Ever since I got my hands on my Nintendo Switch (about a month after the incredibly successful, hybrid console was released), I have considered Metroidvanias to be one of my top genres. The odd part is that I have only reached the end of less than half of the Metroidvanias I have played.

My process with each Metroidvania follows a similar order of operations. First comes the OVEREAGER EXPLORER phase. I search and search for any new zones I’m able to enter. At some point, the map becomes much too large and I have no idea where to go next. I continue to run into dead ends, since I haven’t been moving forward in the story and unlocking new abilities — I guess I begin many open world games this same way.

The next phase, we’ll call DEVIATION. My main purpose should always be progressing the main story line (or main quest), but I become easily distracted by any shiny object (or side quests). I forget what a game is even once some young boy pops up and asks me to help him locate his father, or some other side business.

Last comes the QUITTIN’ TIME (or the almost quittin’ time) phase. Any time I become tired or annoyed of getting nowhere through mindless exploration, that’s when I find a new ability. This new ability is the spark of hope that allows me to enter some new areas in the game. Areas that were previously dead ends. I explore some more and the cycle repeats. 

At some point I stop playing. I quit the game, or I somehow get lucky and make it to the end.

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I recently went through this whole ordeal with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, so I decided to take a short break. I found myself reaching more dead ends with no real goal in sight. Side quests kept popping up to keep me busy, and I had no idea what my main goal was any longer.

A few weekends ago, Disney Illusion Island came to mind. It was a game I had bought, but was saving to play with my girlfriend (and possibly some more friends). I had heard it was a great starter Metroidvania and a fun couch co-op. I had previously given her a little taste of the Metroidvania genre with Steamworld Dig.

Disney Illusion Island is the perfect starting point for teaching new gamers (and young kids) about one of my favorite genres — Metroidvanias. The game strips away some of the added features (like combat) and puts the emphasis on exploration. The team at Dlala Studios does a great job of guiding the player(s) through this continuously expanding world, while keeping them on track to move the story forward.

Even though I wanted to play this game to get my girlfriend excited about the genre, it also happened to be a valuable learning experience for myself. As I said, I am always trying to unlock every nook and cranny in these worlds. With every fork in the road, I jot down a mental note to return to the unexplored path. Next thing I know there are multiple forgotten and unexplored paths and I have no idea where to go next.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown really lost my attention when the old man took my “eye” (or map). That’s when I really noticed how off-track I had gone — both in story and on the map. With no access to the map I was completely lost and had lost my motivation.

After we beat Disney Illusion Island in just one weekend, I had a new outlook on how to attack Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and other Metroidvanias. I jumped back in with the help of a guide — to get my stolen map back from the old man. Upon reclaiming my map it was now time to pay more attention to the main quest.

Now, any time I become lost or aggravated I read my main quest goal. I check the map for my main objective and head in that direction. Once I finish Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, I think it may be time to start some of those “unfinished games” — I’ll see you soon Hollow Knight, Metroid Dread, and Axiom Verge.