• The History of Metroidvania: Decade One--1980-1990 by Parish, Jeremy
1 1

The History of Metroidvania: Decade One--1980-1990

The History of Metroidvania: Decade One--1980-1990

By Jeremy Parish
Hardcover
$54.99
$54.99
Sale Sold out
A chronological journey through gaming's least linear format: the action RPG.

The metroidvania genre has become a staple of video gaming. From solo indie development operations to big-budget creations by the industry's top studios, these exploratory action games with heavy role-playing influences are everywhere.

But where did they come from in the first place? Although the genre's name might appear to hold the answer--a combination of Nintendo's sci-fi adventure Metroid and Konami's monster-movie action series Castlevania--the metroidvania draws from a far wider range of influences.

The History of Metroidvania: Decade One turns back the clock to trace the primal origins of one of the most popular and enduring video game formats. The story begins years before anyone had conceived of the name metroidvania--before the first Metroid and Castlevania games had even arrived on the scene.

In this exhaustively researched publication, you'll see how gaming trends of the early 1980s came together to give us initial expressions of the metroidvania concept, and how the design language of the genre evolved over the course of the 8-bit hardware era. From text-based adventures to coin-op tests of pure dexterity, the metroidvania took its cues from early computer hits and best-selling console masterpieces, evolving alongside the medium itself.

Like the genre itself, the early history of the metroidvania features plenty of surprises and dead ends along the way, but ultimately leads to a satisfying conclusion.

Author: Jeremy Parish
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Dark Horse Books
Published: 03/03/2026
Pages: 232
Weight: 3.5lbs
Size: 12.00h x 9.10w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781506754543

About The Author
Jeremy Parish has been writing about video game history for so long that his earliest efforts have long since been lost to the dustbin of history themselves. After a decade and a half of attempting to engage with gaming's present at sites like 1UP, IGN, and USgamer, he now spends all his creative energy recounting the medium's origins as Media Curator at Limited Run Games, the producer of the "Video Works" YouTube series, and occasional host of the Retronauts classic gaming podcast. He currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife Cat and an absolute five-alarm fire hazard of a retrogaming capture setup.
View full details

    Mangaka Spotlight

    Discover the works of Tatsuki Fujimoto

    From Fire Punch to Look Back & everything in between, there’s more to explore than just Chainsaw Man.

    Shop Now
    height

    Mangaka Spotlight

    Junji Ito: King of Horror Manga

    Dare to dive into the macabre worlds of iconic works like Tomie, Uzumaki and so much more!

    Shop Now
    height

    Mangaka Spotlight

    The fabulous worlds of Ai Yazawa

    Fashion, drama, and rock-n-roll; Explore the cult-classic josei works by beloved icon, Ai Yazawa.

    Shop Now
    height

Shop by genre

solo star Here to help

Frequently asked questions

You’ve asked, we answered.

Visit FAQ Page

Do you offer free shipping?

We offer free shipping on all orders over $75.

As a small, growing shop, we partner with trusted distributors to ship books directly to you. This allows us to offer a much wider selection while we build toward our first physical space.

We also use tiered shipping, which means the more you add to your cart, the lower the shipping cost per book becomes. So that means, even if you’re not quite at $75 yet, it often makes sense to grab one more volume and save overall.

Why shop with you instead of big retailers?

Every order supports a small, Latina-owned manga shop built by real fans who care deeply about the stories, the art, and the culture around it.

We curate with intention, not algorithms, and we’re building something bigger than a storefront: a space for collectors, readers, and fans to connect.

What is your return policy?

Because of how we currently fulfill orders, we’re not able to accept general returns at this time.

The only exception is if your order arrives damaged or incorrect. If you experience either, please reach out to us at casitademanga@gmail.com
and we’ll be more than happy to personally help you with a damage/error return.

Can I cancel or change my order?

We move quickly to get your order on its way.

If you need to make a change, contact us as soon as possible and we’ll do our best to catch it before it ships. Once it’s on the way, we’re unable to modify the order.