Top 25 platformers of all time

[strider]

At Retro Gamer we love feedback from readers and are constantly looking for ways to integrate your thoughts and opinions into the magazine.

Anyway, I'm very interested in knowing your top five platform games of all time. Do you still have a soft spot for Jet Set Willy? Does Mario take you to places that no other gaming character can reach? Let us know and we'll print the best answers in a future issue of the magazine.

Please list your top five platformers (for any system) and a brief sentance on your favourite title.

[DC Lemon]

I hope Retro Gamer isn't going to turn into the videogame equivalent of that piece-of-shit Q Magazine and just give up on journalism and become a lists magazine.

My top five would be too obvious, so I'll save you by leaving it to people with an imagination.

[strider]

I hope Retro Gamer isn't going to turn into the videogame equivalent of that piece-of-shit Q Magazine and just give up on journalism and become a lists magazine.

My top five would be too obvious, so I'll save you by leaving it to people with an imagination.

Not at all, we've just had numerous letters saying that the mag is a little too serious sometimes, so this is just something I'm trying out. If it works, great, if there's loads of complaints we'll drop it. Simple really

[Vemsie]

1. Yoshi's Island

Easily one of the most creative platformers ever. The creative aspect shines through in every aspect of the game. From the backgrounds to the bosses and everything in between. And 'Touch Fuzzy, get dizzy' is legendary.

2. Rocket Knight Adventures

One of Konami's crown jewels but a game that seems to be terribly overlooked. Some very original platforming (like the mirrored action), superb action scenes and lovely character design.

3. Super Mario Bros 3

My fave platformer that stars Mario. Is it the boot? The giant level? The warp flutes? The hammer brothers? The airships? Must be all of these and more. It's just filled to the rim with great feautures.

4. Super Mario World

96 levels of bliss. I love the special world and Yoshi was a great addition to the Mario lore.

5. Ristar

Nice graphics, nice music and highly original gameplay. I actually prefer this to Sonic.

[Dimahoo]

1. Super Mario World (SNES) - Ninty

Everything that was great about the previous games was perfected in this version. Nice character designs, the best jump physics, intresting worlds and oddles of pixel perfect gameplay.

2. Rainbow Islands (Arcade) - Taito

Not orignal - but so well done - It had masses of garish colouring and fun charactor design, lots of hidden bonuses and playabilty to die for. The one game where the mistakes you made, YOU MADE, such was its easy control.

3. Super Castlvania 4 (SNES) - Konami

Very easy to get into, but just gets more and more gorgeous in both sound and vision - and also had lots of weapons to try. After the C64 period was over - this was one of the few games on the SNES that had truely memorible music.

4. Wonderboy (Arcade) - Sega

In its day, this was Mario. As a noob, you'd be stopping all over the place, shooting yourself a clear path at the loss of energy - but experienced players found themselves jumping through with aplomb. Once you got to this level of play - it was fantastic. Also featured some nice innovations like the skateboard, angel and lots of juicy fruit.

5. Strider (Arcade) - Capcom

This was one of very few platformers that made the genre truly excting and did things that previously no one had ever tried - basically the Parkour platformer. It almost induced virtigo at times, sans the third dimension.

To me, levels like the infamous chasm jump and amazon injected energy into the platform genre and the typically great Capcom music ad spot effects were all evident.

Its only downside was some of the levels were too complicated and the sprite collision was never perfect at certain moments.

But that didn't matter. Only Sega and Treasure realised how exciting fast paced platformers could be and later their own games became famous for it.

[DarhkFox]

Platform games used to be more favorite genre.

Whilst i cant say my favorites I would include.

Super Mario World

Super Mario Bros 3

Yoshi Island

Rocket Knight adventures

Tiny Toons - Buster Busts Loose

Tiny Toons - Busters Hidden Treasure

World of Illusion (2 player co op preffered)

Mickey Mouse Castle of Illusion (megadrive AND game gear)

Donald Duck Quackshot / Donald Duck Lucky Dime Caper

Aladdin (megadrive)

Rainbow Islands

Bubble Bobble

Ghost & Goblins

Wonderboy

Sonic 1+2, plus the gamegear games are great too.

