Games That Invented Genres?

[farlaff]

Tober said:

A game might not be the first to introduce certain gameplay elements, but could have popularized it, therefore became genre defining.

Example:
Metroidvania - Metroid/Symphony of the Night

I have always felt weird about how Symphony of the Night is so very often cited as "Metroidvania" defining, amazing as it may be. Not only Metroid should be the only quote to the genre, SotN is not even the first one to do that in the series (that pioneering goes to Castlevania III; heck, one could argue that even Simon's quest got there first).