Platformer central

[v1rus]

I think there is nearly not enough discussion of platformers on this forum, thus, platformers get their own thread now.

I always loved the hell out of them, childhood memories, and all that shit. Tried playing Jak and Daxter II some days ago, and, for some reason, it didnt work for me yet - while i like the "maturity", GTA-sque maps and increased difficulty, it somehow didnt capture me the way old platformers, or Jak I did. Perhaps I should get a bit further in the game first tho.

 

[luj1]

Captain Claw

 

[Zenith]

Umihara Kawase is a momentum-/physics-based grappling hook platformer. Tight movement, non-linear level design, branching level progression. Don't mind the cutesy graphics, game's fuckin' tough.
First one is the hardest to complete once, second is the hardest to complete 100%, third is much more lenient. They all have slightly different movement.
All three games are on Steam - with additional practice modes, and without the temptation to savescum that an emulator would offer. Note that the games are virtually unknown and thus pretty hard to spot on sale.
There's also a fourth one in development, only announced for Switch at the moment.


N is a series of originally Flash-based games. Think SuperMeatboy, except more deliberate and with better level design. Momentum-based, with walljumps and other advanced movement tricks. Very readable minimalist graphics. Consistent movement across all versions (that I've played).
The first one (v1.4) still has my favorite set of levels, but I'm probably biased. The downside is that its framerate isn't as smooth as in the other ones. Free on the dev's website.
Version 2.0 is also free and can be played in a browser. Haven't replayed it in a while, but I remember disliking a lot of levels for either forcing a single path on you or for lazy enemy spam.
N+ is console-exclusive, never played it. The only one with online multiplayer.
N++ is the newest/last one. Steam-exclusive on PC, sadly no DRM-free option. Boasts a massive number of levels (4k+) - and that's not including the unintrusive implementation of optional challenges, which effectively more than doubles that number. Has additional fluff like soundtrack and color schemes.

..
After playing these, I can't help feeling that most other platformers are stuck in the stone age. It's the same rigid formula, you jump 3 tiles high, the platform is at 4, so you gotta jump on another platform first, rinse, repeat. Add enemies to hide the fact that the basic gameplay loop is braindead. Add variable jump height, dash, attack moves etc etc - in the end it's still fundamentally boring and can't compare to fluid freestyle momentum-based movement.
So, is there anything else like this out there? (don't say Warframe)

 

[Ash]

Platformers are looked to as a kiddy genre by most. Typically they lack stories or have a childish theme. I played loads of platformers as a kid and am still fond of them. Modern iterations suck ass and are bastardised and dumbed down (of course).

Platformers I like from memory. I feel that there's a ton I'm forgetting.
Criteria: must be a good game. Platforming must be a primary gameplay element. Can be any difficulty, doesn't have to be hardcore.

2D Platformers:

Revenge of Shinobi (1989) - Hardcore
Ghouls and Ghosts (1988) - Hardcore
Super Mario Bros 3 (1990) - Hardcore (world 7 and 8)
The Lion King (1994) - Hardcore
Spelunky (2008) - Hardcore
Megaman X (1993) - Hardcore
Earthworm Jim (1994) - Hard
Donkey Kong Country (1994) - Hard
Donkey Kong Country 2 (1995) - Hard
Aladdin (1993) - Hard
Prince of Persia (1989) - Hard
Super Meat Boy (2008) - Moderate to Hard
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997) and other IGA games - Moderate to Hard
Duke Nukem (1991) - Moderate to Hard
Demon's Crest (1994) - Moderate to Hard
Wario Land (1994) - Moderate to Hard
Super Mario Land 2 (1992) - Moderate
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) - Moderate
Sonic The Hedgehog (1991) - Moderate
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992) - Easy to Moderate
Kirby's Fun Pack (1995) - Easy to Moderate

3D Platformers:

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter (1997) - Hard
The Emperor's New Groove (2000) - Hard
Ninja Gaiden (2003) - Hard
Tomb Raider 1, 2 and 3 (1996 - 1999) - Moderate to Hard
Duke Nukem TTK & LotB (1998-2000) - Moderate to Hard
Crash Bandicoot 4 (2000) - Moderate to Hard
Half-Life (1998) - Moderate
Spyro The Dragon (1997) - Moderate
Medievil (1998) - Moderate
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (2003) - Moderate
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010) - Moderate
Dying Light (2015) - Moderate

Lots of omitted games here. For example Thief, Tenchu, Mark of the Ninja, Quake. There's quite a lot of platforming in these games but it probably borders the line of being a primary/secondary gameplay element. With Half-Life for example it's inarguable. It's a non-stop shooting > platforming > shooting > platforming loop.

