Just started played Wolfenstein: The New Order. So good so far.
Wolfenstein: The New Order was so good. They could have just dropped a decent 6/10 mindless shooter with some idtech 5 magic and the Wolfenstein license and called it a day, but instead they decided to give us the best FPS since Half Life 2.
Weirdly enough my favorite moment in the game happened when I accidentally fell off of a ledge in the bridge level
BJ muttered "stupid way to die" right before he hit the water
My only wish is that the game would have spent a little more time on the Motherfuckin' Moon, but all in all it's a minor complaint.
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
I mean, I think I'm slowly figuring out Stardew Valley and what sort of game it is, versus maybe what sort of game I thought it was.
We just had the Egg Festival in town, so I went around talking to everyone but still only have 27/28 people introduced. I'm sure I'll figure out who I'm missing someday.
Also I got 6 eggs and lost to Abigail, and the Mayor conveniently did not say how many eggs she found. With the person who drags your body home at night if you pass out somewhere and steals your money, the sewer monster, and the homeless guy who gets abused by the townsfolk, I'm beginning to think this town is more like the one in Hot Fuzz in that it just looks nice and pretty but actually deserves to be razed/burnt to the ground.
A common theme among many villagers is that the town is not in good shape when you arrive and where you (and Leah) chose to run away from it all is a place where dreams go to die for others. You help to improve things but it's definitely not as idyllic a view of rural life as Harvest Moon is.
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
I'm really not looking forward to having to plot out exactly which quests to do to get all the shares up while dumping the "others" shares in Re;Birth1. Is any of that story influenced, or is it all the quests?
I make art things! deviantART:Kalnaur ::: Origin: Kalnaur ::: UPlay: Kalnaur
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
I'm really not looking forward to having to plot out exactly which quests to do to get all the shares up while dumping the "others" shares in Re;Birth1. Is any of that story influenced, or is it all the quests?
In RB1 it's Quests and Coliseum. It's absolutely possible to get the Shares done right at the end, though the grind may wear you out a bit.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
forgot to post this yesterday, Thanks @Gear Girl for to the moon, and thanks @Heatwave for trying to gift me Ori, (which i had to respectfully decline, as i already have it on the xbone)
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
I'm really not looking forward to having to plot out exactly which quests to do to get all the shares up while dumping the "others" shares in Re;Birth1. Is any of that story influenced, or is it all the quests?
In RB1 it's Quests and Coliseum. It's absolutely possible to get the Shares done right at the end, though the grind may wear you out a bit.
Yeah, you don't need to worry about share distribution until the very end of the game, right before the final dungeon, and by then you'll have all the repeatable quests available, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Re;Birth 2 is where it's a slog, because that game has so many endings. Shares are completely irrelevant in RB3 - The ending there just depends on whether you've seen/done certain sets of optional things.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
0
HiT BiT🍒 Fresh, straight from Pac-man'sRegistered Userregular
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
I'm really not looking forward to having to plot out exactly which quests to do to get all the shares up while dumping the "others" shares in Re;Birth1. Is any of that story influenced, or is it all the quests?
In RB1 it's Quests and Coliseum. It's absolutely possible to get the Shares done right at the end, though the grind may wear you out a bit.
Yeah, you don't need to worry about share distribution until the very end of the game, right before the final dungeon, and by then you'll have all the repeatable quests available, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Re;Birth 2 is where it's a slog, because that game has so many endings. Shares are completely irrelevant in RB3 - The ending there just depends on whether you've seen/done certain sets of optional things.
Are those suggested levels of 999 in the coliseum serious? I'm barely level 55 in the beginning of chapter . . . 7? There's just no way I'm grinding to 999. Nothing could be worth that many hours of mindless grind.
I'm doing better with money now that I went and hunted down the components for the credits up plan, and have 100% stopped trying to by any new outfits or hair accessories for my characters. Which is sad, because that's one of the parts I like the most is dressing them up in stuff.
It's still a fun game, but over time, the plan/Remake system has shown its problems. I'm constantly needing to look up where to get what bit of whatever on the net, instead of having a more robust way to hunt down materials and bits, and the entire dungeon system is basically reused environment assets with harder enemies and sometimes an extra side path, or the area mirrored. I do have to remember that they were (if I remember right) handheld games originally, and there's only so much room to use. But the game is at its best when it's riffing on video game and pop culture, I think.