[utero2001]

1 - super mario world

2 - mario bros 3

3 - sonic 2

4 - NES megaman games

5 - kirby's adventure

6 - new super mario bros

7 - earthworm jim

8 - yoshi's island

9 - super mario bros 1

10 - sonic 1

[masterhand]

Please list your top five platformers (for any system) and a brief sentance on your favourite title.

Oi you two! read the instructions, he does not want just a list.

[Couch Corpse]

Please do my job for me.

[Broker]

1. Super Mario World - Perfect jumping physics, beautifully accurate control, great learning curve, lots of secrets, brilliant level design, brilliant artistic direction.

2. Super Mario Sunshine - Original and fresh, though a strange concept I found sunshines mix of classic platforming and new gameplay ideas wonderful. It's incredibly relaxing and the setting it so totally removed from other Mario games you'll never forget it. The warp sections are perfect.

3. Super Mario 64 - Created 3D platformers as we know them. It's mix of exploration, discovery and platforming challenge is unrivaled. A treat for Mario fans with the return of all the familiar themes plus the introduction of a few new series staples.

4. New Super Mario Bros. - A brilliant return to form, great new powerups, lovely graphics. A real nostalgic pleasure.

5. Crash Bandicoot - One of the best 2.5D platformers ever made, very challenging.

[Jazz Glands]

1. Super Mario World. Every pixel of this game is dripping in pure magic. Quite simply the greatest video game ever created.

2. Ghouls N Ghosts (Megadrive) Sublime visuals/character and level design, haunting music and the best control method of the 3 Goblins games. Tricky, but not as infuriating as people like to make out. Still plays fantastically today. This is one game that simply oozes character.

3. Castlevania Symphony Of The Night (PS1) When i worked in Electonics Boutique i single handedly pimped this game to anyone who would listen (and most who wouldn't). They've made lots of money on ebay as a result no doubt, but what a game. Lovely graphics, stunning sound, real depth, awesome creature design, the twist (literally) at the end of the game all came together to make the PS1's finest game bar none.

4. Super Mario Bros 3 (NES) A sublime game from start to finish, and years ahead of it's time if you look at what else was available at the time. Who can forget the racoon and frog suits? Arguably every bit as good as Super Mario World, if understandably a little more limited in scope.

5. Wonderboy 3 The Dragon's Trap (SMS) Haven't played this for years, but i remember being absolutely captivated by it at the time. Genius in the way you had to change between characters to access different parts of the game world, and set a trend that's never really been bettered in that sense. A lovely, lovely game as anyone who played it back in the day will attest to.

[Klatrymadon]

I can't be arsed doing five, but I definitely have to echo Castlevania IV. I still find it to be one of the most criminally overlooked titles in the series (despite its popularity in some circles), as it easily makes the biggest leaps of the linear titles, and its sense of artistic integrity is unparalleled. The level design is tight, the atmosphere is heavy and unrelenting, the 8-directional whipping adds a lot to the gameplay (though this is always over-emphasised), and the game also manages to throw away a lot of the campy contrivances of the games that went before it (and those that came after it). What really makes it all come together, though, and to a large extent creates the atmosphere, is the genuine genius of the soundtrack. It manages to be avant-garde and formless as fuck whilst still having a strong sense of focus and narrative. It's mostly catchy stuff, too.

[Afternoon Delight]

couldn't limit myself to 5

1. Super Mario World

Just the most satisfying platformer ever. Even better on the move on GBA

2. Metroid Fusion/Zero/Super

Wonderful in every way. We need portable Super.

3. Ultimate GnG

Beautiful and challenging, but in a modern, forgiving way.

4. Harlequin (Amiga)

Brilliant game, big and bold with many subtle touches.

5. Yoshi's Story

Yes, Yoshi's Story, the one everyone hates but is actually brilliant, inventive and beautiful.

6. Kirby Canvas Curse

Utterly wonderful fast-paced platformer using the DS hardware to full effect.