 

[axx]

N is a series of originally Flash-based games. Think SuperMeatboy, except more deliberate and with better level design. Momentum-based, with walljumps and other advanced movement tricks. Very readable minimalist graphics. Consistent movement across all versions (that I've played).

I played the online version something like 15 years ago. Got to a point where I couldn't progress any further but still it was fun. Tried it again months ago but couldn't get back into it, I seem to enjoy watching others play games more these days LOL

Prince of Persia (1989) - Hard

You can add PoP2 to the same list and probably in the same heavyweight category. Once you learned secrets and tricks it was manageable, but man was it brutal in the beginning.

Here's a change to also mention some of Infogrames/Titus classics: Smurfs, Asterix&Obelix, Prehistorik 2, Titus the fox, ... Oldies but goodies.

 

[anvi]

I think they are kiddie games, I liked them on arcade machines 100 years ago. I played some good ones on PC though, Elf was great because it had little quests and items, sort of. Gods was good because it seemed so solid. Flashback was good because you could run and jump and grab and it was generally good as well is being quite slick. Cool atmosphere too. I completed PoP1 and PoP2 but only because as a kid I had no problem with repeating tedious shit. Trine was good for a modern game. Mario 1 and 2 were masterpieces.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

Didn't want to make a thread just for this post, so I'll just necro this one


Iron Pineapple covered an interesting indie 3D platformer, also probably the first "retro" game I've seen that goes for a N64 look




6 bucks on Steam

 

[Nutmeg]

For me, it's Gimmick!



I don't usually enjoy cheerful music, but Gimmick's is an exception, great use of the 2A03.

The game recently got an arcade only remake too.

 

[DJOGamer PT]

What's the gimmick?

 

[Nutmeg]

What's the gimmick?

Well, since you asked, it's the fact that you can jump on and ride the big yellow star you throw. So you can e.g. throw a star at the wall, jump on it, and rise to get somewhere faster or reach something you couldn't. You can see this in the first minute of the video.

 

[JarlFrank]

Commander Keen is great.

 

[luj1]

Anyone else loved Ristar?

Ecco the Dolphin?

 

[Beans00]

Ecco the Dolphin?

Seeing this triggered some childhood trauma for me



That level was the worst


OT: Favorite platformers were probably

All the snes mario games
All the snes mega man games probably the nes ones too but I didn't play those nearly as much
demons crest, which is worth like 400$ now so thats cool shame I don't have the box
DKC 1-2 although the random difficulty spikes in those games always pissed me off
Super metroid and the GBA metroid games


Just 2d platformers, never liked 3D platforming outside of metroid prime 1-2. Maybe theres some other games I like but I can't think of them.

 

[luj1]

Ecco had the best music

 

[soutaiseiriron]

Seeing this triggered some childhood trauma for me

Adulthood trauma for me tbh. The level before (The Tube) was similarly hellish albeit much shorter, but I found Welcome to the Machine not as bad, because you can at least memorize it (even though the enemies can bumpercar you into a corner which leads to you getting crushed by the camera if you're unlucky, lol). I savescummed The Tube hard, but I did Welcome to the Machine legit and just put a save state when the final boss starts because I'm not gonna play through that 6 times.

Also, if you die on the final boss (which is a bit confusing), then you have to replay the entirety of Welcome to the Machine, which is a 6 or 8 minute long autoscroller. The rest of the game is really forgiving, you have mid mission checkpoints, infinite continues and difficulty isn't particularly high, but then they decided to pull that shit.

Ecco had the best music

The Sega CD version is better imo.

 

[e-mailio estevez]

For me, it's Gimmick!



I don't usually enjoy cheerful music, but Gimmick's is an exception, great use of the 2A03.

The game recently got an arcade only remake too.

Is the '2A03' the special soundchip that's used for this game? I've never played it but I know it supposedly has a pretty good soundtrack.

