▁the ▁Night ▁the ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁expl oration ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁top - down ▁Zel da ▁approach , ▁but ▁with ▁the ▁side - scroll ing ▁nature , ▁it ▁was ▁compared ▁more ▁to ▁Met roid , ▁and ▁bel ieves ▁this ▁is ▁how ▁the ▁port man te au ▁came ▁about . ▁A ▁similar ▁port man te au ▁" Cast ler oid " ▁is ▁sometimes ▁used ▁as ▁well ▁for ▁describing ▁this ▁genre . ▁Video ▁game ▁journalist ▁Jer emy ▁Par ish , ▁who ▁man ages ▁the ▁Met roid van ia . com ▁site ▁that ▁has ▁attempted ▁to ▁catalog ▁all ▁known ▁Met roid van ia ▁games , ▁acknowled ges ▁he ▁helped ▁to ▁popular ize ▁the ▁term ▁but ▁had ▁learned ▁it ▁from ▁his ▁former ▁co - worker ▁at ▁ 1 UP . com , ▁Scott ▁Sh ar key , ▁who ▁had ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁games ▁in ▁the ▁Cast lev ania ▁series ▁that ▁had ▁adopted ▁some ▁elements ▁from ▁the ▁Met roid ▁series . ▁ ▁Game play ▁concepts ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁' Met roid van ia ' ▁is ▁most ▁often ▁used ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁platform ing ▁game ▁that ▁features ▁a ▁single ▁large , ▁inter connected ▁map , ▁generally ▁with ▁discrete ▁rooms ▁or ▁sections . ▁Not ▁all ▁areas ▁of ▁this ▁map ▁are ▁available ▁at ▁the ▁start , ▁often ▁requiring ▁the ▁player ▁to ▁obtain ▁an ▁item ▁( such ▁as ▁a ▁weapon ▁or ▁key ) ▁or ▁a ▁new ▁character ▁ability ▁to ▁remove ▁some ▁obst acle ▁blocking ▁the ▁path ▁forward . ▁O ften , ▁this ▁item ▁is ▁protected ▁by ▁a