7. Rainbow Islands

The Spectrum's finest hour, also pretty good on Amiga

8. Sonic1

Green Hill is still one of the most exhilarating platforming experiences.

[strider]

I can't be arsed doing five, but I definitely have to echo Castlevania IV. I still find it to be one of the most criminally overlooked titles in the series (despite its popularity in some circles), as it easily makes the biggest leaps of the linear titles, and its sense of artistic integrity is unparalleled. The level design is tight, the atmosphere is heavy and unrelenting, the 8-directional whipping adds a lot to the gameplay (though this is always over-emphasised), and the game also manages to throw away a lot of the campy contrivances of the games that went before it (and those that came after it). What really makes it all come together, though, and to a large extent creates the atmosphere, is the genuine genius of the soundtrack. It manages to be avant-garde and formless as fuck whilst still having a strong sense of focus and narrative. It's mostly catchy stuff, too.

If you can't be arsed to do five, I can't be arsed to include your vote for Castlevania

I was going to put up the new issue cover today, but I don't think I'll bother now...

[Broker]

5. Yoshi's Story

Yes, Yoshi's Story, the one everyone hates but is actually brilliant, inventive and beautiful.

Never played this, what's it like?

[ca18s13]

super mario world - 96 exits replay value, best game made

donkey kong country - lots of varied levels, challanging, replay value

super mario bros 3 - new enemies, very different to other mario games (bonus games) ability to have racoon mario

crash bandicoot - one hit kills, one of the best 2d/3d platformers as Thor has mentioned.

yoshis island - original graphics, new gameplay element, annoying baby, difficult levels

Another game i would consider is mario lost levels

[utero2001]

Oi you two! read the instructions, he does not want just a list. rolleyes.gif

ups

1 - super mario world - nintendo improved the control system from mario 3 to make this masterpiece, controls soo well and makes the jump with adding yoshi, and with the huge amount of levels keeps me wanting to play again and again. The graphics and visuals are some of the best of the 16bit gen. best game of the 90s

2 - mario bros 3 - the best NES game ever. This is my most played game ever, the controls and the imagination involved in its design and visual style are brilliant for an 8 bit game

3 - sonic 2 - the last good sonic imo - fast gameplay, some good music (for a megadrive), and it had the chemical plant zone

4 - NES megaman games - capcoms finest platform games i think. A real challenge. I felt like a god after completing mega man 4

5 - kirby's adventure - the nicest looking NES game ever and filled with so many badguys and special moves, I'm glad i picked this game up years ago by chance. hard to believe that this is a NES game by the way it looks

[Afternoon Delight]

Never played this, what's it like?

I really like it but I'm in the minority. Very pretty and fairly easy-going game with a massive dollop of cute on everything. Lots of levels to explore with varied graphics and ideas throughout. Plenty of people who like Yoshi's Island think it's rubbish though.

Pick the cart up for a few quid rather than trying it emulated.

[linkster]

I can't think of five, but Impossible Mission (C64) was the best I ever played. Genius.

[stevosowl]

These are _the_ best platformers:

1- Super Mario World

2- Rainbow Islands

3- Castle of Illusion

4- Super Ghouls and Ghosts

5- Sonic 1

close this thread

[roadkill]

1. Rainbow Islands

The music, the colours, everything.

2. Bubble Bobble

Frustrating brilliance, and the co-op rocks.

3. Jet Set Radio

The style does it for me - just gets too damn hard near the end

4. Mario Sunshine

Perfect summer game fodder, and plenty of memories pissing off a mate of mine by challenging him to really simple feats of walking round the scenery at the fairground, when it emerged neither of us could do it.

5. Sonic Adventure 2

I really like this game, a lot. Has it's crap parts, but some levels are sublime. I recall just after uni having a mate over and just running through some levels, and he remarked "you're so unemployed". Get good and you can bounce around like anything. Some of the puzzles are downright inspired as well.

[matt0]

Off the top of my head:

1. Prince Of Persia - The 2D one. With the 1 hour time limit and the infinite lives. Very clever game even before you add in the amazing animation and the pressure plate puzzles.

