Metroid Prime has *nothing* to do with Metroid.

Apart from plot-wise and gameplay-wise?

Well since Cave Story and La-Mulana have been recommended by a few people I'll suggest
Momodora 1 and 2, it's looks and plays alot like Cave story and like the orginal Cave Story and La mulana both games are free

gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxzGijRPnNY

Site to get Momodora 1
http://www.elektrobear.com/rdein/

Momodora 2: http://www.bombservice.com/rdein/momodora2.html

LOL, even the biggest brainwashed Nintendo zealot can't help but agree that the gameplay is nothing at all similar.

I am a huge fan of the 2D Metroid games and wish they'd make more of them. Having said that, the only real difference I see in the Prime games is the perspective.

When I play Super Metroid, I see a game about exploring a huge map and finding power ups, with progress limited only by your current abilities.
When I play Metroid Prime, I see a game about exploring a huge map and finding power ups, with progress limited only by your current abilities.

Perhaps, when you play Super Metroid you see a platformer and when you play Metroid Prime you see a first person shooter. That's just a guess, since you haven't given any reasons that you think they're nothing alike, I can only assume you just don't "get" Metroid games.

How about Laser Cat for a Metroidvania title? It's similar to VVVVV except it's lighter and less epic. Probably a little easier too. It's on Desura and XBLIG. I had a good time with it...

Unepic and Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space.

Hmmm, it's definitely an exploratory platformer... but I wouldn't call Laser Cat and VVVVVV Metroidvanias. Not enough (if any) ability granting power ups and too much focus on platforming challenge. Good games though...

Thanks for the suggestions, will sure try them both out. Personally I'm a big Cave Story fan and I'm interested in anything CS inspired.

Yeah, I think it's funny that people think that Super Metroid has no shooting, and Metroid Prime has no platforming. They're both action-adventure games with platforming and shooting elements. The only meaningful difference is 2D vs 3D and the perspective.

As for the 2D style, I prefer to call them "Metroidlikes". The Castlevania games are just copycats, albeit very good ones (especially Aria/Dawn of Sorrow). If you have a Wii, be sure to check out the NES versions of Rygar and Blaster Master on Virtual Console as well. On PC, I think it is more limited.

Lol, I am the "Bobby Fischer" of Super Metroid. Claiming that I don't "get" Metroid is about as snobbish and far off comment you could have made.

When I play Super Metroid, I see Super Metroid. When I play Metroid Prime, I see Generic Scifi FPS #43. Metroid is about caverns, tunnels, and exploration, not strafing and scanning.

Metroid Prime has all of those things. In a 3D perspective. If you didn't like the Prime games, fine. Just don't say that they have nothing in common with the other Metroid games.

Didn't see Delver mentioned, so

http://www.delvergame.com/

Looks very inviting xD

You deserved it, you didn't give any reasons.

Calling Prime a FPS is like calling Super Metroid a platformer. Yes Prime is first person and yes you shoot, but those elements don't make something a FPS. Interpreting the name of a genre so literally would also make Metroid an adventure game.
Metroid Prime is full of caverns, tunnels and exploration. If you can't see past the change in perspective then frankly you come across as a snob.
I think the term Metroidvania was originally coined as a name specifically for the copycat Castlevania games, since they weren't much like the previous linear Castlevania games. You're right to call the other ones Metroidlikes since they pretty much all trace their roots back to Metroid.