- Sonic 3 and Knuckles
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Mega Man 2
- Super Metroid
- Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal
I have discovered an excellent indie platformer for PC called Dustforce.
Only a demo available so far, but it’s free. Get it here: indiePub Games - Play Free Games, Make Games and Win Prizes!
Watch the video they have there if you’re unconvinced. Shit is tough!
Eeek. Castle Crashers isn’t a platformer though.
My top five 2d platformers of all time:
- Shinobi 3 Return Of The Ninja Master
- Klonoa 2 (Although it does use 3D graphics the gameplay is totally 2D)
- Sonic 3 & Knuckles
- Rocket Knight Adventures
- Any Mega Man X game (minus 7 because 7 sucks)
My thing about 2D platformers, what draw me to certain ones, is visceral gameplay. Quick reactions and a variety of platform types and situations to deal with. While it can be fun, I don’t like simple running and jumping. I need to hop off a damn wall or double jump.
My top five favorite 3D Platformers
- Super Mario 64 DS (The only version i played and even with a painful d-pad it’s still amazing)
- Sly Cooper 2 (Something in part 3 feels wrong. Don’t know what it is.)
- Bionic Commando (Trust me, the swinging and jumping are solid.)
- Mirror’s Edge
- Half Life/Portal (A lot of the platforming moments in Half Life stand out to me. They have a life or death feel to them. Like if this alien ish was going down, would you be willing to jump over this chasm to that swinging box? Half Life has lots of jumping in it. And if you disagree there’s Portal.)
I love the Ratchet and Clank series. Really, minus Secret Agent Clank (and the fact that I don’t have a PS3), I own them all. Loved them all. But at it’s core, R&C are **third person shooters with platforming. **Not a bad thing but how well you aim and shoot has gotten more priority than the platforming. I enjoy the Ubisoft Prince of Persia games too.
Top 5 Platformers Period
- Super Mario 64 DS
- Klonoa 2
- Sly Cooper 2
- Shinobi 3
- Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Top 5 Platformers With Moments That Almost Make You Poop Your Pants
- Shinobi (PS2): The first time you reach a bottomless chasam and the only way to cross is to dash, kill, dash. If that doesn’t take your breath away…
- Old Style Castlevania games. You had to be committed to every damn jump. No errors son!
- Ninja Gaiden 1-3: Especially 1, there are moments that are always a hair away from death. So tense.
- Prince of Persia (the first of the Ubisoft Trilogy): The last level was just breath taking. You were going places that no many should have been able to go. Really had to keep my shit in.
- Tomb Raider (Any): Just about any string of jumps and runs that your life depend on.
Top 5 Platformer Mechanics
- Moving after a jump: Physically impossible but damn do we ever love it.
- Wall Jump (As perfected by the X series): Wall jumping is pure magic and is possible to do in real life.
- Double Jump
- Ceiling Climb (As perfected by Strider Hiryu): Lead to some crazy ass level designs and boss fights. Underused in all platformers.
- Dash (As Perfected by the X series, again): Dashing is still alive in almost everything today. Now we call it ‘sprinting’ but that shit is SLOW. If I don’t see after effects behind I’m not moving fast enough!
Top 5 Platformer Attacks
- Sonic’s spin ball: When your jump is your attack, you know you are a bad ass.
- Hiryu’s sword: It’s lightning fast and feels powerful.
- Buster Cannon: Despite only being able to fire in one direction, it’s one of the most deadly weapons in video game history.
- Rocket Knight’s Jet Pack: Sent your soaring with your sword pointed forward.
- Earthworm Jim’s head: I would have said the Vampire Killer but effing Konami won’t go back to Super Castlvania IV’s 8-way and free swinging style. So I’ll go with the one that is 8-way and funny. Jim’ head.
Now here’s an interesting list:
Top 5 Games That Somehow Feel Like Platformers But Are Not
- Gun Valkyrie
- Shinobi/Nightshade
- Sonic Spinball (Granted you can jump)
- Crash Team Racing (so much damn jumping and timing of jumps and exploration)
- Gears of War (cover to cover is almost like platforming. Staying out too long usually means death)
I’m suprised that nobody has mentioned this jewel yet:
[media=youtube]kKkACTyZbY0&feature=related[/media]
A really classic game from the good old days of Capcom. Hell, one of these guys should be in Marvel vs. Capcom 3!
I’m so hype for Sonic Generations and Shinobi both coming in November to 3DS :tup:
Anyone play the new Rocket Knight? it’s a criminally underrated game this generation and it’s sad how most of the reviews even positive ones call it’s design “archaic” as if modern platformers are so much more evolved 
Speaking of which I loved Uncharted 1 and 2 but all this auto platforming shit makes me miss the old days when you actually had to time your shit or risk dying and starting at the beginning.