Edit: I did not remember right. The first games were PS3 games.
Kalnaur on
I make art things! deviantART:Kalnaur ::: Origin: Kalnaur ::: UPlay: Kalnaur
Well, dang. End of a era, I guess, since it's finally here.
EDIT: Heh, on the back of the box, under Key Features: "This one really hard puzzle that you won't get but you'll look it up online and not tell anybody."
PMAvers on
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
It was super easy and super quick game.
Good pixel art, decent controls, and decent sound track.
I liked the weapon level up system.
It is not a metroidvania, but it appears many people, including steam, has labeled it as such.
If you are looking for a metroidvania, I would say to you: avoid Cave Story.
My overall review: not recommended. Sadly.
Did you get the secret ending?
0
Kai_SanCommonly known as Klineshrike!Registered Userregular
Cave story has some incredible combat, a great soundtrack and art, and one of the best extra areas i have played in awhile. I think though that you need to enjoy a challenging game to get the most out of it though. I was able to finish everything but the extra area on the difficulty where you only get 3 health and a lot of the fights are much more interesting at that difficulty.
I also thought the story was surprisingly interesting. Though a lot of it is hidden behind that extra zone ending. Of which you will likely never find without looking it up and need to be able to handle a really hard challenge.
Based on that picture he absolutely didn't get said ending.
+3
SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
Cave Story is a game I've been wanting to play through for a long time. I experienced the free version first, got to some boss I couldn't beat, and just sorta stopped playing. Then I got the Wii version and stopped while I waited for them to fix the sound...which, by the time they did fix it, I had lost interest in picking up where I left off.
Got the Steam version and made it to the same boss I'd originally encountered before. I'm not sure if I beat that thing or not.
The developer put out another game a year ago called Kero Blaster which I haven't played; in fact, I looked up a trailer for this post and this was the first time I actually watched footage of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej2AtlVNvjM
I didn't really enjoy the combat of Cave Story, myself. The way they made movement and aiming use the same keys just controlled so awkwardly. Oddly enough I did enjoy the challenge of it, despite that.
0
HeatwaveCome, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered Userregular
forgot to post this yesterday, Thanks @Gear Girl for to the moon, and thanks @Heatwave for trying to gift me Ori, (which i had to respectfully decline, as i already have it on the xbone)
Hiiiiissss!
Oh well I suppose I have another game for a giveaway then :razz:
BeryllineOne Tiara to rule them allRegistered Userregular
Berry's Summer Charity Game Challenge
26. Legends of Solitaire: Curse of the Dragons
It's been a while since I've finished a game. This, as you can probably tell, is a solitaire game. It has a fantasy theme, but the story is painfully generic. (Periodically dragons appear and lay waste to the countryside. Gather a random band of individuals as you journey to defeat them once and for all. Ugh.) The solitaire itself is decent. There are some strange quirks though. Sometimes cards will be covered in vines, or ice, or rock. Different tools take care of these. Once you get one (such as a sword for the vines), it stays. So, you'll still have to cut vines throughout the game, but you have the sword in your inventory and can use it any time. The game does offer a few difficulty levels though, so it's possible this mechanic works differently at higher difficulties. One thing it does really well is to offer a lot of solitaire for the price. There are 40 stages, each composed of 10 games. You have goals to accomplish in each stage before you can progress, such as get a particular number of perfects and earn a certain amount of coin. It took me about 16 hours to get through them all. It also offers a free play mode, so you can have as much solitaire as you want for $5 (or even cheaper in a few weeks). That said, there are better options out there if you're looking for themed solitaire (and if you're not, you could probably be playing regular solitaire for free). I'm a fan of Regency Solitaire and Faerie Solitaire. I picked this one up during the last winter sale, so it's been in the backlog for less than a year.
It was a very sudden ending however, like it's saying "Go back and do it right!". I can certainly start a New Game + and blaze through to the Good and/or True Endings, or shelve it for later and move on to Nep U or V II.
If all you got was the Normal ending, you're missing out on whole chapters of the game.
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
I'm really not looking forward to having to plot out exactly which quests to do to get all the shares up while dumping the "others" shares in Re;Birth1. Is any of that story influenced, or is it all the quests?
