recontextualizes all of what you've seen up to that point and changes the game drastically for the better

[Astrovite]

5:55 Axiom Verge has one of my favorite mobility upgrades of all time. The drone teleport is fantastic for sure, but the Red Lab Coat makes backtracking an absolute breeze. The Brown Coat is pretty awesome too but when I got the Red one, I felt like a god.

I also really enjoy the wall jumping in Super Metroid because it feels really satisfying when you get it down.

[timbo]

Kinda surprised Metroids Speed Booster/Shinespark didn't make it to the list especially it's iteration in Dread. Easily my top 1 ability and it's not even close. You feel unstoppable and powerful but at the same time it's balanced because you can't pull it off that easily but when you do you feel like a god. It's pretty versatile to use and overall just perfect with addictive sfx and animations.

[SuperVillianStudios]

Just discovering this channel. Really love hearing his opinion on various roguelite/metroidvanias elements. Very thought provoking stuff!

[rmt]

All of these seem awesome, and I'll definitely be incorporating some of these.
Gave me the idea for a wing gage, to make it like a prolonged double jump.

[guii]

very good video! In my opinion, abilities that flow with combat are the best, like dash, bash or "pogo jump".

[ReadyAimFire_]

Id say double jump is most influential, nowadays it is present in 90% of games.

[johanandersson]

Been thinking more about this subject. For me the top three games with the most fun abilities are axiom verge, dread and will of the wisps. Burrow is so fun but of course good level design is a big part of it.

[Poniksei]

Thank you for talking about the drone from axiom verge, I've been designing concepts for a witch themed metroidvania and I wanted puzzle sections with a familiar that you control and seeing it work somewhere else makes me feel much more confident about including it 😊

[azuarc]

I found Bash to be one of the most frustrating abilities to use in any game. It's annoying to use for sending yourself in a direction, especially in frantic escape sequences where you have to use it repeatedly, but where it really sucks is when they expect you to aim a projectile in the *reverse* direction because there's very little indication exactly which way that was. In the area where you get it, there's a couple spots where you're expected to bash a slow projectile and then quick catch up to it, and bash it in another direction, aiming at a target that takes at least 3 bashes, each of which have to be just right in order for the next one to not be at an impossible angle, and I just find it so, so aggravating due to the precision required. I think there may be a controller vs M&KB argument here, but I almost didn't want to play Ori 2 for fear I'd have to deal with it. Thankfully they mostly minimized it in Will of the Wisps.

[lukostello]

should have shown Supraland and some point. Every upgrade in that game is like "no way the devs just gave me this ability, this completely breaks the game and there is no way thier going to contain me now" Then the devs manage to contain you for the most part but it doesn't stop you from climbing random stuff just to see if you can. My favorite example is a tool that allows you to make a rope that connects from any 2 points apart that you can climb.

[Enkeria]

Tried all of these, and finished none, since they are skill-based. I am a fan of Igavanias though, which are item-based, its nice. Thanks for the list though, taking notes. And the Ori Bash or what not, is Shanoas main movement ability in Order of Ecclesia, an Igavania.

[boredbales]

Ender Lilies grapple is king, but that game also had some of the most unique movement options. I'm surprised you didn't list anything from it.

[dasgehtdichnichtsan]

You talk about "Metroidvania games" without mentioning a single Castlevania game. And that's despite the fact that the series coined the term metroidvania in the first place.

What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk... Have at you!

[shock]

I'm guessing that Dread came out after this video, because there's no possible way that Dread's speed booster could have missed being on the list 😅

[pauljackson]

I don't know how common it is but dash like in HK could be good.
Though they are not Metroidvanias the double jump exists in some games like the Wii LEGO games.
The wall jump is also in the very old NES game Ninja Gaiden.

[PrintCrizz]

a list of metroidVANIA power ups but no Castlevania reference? what a shame