Last time I played RKA I was trying to beat it on hard in one shot. That was some time ago.
I’m fucking with Outland now myself.
Platformers are the epitome of “addition by subtraction.”
Ya I’d rather play my SNES than the overkill of same ol’ shit 3D combofests.
I’m a fan of JUMP over PARRY/DODGE/ROLL/DASH/BLOCK.
FUCK YOU NEW GAMES
edit:
- Super Castlevania
- DKC 2
- Contra 3: Alien Wars
- Super Mario World
- KARNOV
I use to play Bug! forever on the Saturn back in the day.
GI’s review of Donkey Kong Country Returns was “one of the best platformers I ever played” which is a pretty bold statement but from the little bit I played it could be true. At the very least it’s better, prettier, and harder than most modern games.
I’m glad somebody mentioned Mirror’s Edge. That was a really fun game that got slammed by critics.
No, first person platforming isn’t too hard nor is it counterintuitive, you’re just bad.
Sure, there were some tricky bits (in the platforming specifically, being locked in a room with like 5 swat guys with machine guns on a pacifist run certaily didn’t make the platforming any more difficult), but when I fell to my death it wasn’t because waaaaah, the camera’s in a bad spot, I can’t see my feet, it won’t pan the way I want it to, no, I died because I fucked up simple and plain. No different from any other platformer that tests your ability to jump well.
Critics didn’t pan it. Most critics liked it. People just didn’t buy it.
Fuck everybody in here for not putting in Yoshi’s Island.
Mine not really in any order
Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario Galaxy
Mirror’s Edge
Super Mario Bros. 3
That’s a beat 'em up.
Literally every review I’d seen or heard was complaining in some way or another about why first person platforming fails by concept alone. But either way, it is a shame how that game turned out, I would’ve loved to have seen more of it.
outland is one of the best platformers i have play this generation. too good.
im outi
Roberth
Outland is great, but I need to keep an eye on which color I am when I get hit so I don’t switch and take more damage.
At the spider boss ATM and I need to keep my cool and be patient =P
Super Meat Boy is my hands-down favorite within recent memory. No enemies to kill, no life/power-ups to worry about, no distractions. Just pure, unadulterated platforming. Plus it’s challenging, yet not controller-hurling frustrating (barring “The Kid” & Cotton Alley levels). I could die 20+ times trying get an “A” rank on a stage, & not mind one bit.
I love my Sega Collection on the PSP. I was just playing Sonic 2. I also play Ristar and Kid Chameleon on that same one. I have not yet tried Alex Kidd and The one with mummy head but yeah, that is awesome collection of platformers and even beat em ups. I also have been going through the PSP update of Mega Man X.
Duck Tails for the NES is my favorite platformer and my second favorite game ever.
Overall Mirror’s Edge was really fun and unique but let’s be honest the last few levels were straight ass I’m talking almost ninja gaiden levels of bullshit. It turned from “okay how do I get through this level” to “WTF? where did that come from? no I wanted to go that way! aww man you kidding me?”
Outland looks amazing I still haven’t copped it, and please people buy Rocket Knight!
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Aladdin on SNES. I played the genesis one. It had animation faithful to the movie, and you could use a sword, but dat SNES soundtrack. Capcom sound team nailed it hard. I can still remember the caves of wonder theme, and I only had the game for a couple days (rental). Never got past Genie’s lamp.
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Snake Rattle and Roll. While not really in the same formula, it still counts for me. You did have to make some serious jumps, especially in the flying carpet stage where if you missed the carpet you’d die, even though they were kinda low to the ground. If you fell in the water you had to get out fast otherwise you’d get eaten.
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Jungle Book on SNES. While it did have some parts I absolutely hate (like the waterfall stage.), it was a great experience. I had some lol moments wiith it though:
~ Rabbi monkey comes running out of nowhere and I’m like “WTF!” dead.
~ Kaa starts to ascend out of a tree hole while I’m pelting him with bananas, and all of a sudden dead when I’m standing a good foot away from him. I figured he must of bit me and the animation was too fast.
~ I’m close to beating King Louie a second time. I’m down to one heart left, but I’ve figured out his pattern and positioning myself in the opposite direction he’s going to run at. For no reason, he changes direction. dead.
Fun times with some obscure platformers.
Cave Story 3D and especially shinobi 3DS has reminded me why platformers are my favorite genre. There’s just something about a well timed jump or having to get through deliberately placed obstacles that makes me feel like a kid again lol.
Rayman Origins looks amazing I need to get it soon, it’s the only $60 on disc platformer this generation AFAIK. Outland and the new Contra seem to be part of a revival of the genre this generation.