In RB1 it's Quests and Coliseum. It's absolutely possible to get the Shares done right at the end, though the grind may wear you out a bit.
Yeah, you don't need to worry about share distribution until the very end of the game, right before the final dungeon, and by then you'll have all the repeatable quests available, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Re;Birth 2 is where it's a slog, because that game has so many endings. Shares are completely irrelevant in RB3 - The ending there just depends on whether you've seen/done certain sets of optional things.
Are those suggested levels of 999 in the coliseum serious? I'm barely level 55 in the beginning of chapter . . . 7? There's just no way I'm grinding to 999. Nothing could be worth that many hours of mindless grind.
I'm doing better with money now that I went and hunted down the components for the credits up plan, and have 100% stopped trying to by any new outfits or hair accessories for my characters. Which is sad, because that's one of the parts I like the most is dressing them up in stuff.
It's still a fun game, but over time, the plan/Remake system has shown its problems. I'm constantly needing to look up where to get what bit of whatever on the net, instead of having a more robust way to hunt down materials and bits, and the entire dungeon system is basically reused environment assets with harder enemies and sometimes an extra side path, or the area mirrored. I do have to remember that they were (if I remember right) handheld games originally, and there's only so much room to use. But the game is at its best when it's riffing on video game and pop culture, I think.
Edit: I did not remember right. The first games were PS3 games.
The regular level cap is 99 - the extra levels and fights were added in DLC that also includes extra dungeons with higher level enemies that give more experience and money, so the grind isn't nearly as bad as it seems.
Looking up where to find materials you need is a pain, I agree. You can check what a monster drops and what dungeon you find it in the in-game bestiary, but you can't automatically cross-reference it with quests. That was eventually fixed in RB3.
As for the asset reuse, well, Idea Factory/Compile Heart were never exactly big budget/AAA operations, to put it mildly. They have a whole bunch of monster designs they reuse between franchises, never mind games.
It was super easy and super quick game.
Good pixel art, decent controls, and decent sound track.
I liked the weapon level up system.
It is not a metroidvania, but it appears many people, including steam, has labeled it as such.
If you are looking for a metroidvania, I would say to you: avoid Cave Story.
My overall review: not recommended. Sadly.
What do you classify as a metroidvania, if Cave Story doesn't fit the label?
It's a 2D platformer where you have to explore an interconnected world and acquire new items to unlock new areas. That sounds absolutely like a metroidvania to me.
It was super easy and super quick game.
Good pixel art, decent controls, and decent sound track.
I liked the weapon level up system.
It is not a metroidvania, but it appears many people, including steam, has labeled it as such.
If you are looking for a metroidvania, I would say to you: avoid Cave Story.
My overall review: not recommended. Sadly.
What do you classify as a metroidvania, if Cave Story doesn't fit the label?
It's a 2D platformer where you have to explore an interconnected world and acquire new items to unlock new areas. That sounds absolutely like a metroidvania to me.
It's pretty much entirely linear. You can backtrack, but save for an amount of secrets that can be counted on one hand there's no reason to.
It's pretty much entirely linear. You can backtrack, but save for an amount of secrets that can be counted on one hand there's no reason to.
This.
Just zero freedom. In super metroid, you could do bosses in just about any order (not ALL, but most).
You could go through the lava (hurty) zone without the needed suit, sure it was tough, but you could do it.
And I have no idea if I got the secret ending. But I have zero interest in playing through it again.
0
Kai_SanCommonly known as Klineshrike!Registered Userregular
It's pretty much entirely linear. You can backtrack, but save for an amount of secrets that can be counted on one hand there's no reason to.
This.
Just zero freedom. In super metroid, you could do bosses in just about any order (not ALL, but most).
You could go through the lava (hurty) zone without the needed suit, sure it was tough, but you could do it.
And I have no idea if I got the secret ending. But I have zero interest in playing through it again.
No like I wasn't guessing. I KNOW you didn't get it. Not only because you listed the game as easy, but because the ending screen you posted is outright from the normal ending.
But yeah, you would need to start over again because getting it involved multiple one chance events. One of which can be a huge pain in the ass and requires a game reload every time you screw up.
The reward is a good portion of the story you miss out on, of which I think is worth seeing. And a great challenge I rank up there with some of the best in gaming.
