The metroidvania genre has been having quite a moment of late. Metroidvania may be an irritating word that sends many people into paroxysms of rage, but that doesnt make it any less useful a word. When someone says metroidvania, you know exactly what they mean: A 2D platformer based around exploration and character progression, built in the style of Metroid and the latter-day Castlevania games.
Source: N4G PC The 12 best indie metroidvania games