The original Metroid and Castlevania both turn 40 years old this fall. As the two series most responsible for creating the “metroidvania,” we’re taking this occasion to take a comprehensive view of the popular genre. This is Metroidvania Week.

Metroidvanias are very popular among indie developers, and small studios have produced some of the genre's finest examples. Just one look at Steam presents a dizzying array of search-action games, many of which you probably didn't know existed. 

Among all of these titles, however, there are a few that are special: They're made by Team Ladybug, a Japanese development group whose expertise in the genre is outstanding. While they've made games in other genres--like the excellent arcade shooter Drainus--Team Ladybug specializes in the metroidvania, and they are undisputed masters of their craft. Yet when I hear others wax on about great games in this genre, their works are rarely mentioned. 

I'd like to do something about that. I'm going to recommend you three of Team Ladybug's metroidvania masterpieces: Touhou Luna Nights, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, and Blade Chimera.

Touhou Luna Nights, first released in 2019 on PC and since released on Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, is a strong example of what makes Team Ladybug's games unique and enjoyable. Luna Nights is based on the mythos of the Touhou Project--a popular semi-collaborative setting inspired heavily by Japanese mythology that would require an article of its own to fully explain. Leading lady Sakuya Izayoi is a knife-wielding maid who serves the vampire sisters who reside in the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She's sent to a bizarre parallel dimension for reasons unknown--one that strips her of her unique time-manipulation powers. Sakuya needs to get her powers back, get out of this strange world, and figure out which of the Touhou universe's numerous troublemakers is responsible for everything. 

Touhou Luna Nights borrows bullet hell elements

What sets Luna Nights apart is the integration of distinct game mechanics. While Sakuya starts out devoid of her time-manipulation powers, she gains them back as she progresses, allowing her the ability to slow and freeze time. Different objects, enemies, and hazards react to time manipulation in different ways, and using them well is crucial to both succeeding in combat and getting through some of the more treacherous stretches of the castle. 

"Grazing" enemies and projectile attacks--as in, getting extremely close but not close enough to register damage--is also an important skill to learn, since it restores Sakuya's magic meter. This element serves as a nice little nod to Touhou's foundations as a series of bullet-hell shooters. Add in some gorgeously animated visuals, fun upgrade pickups, and a fantastic soundtrack--Touhou's community is well-known for creating killer tunes--and you've got a very satisfying and challenging outing.

If you, like me, grew up as an anime-watching teenager of the '90s, you likely remember the fantasy OVA series Record of the Lodoss War--and the most popular of its adventurers' party, the high elf Deedlit. After seeing their development prowess, an editor of the Lodoss War novels--the basis for the anime--approached Team Ladybug about making a game based on the series. The result is 2021's Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series. 

Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a visual homage to SOTN

Making a metroidvania out of a series that has its roots in pen-and-paper role-playing fantasy might seem like an odd choice, but it absolutely works. Deedlit finds herself in a strange environment filled with past friends and foes, a maze built from her memories mixed with those of others, for purposes unknown, that she must explore to escape. 

Visually, Wonder Labyrinth feels heavily inspired by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night--with Deedlit's walking animation in particular paying tribute to one of the most influential games in the genre. And while controls and combat also feel very SotN-adjacent, there's a little dash of Ikaruga sprinkled in as well, in the form of Deedlit's wind and fire spirits, Sylph and Salamander. Each spirit grants attack affinity and reduces damage received from their respective elements when at her side. They also give unique movement skills: Sylph allows Deedlit to hover, while Salamander gives her a slide-dodge.

While knowledge of the Lodoss War series might be helpful to getting the most of the game's setting and story (and its surprisingly poignant ending), there's plenty to enjoy here for non-fans simply looking for a good SotN-inspired title. Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth doesn't feel quite as bold in its gameplay choices as either Luna Nights or the next game we'll talk about, but it's packed with action, offers lots to discover, and puts up a solid challenge, while avoiding being overly frustrating.

Team Ladybug's most recent offering--and, in my opinion, easily its best--is Blade Chimera, available on PC and Switch. Unlike Luna Nights or Wonder Labyrinth, Blade Chimera is a wholly original story and setting, taking players to a future in which Osaka is overrun by a plague of demons. Keeping them at bay are the forces of the Holy Order, of which hero Shin is a talented member. However, he soon finds himself attached to an unexpected companion: a light-based demon woman named Lux, who can take the form of a giant sword. Lux soon becomes an indispensable companion for Shin--but her demonic nature makes her a dangerous target for the other members of the Order. Between demonic attacks ramping up and a radical faction of humans who believe in coexistence with demons committing acts of sabotage, Shin's got plenty to deal with.

Blade Chimera's blends a near-future setting with yokai-like demons

Besides the usual high quality of the 2D visuals, Blade Chimera showcases how good Team Ladybug is at creating atmosphere and storytelling. Since the story and characters are their own creation, they're free to take them in whatever direction they please, and they successfully weave an engaging, intriguing saga with great characters and surprise twists. Backgrounds and enemy designs are packed with fun details that make exploration feel even more rewarding, too--I'm not sure why Team Ladybug painstakingly recreated actual movie posters in tiny sprite sizes as background elements, but the team did, and it's fantastic.

But what really makes Blade Chimera special is Lux, and how Shin is able to make use of her abilities for movement, attack, and defense. Since Lux is usually in sword form, she can be launched to attack in conjunction with Shin's standard weapons, and enemies she defeats restore Shin's health. You can also use Lux defensively: Stick her in the ground to create a small barrier, or launch her ahead while holding down the button to have her spin in place and attack rapidly or deflect enemy attacks. Keep her in the ground as you move away, and you can call her back to you and deal huge damage to any enemies she hits as she flies to your side. Lux can even help scale walls: Embed her in the side of a structure and use her flat side as a platform for climbing. 

Lux also has the ability to reverse the effects of time on certain objects, which lets her move heavy objects and restore broken structures, and--as a light demon--can partially illuminate dark areas. However, she's extremely vulnerable to UV rays, which are often shining in very inconvenient locations. Using Lux's and Shin's movement and combat abilities in tandem is tremendously enjoyable, and the two have fantastic chemistry, both in gameplay and story.

Shin's companion demon Lux offers a wide array of special abilities

If there's one big knock against Blade Chimera, it's that it's notably easier than Team Ladybug's other offerings--not a cakewalk by any means, but experienced metroidvania players will likely be able to figure out ability and equipment loadouts to make short work of many enemies and bosses. But that doesn't take away from the game at all--it's a fantastic ride from beginning to end, and among my favorite games in the genre.

Hopefully I've managed to convince you that one (or all) of these games are worth checking out. But maybe you're still on the fence. While I certainly believe these games are more than worth their full asking price, they often feature in digital storefront sales, so try picking one up at a discount. Hopefully, you'll come right back and grab the rest as well.