2. Super Mario Bros. - I go back to this more than any other game in the series - I just like the basic left to right running and jumping, not worrying about collecting secret coins or any of that shite (pet hate of mine).

3. Yoshi's Island - My 2nd favourite Mario platformer. Beautiful looking, varied, fun game.

4. Ghouls n' Ghosts - Just a vicious, punishing game, but one you can learn through practice. The most consistent entry in the series imo (although I haven't played that new one on PSP).

5. Bubble Bobble - It's that whole "30 seconds of fun" thing.

[Qazimod]

I hope Retro Gamer isn't going to turn into the videogame equivalent of that piece-of-shit Q Magazine and just give up on journalism and become a lists magazine.

God, remember the original Retro Gamer? It had no problems with filling twelve pages with a "Top 100 x" feature or a "Ten top Tens" feature. Jesus.

Anyway, yeah, I'm sure I can think of some. Just not yet.

[imp]

At Retro Gamer we love feedback from readers and are constantly looking for ways to integrate your thoughts and opinions into the magazine.

Anyway, I'm very interested in knowing your top five platform games of all time. Do you still have a soft spot for Jet Set Willy? Does Mario take you to places that no other gaming character can reach? Let us know and we'll print the best answers in a future issue of the magazine.

Please list your top five platformers (for any system) and a brief sentance on your favourite title.

is it ironic that the journalist can't spell sentence?

Right, now that I've given you a bad first impression of myself, here's my top 5.

1. Super Mario World (SNES or GBA version) - Perfect physics and oodles of secrets. Perfectly judged, simply.

2. Mega Man Zero (Or maybe Zero 3) (GBA) - A game thats a challenge, but so satisfying to master. You feel like a proper ninja once you can go through the levels and defeat the bosses without taking a hit.

3. Super Mario 64 - As a mate of mine put it, 'it's just like playing mario, IN 3D!' Nintendo just excel at level design. And Mario, whilst a little skiddy, is still a joy to control. Wall jumping and triple jumps were a superb addition to his repertoire. Like world, there's just so much to do!

4. Dynamite Headdy (Megadrive) - Such a fun and imaginative game. It's still pretty rock solid though!

5. Castlevania Symphony of the Night - Metroid with RPG stats and a gothic setting all wrapped up in luscious graphics whilst housing more secrets than sense? Yes please!

unless metal slug games count... do they? I thought theyd be under run 'n gun

[FishyFish]

Here you go - I've added a couple of more left-field entries to break up the usual suspects:

1) Jet Set Willy (Spectrum) - An all-time classic (despite the fact that it was released in a broken state) with Willy's hungover adventure through his vast, majestic, and fantastical mansion still remaining my favourite game ever, even 22 years later!

2) Banjo Kazooie (N64) - Ok, so SM64 did it first, but Rare took Nintendo's masterpiece and added an extra sheen of character and beauty to the piece. Some wonderful level design, a fantastic score, and bucketloads of humour make this a must.

3) Super Mario World (SNES) - Super-duper Mario World. A pinnacle of 2D platforming. Maybe not as beautiful or imaginative as Yoshi's Island, but this is pure stuff - Not too difficult to complete, but teeth grindingly harsh in places if you want to go for all the secrets.

4) Turmoil (Spectrum) - Avoid sword-wielding arabs hurling themselves around the place on trampolines as you attempt to fill your car with oil to escape the level. Platforms, ladders, conveyors and rope-swings - platforming fun-me-do!

5) Son of Blagger (C64) - The game that made me want to get a Cbm 64. One of those great, "What's in the next room?" 8-bit platformers that kept you coming back for one more go.

[Paradigm]

is it ironic that the journalist can't spell sentence?

Not really. A. A. Gill, for example, is dyslexic and submits his copy without any punctuation (apparently). Being a good writer doesn't always mean that your spelling is perfect.

Anyway...

1. Banjo Kazooie. Some may argue that it was basically Super Mario 64 rehashed but I disagree. I thought it was packed with much more to do, I thought the levels and music were more captivating and I loved the humour. Divine in every area.

2. Flashback. Immense, futuristic, challenging...

3. Another World. Made a huge impression on me. Just the art is astounding. Probably the prettiest game I've ever played.

4. Super Mario World. Pretty much perfect.

5. The New Zealand Story. Fond memories of this.

[213]

At Retro Gamer we love feedback from readers and are constantly looking for ways to integrate your thoughts and opinions into the magazine.

Anyway, I'm very interested in knowing your top five platform games of all time. Do you still have a soft spot for Jet Set Willy? Does Mario take you to places that no other gaming character can reach? Let us know and we'll print the best answers in a future issue of the magazine.

Please list your top five platformers (for any system) and a brief sentance on your favourite title.

might as well just give it to mario world as everyone will vote for that.

why not something original like the top 25 most overated games of all time or would putting in genuine opinion threaten to scare off people and give the publishers a heart attack?

[Klatrymadon]

Bah, alright then...

2. Mario 3 - [insert knowing "nuff said" type comments]

3. Mega Man 3 - it's a Mega Man game! With the best soundtrack!

4. Dracula X: Chi no Rondo - it's that CV game that's really expensive and overrated, but it's still lovely jubbly! Great CD-quality soundtrack, unblemished gameplay (depending on how much you like your linear CV, of course ), loads of branching levels and a lot of memorable boss fights.

5. Sparkster (SNES) - This one's just really well designed. Boosting around the levels actually works (sorry Sonic), so it feels really well paced, and it throws just enough curveballs (i.e.: boxing matches and shmup bits) to keep you interested until the end. Great soundtrack, again.

[Hambury]

Yep, Mario pretty much does it for me.

1 - Super Mario 64 - Took the brave leap into 3D and somehow didn't screw it all up. A fantastic playground, and every level was a joy to explore. The classic Mario gameplay was still there, it was the first and pretty much only quantum leap I've experienced in gaming.

2 - Super Mario Bros. 3 - The best NES game by a mile, and Mario back to form after the wonky Mario 2. A massive world to explore with loads to do. Only really let down by the fact that you couldn't save your game or even use a password. Playing through without the use of warps was a bit of a time consumer.

3 - Donkey Kong Country - Ok, we're allowed to be graphic whores every now and again. Loads seem to dislike this game (Miyamoto included), but I thought it was great fun to play, with plenty of secrets to find. May not have offered much new, but what it did, it did well. Oh and it looked great.

4 - Super Mario World - In the wake of Mario 3 this wasn't exactly ground breaking, but being on a new system at least meant it looked and sounded far better than any other Mario. Again the gameplay was perfect, the secrets were well hidden and the difficulty was just right. They also put in a save feature at last. Hurrah.

5 - Banjo Kazooie - As with DKC, Rare pretty much looked at what had been done before (by Nintendo pretty much) and then used the best bits in their game. Not as mighty as Mario 64, but it still helped fill the 3D platforming stomach, whilst most companies stayed well clear in fear of failure.

[Nick R]

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)

Sonic 2 is probably the best example of the great balance between rollercoster speed, rewarding exploration and slower platforming that seemed missing from the 3D titles, and there's a wonderful sense of momentum when you find the perfect time-attack route through a stage.

2. Sonic 3 and Knuckles (Mega Drive)

I can never really decide whether I prefer Sonic 2, or the combination of Sonic 3 with Sonic & Knuckles - the way it was meant to be played. Usually it's whichever one I played last. The climax of the 2D Sonic franchise has pretty much all the strengths of Sonic 2, is much longer, and is worth replaying with each of the three different characters.

3. Super Mario 64 (N64)

I came to this several years late, only getting to play it properly in 2003. But to say it stood up very well would be a massive understatement.

4. Earthworm Jim (Mega Drive)

The sequel is much funnier and is packed with minigames, but it's also less focused on the straightforward platform gameplay that the first one did brilliantly. And oh, that animation!

5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

A wonderful experience, with the highlight being those extremely spectacular and endlessly satisfying acrobatics.

If that's too recent, you can replace it with Flashback - I never got too far into it, but it's a brilliant, beautiful game.