▁elements ▁associated ▁with ▁Met roid van ias ▁but ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁considered ▁true ▁Met roid van ias , ▁including ▁games ▁like ▁Cast lev ania ▁II : ▁Simon ' s ▁Qu est ▁( 1 9 8 7 ), ▁Leg acy ▁of ▁the ▁W izard ▁( 1 9 8 7 ), ▁Advent ure ▁Island ▁IV ▁( 1 9 9 4 ). ▁They ▁argue ▁that ▁such ▁games , ▁while ▁having ▁ 2 D ▁platform ing ▁game play ▁and ▁power - up ▁based ▁pro gression ▁systems , ▁lack ed ▁good ▁level ▁design , ▁which ▁at ▁their ▁time ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁well - ref ined ▁in ▁the ▁industry , ▁and ▁provided ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁information ▁relay ed ▁to ▁the ▁player ▁to ▁help ▁them ▁to ▁know ▁where ▁to ▁go ▁next , ▁exempl ified ▁by ▁the ▁crypt ic ▁cl ues ▁from ▁Simon ' s ▁Qu est . ▁The ▁three ▁also ▁agreed ▁that ▁as ▁games ▁transition ed ▁from ▁ 2 D ▁to ▁ 3 D , ▁the ▁true ▁meaning ▁of ▁" Met roid van ia " ▁had ▁become ▁dil uted , ▁as ▁ 3 D - based ▁games ▁can ▁hide ▁fac ets ▁of ▁Met roid van ias . ▁ ▁Analysis ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁Met roid van ia ▁genre ▁is ▁stated ▁to ▁be ▁tied ▁to ▁the ▁ease ▁with ▁which ▁platform er ▁games ▁can ▁be ▁learned ▁and ▁master ed , ▁while ▁giving ▁the ▁player ▁a ▁character ▁that ▁they ▁can ▁grow ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁game . ▁Many ▁developers ▁of ▁independent ▁Met roid van ia ▁titles ▁c ited ▁the ▁expl oration