 

[Percolator Fish]

what you mean like super marios brothers? yeah i played that one all the way to the ened but it was a loooooooong time ago.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

For me, it's Gimmick!

GCCX's playthrough made me laff. (the good ending requisites are brutal so the assistant has to do it after recording is over)

 

[Nutmeg]

Is the '2A03' the special soundchip that's used for this game? I've never played it but I know it supposedly has a pretty good soundtrack.

2a03 is the usual famicom soundchip but you're right that the game uses an external YM2149 chip as well, but only the famicom version of the game, as only famicoms supported external sound chips. The European, specifically Scandinavian version (game wasn't released anywhere else) uses only the NES's 2a07.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Never played any in my life after Claw.
Shit was brutal.

 

[gabel]

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure is awesome once you get accustomed to the movement.
I recommend the Mega Drive/Genesis version.

Also, Turrican 2 hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

[Tehdagah]

This masterpiece (from the creator of I Wanna Be The Boshy)



PS: On the first playthrough play on easy mode, because even easy is challenging.

 

[Hag]

The first Rayman is also very good. Re-played last year, it aged very well, was difficult but fair and I had solid fun. And what gorgeous art and music.

 

[oldbonebrown]

Penarium is pretty good for those who want a stripped down platformer experience. Every level is a small circus arena with some gimmick obstacles that has you learn a little pattern to move on. Eventually it turns quite hectic in a way that fits its theme.
Satisfyingly hard but not frustratingly so.

 

[Hellraiser]

I'm surprised the late 90s cinematic platformer classics of Abe's Oddysey/Exodus and Heart of Darkness weren't mentioned yet. Abe games in particular are quite challenging and a classic, and the unique setting and fantastic art on top if it make those games really stand out. They're on my near term backlog of titles to replay.

Also I played the first Gex game (PS1 version) for the first time ever I think two years ago, and it's quite decent with the wall climbing gimmick and what not. The voice over one liners get old fast, but they have their cheesy 90s nostalgic charm.

Crash Bandicoot 1-3 have good level designs and pacing with the 2,5D approach making the games feel like a natural evolution of 2D 16 bit platformers (DKC games in particular) as opposed to something largely disconnected like Mario 64. Although the 3rd crash game has too many non-platforming levels (jet ski, racing, scuba diving etc.) and the jetpack in 2 is quite awkward.

First one is quite hard (that fucking bridge level and castle wall level), the sequels are in the moderately difficult range making them good "I just want to relax and rest my brain with something requiring some reflexes" picks. Replayed the original versions recently and I have to admit they took over the torch from Donkey Kong Country quite elegantly if one liked those (about similar speed, some obviously lifted elements) and the low-polygon art style aged rather gracefully unlike the bulk of 3D games from that time. There's also the remake of this trilogy from a few years back and it's ok, especially the addition of optional time trials to the first two games and most of the remade music has IMO better arrangements, but I didn't like them forcing the new "mario hack style" level in 3 on you if you want to get the maximum complete % plus IIRC the jumping physics is noticeably different.

Also, if you die on the final boss (which is a bit confusing), then you have to replay the entirety of Welcome to the Machine, which is a 6 or 8 minute long autoscroller. The rest of the game is really forgiving, you have mid mission checkpoints, infinite continues and difficulty isn't particularly high, but then they decided to pull that shit.

Only the Sega/Mega CD version has those, the megadrive cart release really went overboard with making you replaying whole levels (the level with the boss fight in the jurrasic period is probably the most bullshit one) and in particular the first 3 real levels are the hardest ones in the game until the last few, the bulk of the game that is between them is shockingly waaay easier than everything else.

I've beaten the CD version on real hardware this year, with the caveat that I used the built-in debug/cheat menu to restart the final boss fight, because redoing "into the machine" is just overkill. Boss didn't take too much effort to beat compared to the two prior levels. The Tube was initially rather hard but eventually I kind of figured it out and luckily it wasn't too long.

The first Rayman is also very good. Re-played last year, it aged very well, was difficult but fair and I had solid fun. And what gorgeous art and music.

Currently playing the PS1 version after a billion years, fucking hell the game looks amazing on a CRT TV although I expected that, but the music is definitely something I didn't remember being that good. My favorites so far: