With the recent release of platformers like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, it is obvious that the classic genre still has a place in modern gaming. With landmark titles in every gaming generation, the platformer genre has drawn fans in with its simple mechanics and extremely addictive gameplay since the beginning of home consoles.
Whether it was legendary NES games like Super Mario Bros. 3 or indie sensations like Hollow Knight, the best platformers offer fans accessible gameplay and a diverse experience that never gets old. Though platformers are a dime a dozen, users on Reddit still took to the site to mention the games that they can’t put down.
Rayman (1995)
The world of platforming has always been dominated by the Italian brothers in overalls, but occasionally another recognizable hero enters the fray and makes a splash. Calling upon an unsung classic of ’90s platforming, user lurkeringg said “Rayman 1 (PS1, PC, Saturn) is my all-time favorite 2d platformer. It’s quite challenging.”
Offering players an objective that involved more than just reaching the end of the stage, Rayman took what had come before and made it better. The vibrant and cartoonish land of the game is a feast for the eyes, and the game evolves as Rayman gains new abilities throughout his adventure.
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night (1997)
Now most remembered for coming to define the Metroidvania genre, the horror-infused classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was very much a clinic in platforming. Vouching for the game all the way, user SkyHawkMKIV said “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or the PSX. The complete package as far as I’m concerned.”
Adding a splash of RPG as well, the game showed just how flexible and diverse a platformer could be while still existing in a 2D space. Challenging, but not to the extreme, Symphony of the Night showed the natural progression of the franchise and helped usher it into a new generation of gaming that has seen it thrive to this day.
A Hat In Time (2017)
While it was never as popular as the traditional 2D iteration, 3D platformers were all the rage in the late-’90s on consoles like the N64 and PS1. Referencing a modern take on the sub-genre, user RawrTheDinosawrr said “A Hat In Time is my personal favourite 3d platformer of all time, the platforming itself is really fluid and the level design is amazing.”
Generally considered one of the best modern 3D platformers around, A Hat in Time improved on the issues that typically plagued the first generation of 3D games. With a wholly original plot and design, the game still manages to tip its hat to the games that inspired it, and it is a nostalgic good time for players who grew up with Super Mario 64and similar games.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014)
Though he is often more neglected than his Nintendo compatriots like Mario or Link, the company’s resident ape Donkey Kong has always fared well in his own titles. Praising a recent Kong outing, user owlitup didn’t hesitate to say “Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is the best straight 2D platformer.”
Returning once again to the familiar land of Donkey Kong and his family, Tropical Freeze didn’t tinker too much with what made the classic Donkey Kong Country games so good. The 2D level design is fresh and visually interesting, and the game offered a wider variety of playable characters to further flesh out the lore of Kong and his clan.
Ori And The Blind Forest (2015)
With other genres muscling in on platformers, the classic gaming archetype has found a new home in the world of indie titles, and smaller publishers have produced some of the best ever. Plumbing the depths of indie gaming, user Peach_Muffin wrote “Ori and the Blind Forest is my favorite platformer EVER! Absolutely incredible game.”
Already winning massive points for its stunning design and one-of-a-kind fantasy environment, Ori and the Blind Forest is actually a perfect representation of what makes platforming such a viable genre. Aside from the typical jumping and dodging that is common in all platformers, the two-character puzzle-solving tasks players with thinking on their toes for a more engaging experience.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (1994)
While the original Super Mario World is one of the best games in the SNES library, its sequel Yoshi’s Island showed that Nintendo wasn’t willing to rest on its laurels. Speaking rather bluntly, a deleted user wrote “Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is the best platformer ever made in my opinion.”
Flipping the script and casting Yoshi as the hero, the player gets an entirely new experience when flutter-jumping their way through levels as the lovable dinosaur, with baby Mario in tow. Also, the game’s hand-drawn aesthetic was another departure for the series, and it gave the title its own identity away from its predecessor.
Celeste (2018)
Offering further proof that the future of platformers is in the capable hands of indie developers, Celeste was a revelation for platform fanatics when it hit gaming markets. Singing its praise, user VOIDYOUTH wrote of the game “In terms of classic platformers, Celeste is the best one.”
Weaving a rich narrative that is rarely seen in platforming games, Celeste is as much about the inward struggles of its character as it is about the outward conflicts. Presented as a series of screens that must be conquered through skill and strategy, the game eschews the usual constant scrolling of 2D platformers. Offering a granular adjustment to its difficulty, the game allows the player to decide how easy or hard their journey up the mountain will be.
Kirby Super Star (1996)
When deciding which game would be the best Kirby game of all, it is hard to look past Kirby Super Star because of how many boxes it checks off. User Echo1138 was apt to agree when they said “If I had to pick a pure platformer it would have to be Kirby Superstar.”
On the surface, the game appears to be a simple compilation of older Kirby titles with an SNES upgrade, but it actually offers a rich series of different game modes to spice things up. Aside from the typical straightforward platforming, there are also racing segments, multiplayer modes, and even a Metroidvania sequence. In lieu of the game’s diversity, it is still the platforming that shines the brightest, and Kirby’s adventures never fail to keep players coming back for more.
Hollow Knight (2017)
Though some gamers lament its unforgiving difficulty, others are simply marveled by Hollow Knight‘s fluid design and totally original concept. Spreading the word about the modern-day classic, user BhCtqclsm said “Well i came here to recommend hollow knight…its definitely worth a play, imo the best platformer of all time.”
Not trying to reinvent the wheel, Hollow Knight borrows heavily from established Metroidvania titles but does its own thing in terms of story and design. The insectoid world of the game has an eeriness that is unlike most cutesy platformers, and the upgraded skill tree has the flair of an RPG. It may be extremely punishing, but mastering the game is also one of the most rewarding challenges in recent gaming history.
Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Though the writing was on the wall for the end of the NES era by the time the game finally arrived in North America and Europe, Super Mario Bros. 3 is still recognized as the highest peak that the console had to offer. Nonchalantly extolling the game’s virtues, user Brandicoot said “Super Mario 3, easily” when asked what the best platformer was.
Introducing a map system that totally reinvented the structure of experience, the third game in the series made small tweaks to the gameplay that helped to elevate it. Offering the perfect mixture of challenge and reward, Super Mario Bros. 3 stands as a fitting end to the first era of platforming.