As for the metdriodvania part, that has already been explained by everyone else. It is only really metroid and little vania. It plays like metroid with its weapons and the fact there are collectibles but that is it.
Hey there Steam thread! In the spirit of the season, I have a video card that needs a home. I recently upgraded and don't need this little guy anymore. It's an EVGA GeForce 660 Ti. A couple years old, but it'll run most stuff just great! I was playing Fallout 4 no problems (granted, not at high settings). I'll handle everything, I just need to know where to send it! So......any takers? @ or PM me!
+28
KalnaurI See Rain . . .Centralia, WARegistered Userregular
edited December 2016
Whenever games hide swathes of story behind difficulty level or skill walls or one-time missable events, it makes me just want to watch whatever I missed on YouTube.
Kalnaur on
I make art things! deviantART:Kalnaur ::: Origin: Kalnaur ::: UPlay: Kalnaur
Posts
Thanks, good sir! I shall redeem and mark as such when back in front of my computer. Cheers, you classy chap!
Steam | XBL
Could have sworn I got this lady. At least her portrait seems familiar. Maybe talking to her during the Egg Festival doesn't count.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
That's Leah. She's the best.
Location hints:
Wolfenstein: The New Order was so good. They could have just dropped a decent 6/10 mindless shooter with some idtech 5 magic and the Wolfenstein license and called it a day, but instead they decided to give us the best FPS since Half Life 2.
Weirdly enough my favorite moment in the game happened when I accidentally fell off of a ledge in the bridge level
My only wish is that the game would have spent a little more time on the Motherfuckin' Moon, but all in all it's a minor complaint.
The character creator has 5 different sliders to adjust boobs.
Five.
FIVE SLIDERS.
Just for boobs.
Size, X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, and rotation. Make them into corkscrews or drills.
Gamertag: PrimusD | Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Yeah, the same thing happened to me in RB2. I was like, "That's it?" that time too.
I did try to start a New Game + a few hours later. Holy crap the first random battles will tear you apart! I need to grind up a bit in my old save before I try it again.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
Backlog Challenge List
Well, we'll see you in a couple days once you're finished making your first character, then.
You can get the Good/True endings on your first playthrough, if you have a save back before the point of no return.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
A common theme among many villagers is that the town is not in good shape when you arrive and where you (and Leah) chose to run away from it all is a place where dreams go to die for others. You help to improve things but it's definitely not as idyllic a view of rural life as Harvest Moon is.
Steam Profile
3DS: 3454-0268-5595 Battle.net: SteelAngel#1772
Man, China must be behind korea in the character creation department.
I'm really not looking forward to having to plot out exactly which quests to do to get all the shares up while dumping the "others" shares in Re;Birth1. Is any of that story influenced, or is it all the quests?
You jest, but I'm still waiting for her to post definitive proof she's started Fallout 4.
XBL : lJesse Custerl | MWO: Jesse Custer | Best vid ever. | 2nd best vid ever.
In RB1 it's Quests and Coliseum. It's absolutely possible to get the Shares done right at the end, though the grind may wear you out a bit.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
Backlog Challenge List
I've seen dozens of screenshots of her characters in various outfits!
Gamertag: PrimusD | Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Yeah... I have several characters at various stages of the game and one that finished it. So nener nener!
What about all the DLC?!
gamertag:Maguano71
Switch:SW-8428-8279-1687
Yeah, you don't need to worry about share distribution until the very end of the game, right before the final dungeon, and by then you'll have all the repeatable quests available, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Re;Birth 2 is where it's a slog, because that game has so many endings. Shares are completely irrelevant in RB3 - The ending there just depends on whether you've seen/done certain sets of optional things.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
Are those suggested levels of 999 in the coliseum serious? I'm barely level 55 in the beginning of chapter . . . 7? There's just no way I'm grinding to 999. Nothing could be worth that many hours of mindless grind.
I'm doing better with money now that I went and hunted down the components for the credits up plan, and have 100% stopped trying to by any new outfits or hair accessories for my characters. Which is sad, because that's one of the parts I like the most is dressing them up in stuff.
