Forma.8 came out last week. It's a clever twist on the metroidvania formula that sees you floating around gorgeous levels acquiring new skills along the way. It's slick and it's ever so slightly lovely.
But it got me thinking about classic metroidvania games you could play on your iPhone. And that in turn set the content alarms screaming in my mind. Plus it's Tuesday, the day when we quite often round up three of the best games in a specific genre.
Everything has fallen nicely into place. So here are the three best metroidvania games you can get on the App Store. Click on the emboldened names below to download them. And if you think I've missed anything, chuck your own suggestions in the comments at the bottom.
A wonderfully difficult game with an art style that wouldn't look out of place on a ZX Spectrum. You're exploring the often bizarre innards of a spaceship, trying to find your friends as you do. It's super tough, and sees you manipulating gravity rather than jumping. If you've not played it before, mobile is as good a place as any to have a crack at it.
Read the Pocket Gamer review here
Another lovingly retro experience, although this time the graphics give a nod and a wink to the Gameboy. It's all about making your way through the titular dungeons, grabbing treasure, and learning new skills to access new areas. Slick and lovely, it's still got some pretty sharp edges as well.
Read the Pocket Gamer review here
Life. There's life on Mars. And you're sent to check it out. There's an inevitable cave-in though, and you find yourself stuck. You're not just fighting the inhabitants of the red planet though, you need to cultivate some of them in order to get to new areas and open up new pathways. It's a wonderful game and well worth sinking a chunk of your time into.
