Metroidvania

A Metroidvania, also known as Search Action in Japan, is a sub-genre of action-adventure games focused on nonlinear exploration and guided progression with a need to acquire key items to enter certain areas. The term is a portmanteau of the names of the video game series Metroid and Castlevania, based on the template from Metroid (1986), Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987), Super Metroid (1994), and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997), among others in their respective series.