It's still a fun game, but over time, the plan/Remake system has shown its problems. I'm constantly needing to look up where to get what bit of whatever on the net, instead of having a more robust way to hunt down materials and bits, and the entire dungeon system is basically reused environment assets with harder enemies and sometimes an extra side path, or the area mirrored. I do have to remember that they were (if I remember right) handheld games originally, and there's only so much room to use. But the game is at its best when it's riffing on video game and pop culture, I think.
Edit: I did not remember right. The first games were PS3 games.
It was super easy and super quick game.
Good pixel art, decent controls, and decent sound track.
I liked the weapon level up system.
It is not a metroidvania, but it appears many people, including steam, has labeled it as such.
If you are looking for a metroidvania, I would say to you: avoid Cave Story.
My overall review: not recommended. Sadly.
EDIT: Heh, on the back of the box, under Key Features: "This one really hard puzzle that you won't get but you'll look it up online and not tell anybody."
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
I also thought the story was surprisingly interesting. Though a lot of it is hidden behind that extra zone ending. Of which you will likely never find without looking it up and need to be able to handle a really hard challenge.
Based on that picture he absolutely didn't get said ending.
Got the Steam version and made it to the same boss I'd originally encountered before. I'm not sure if I beat that thing or not.
The developer put out another game a year ago called Kero Blaster which I haven't played; in fact, I looked up a trailer for this post and this was the first time I actually watched footage of it:
He also put out a free-to-play game set in the same world as Kero Blaster called Pink Heaven.
Oh well I suppose I have another game for a giveaway then :razz:
Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
26. Legends of Solitaire: Curse of the Dragons
It's been a while since I've finished a game. This, as you can probably tell, is a solitaire game. It has a fantasy theme, but the story is painfully generic. (Periodically dragons appear and lay waste to the countryside. Gather a random band of individuals as you journey to defeat them once and for all. Ugh.) The solitaire itself is decent. There are some strange quirks though. Sometimes cards will be covered in vines, or ice, or rock. Different tools take care of these. Once you get one (such as a sword for the vines), it stays. So, you'll still have to cut vines throughout the game, but you have the sword in your inventory and can use it any time. The game does offer a few difficulty levels though, so it's possible this mechanic works differently at higher difficulties. One thing it does really well is to offer a lot of solitaire for the price. There are 40 stages, each composed of 10 games. You have goals to accomplish in each stage before you can progress, such as get a particular number of perfects and earn a certain amount of coin. It took me about 16 hours to get through them all. It also offers a free play mode, so you can have as much solitaire as you want for $5 (or even cheaper in a few weeks). That said, there are better options out there if you're looking for themed solitaire (and if you're not, you could probably be playing regular solitaire for free). I'm a fan of Regency Solitaire and Faerie Solitaire. I picked this one up during the last winter sale, so it's been in the backlog for less than a year.
Screenshots
The regular level cap is 99 - the extra levels and fights were added in DLC that also includes extra dungeons with higher level enemies that give more experience and money, so the grind isn't nearly as bad as it seems.
Looking up where to find materials you need is a pain, I agree. You can check what a monster drops and what dungeon you find it in the in-game bestiary, but you can't automatically cross-reference it with quests. That was eventually fixed in RB3.
As for the asset reuse, well, Idea Factory/Compile Heart were never exactly big budget/AAA operations, to put it mildly. They have a whole bunch of monster designs they reuse between franchises, never mind games.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO SIT IN THE BIG CHAIR, MEG!
What do you classify as a metroidvania, if Cave Story doesn't fit the label?
It's a 2D platformer where you have to explore an interconnected world and acquire new items to unlock new areas. That sounds absolutely like a metroidvania to me.
Just zero freedom. In super metroid, you could do bosses in just about any order (not ALL, but most).
You could go through the lava (hurty) zone without the needed suit, sure it was tough, but you could do it.
And I have no idea if I got the secret ending. But I have zero interest in playing through it again.
No like I wasn't guessing. I KNOW you didn't get it. Not only because you listed the game as easy, but because the ending screen you posted is outright from the normal ending.
But yeah, you would need to start over again because getting it involved multiple one chance events. One of which can be a huge pain in the ass and requires a game reload every time you screw up.
The reward is a good portion of the story you miss out on, of which I think is worth seeing. And a great challenge I rank up there with some of the best in gaming.
As for the metdriodvania part, that has already been explained by everyone else. It is only really metroid and little vania. It plays like metroid with its weapons and the fact there are collectibles but that is it.