Our selection of the best platform games

Exit: June 29, 2016. Adventure, reflection, platform

The best platform games

Ghiles47 put 10/10 and put it in his favorites.

Super Mario World (1990)

Sūpā mario wārudo

Exit: November 21, 1990 (Japan). Platform

Game on Super Nintendo

Metroid: Zero Mission (2004)

Exit: April 8, 2004 (France). Action-Adventure, platform

Game on Game Boy Advance, Wii U

Ghiles47 put 9/10 and put it in his favorites.

Oddworld: ABE Exodus (1998)

Oddworld: Abe’s Exodus

Exit: November 30, 1998 (France). Action-adventure, platform, reflection

Game on PlayStation, PC, PS Vita, PlayStation 3, PSP

Oddworld: Abe Odyssey (1997)

Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee

Exit: September 15, 1997. Action-adventure, platform, reflection

Game on PlayStation, PC, PSP, PS Vita, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Oddworld: New ‘N’ Tasty! (2014)

Exit: July 22, 2014. Action-Adventure, Reflection, Platform

Game on PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PS Vita, Wii U, Nintendo Switch

Ghiles47 put it in envy.

Donkey Kong Country (1994)

Super Donkey Kong

Exit: November 24, 1994 (France). Platform

Game on Super Nintendo, Nintendo Switch

Metroid Fusion (2002)

Exit: November 22, 2002 (France). Action-Adventure, platform

Game on Game Boy Advance, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch

Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Sūpā Mario Burazāzu

Exit: May 15, 1987 (France). Platform

Game on NES, Arcade, Famicom Disk System, Super Nintendo, Game Boy Advance, Electronic Game, PC, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Nintendo Switch

Cuphead (2017)

Exit: September 29, 2017. Platform, action, shoot’em up

Game on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac

New Super Mario Bros. (2006)

Exit: June 30, 2006 (France). Platform

Game on nintendo ds

Wario Land 4 (2001)

Wario Land Advance

Exit: August 21, 2001. Platform

Game on Game Boy Advance, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS

Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island (2002)

Exit: October 11, 2002 (France). Platform

Game on Game Boy Advance

Alice: return to the land of madness (2011)

Alice: Madness Returns

Exit: June 16, 2011 (France). Platform, action

PC game, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Ghiles47 put 8/10 and put it in his favorites.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009)

Exit: December 3, 2009. Platform

Prince of Persia: the soul of the warrior (2004)

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Exit: 2004. Action

PC game, Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation 3, iPhone

Prince of Persia (2008)

Exit: December 4, 2008 (France). Action-Adventure, platform

PC game, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac

Rayman (1995)

Exit: September 1, 1995 (France). Platform

PC game, PlayStation, Saturn, Jaguar, Nintendo DS, PS Vita, PSP, PlayStation 3

Rayman Origins (2011)

Exit: November 24, 2011 (France). Platform

Game on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, PS Vita

Rayman Legends (2013)

Exit: August 30, 2013. Platform

Game on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS Vita

Super Meat Boy (2010)

Release: October 20, 2010. Platform

Game on Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Mac, Linux

Portal 2 (2011)

Exit: April 19, 2011. Reflection, platform, FPS

PC game, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch

Inside (2016)

Exit: June 29, 2016. Adventure, reflection, platform

Game on Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, iPad, iPhone, Nintendo Switch, Mac, PlayStation 5

Ghiles47 put 7/10 and put it in his favorites.

Portal Stories: MEL (2015)

Exit: June 25, 2015. Adventure, action

Mod on Linux, PC, Mac

Ghiles47 put 8/10 and put it in his favorites.

Teslagrad (2013)

Exit: December 13, 2013. Reflection, platform

Game on PC, Mac, Linux, Wii U, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (1998)

Exit: May 6, 1998. Platform

Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001 (1996)

Exit: April 18, 1996. Action, Run and Gun

Game on arcade, neo-geo, neo-geo cd, playstation, playstation 2, playstation 3, nintendo switch, pc, psp, psp, saturn, xbox one, Android, iPad, iPhone, wii

Our selection of the best platform games

For a long time the queen of video game game category, platform games continue to evolve and offer ever more original titles, while based on a simple principle. From King Mario to Ori, discover our selection, necessarily non-exhaustive, of the best platform video games.

Platform games, what is ?

Before all technical developments allow video game developers to give free rein to their imagination, it was necessary to do with the constraint. That of having to develop on a fixed screen, for example, in which you had to imagine a path to go for the character, capable of moving and jumping, from platform to platform, to arrive at the end. From this simple principle was born a gender, whose best known ambassador is obviously a mustachioed plumber and that all the technological wonders invented over the years have not managed to make disappear.

To this simple notion of progression in a space, we can obviously add obstacles, enemies, and even a story. But all the interest will always lie in the complexity of the movements and the wonderful combination between the frustration felt when the player does not succeed, and the satisfaction he feels once the goal reaches. This principle has obviously invaded many other genres of games, and the classification of a world as large as that of video games will always be perilous. But the genre has known so many nuggets that it would not be serious not to offer a selection worthy of the name.

Mario Games

Here we go. Impossible not to start this selection with the greatest of all. Beyond representing video games around the world alone, with its 650 million games sold, Mario is also the indisputable ambassador of the platform game, although he is not really at his origin. Before any other competence, Mario jumps. Its original name is moreover Jumpman, and its first appearance dates back to nineteen eighty one, in the very first game Donkey Kong On arcade terminal. Since then, he has marvelously switched from 2D to 3D and continues to defeat Bower and save Princess Peach in games so timeless that he stands out, always with the same success, like the image of Super Mario 3D Allstars or Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.

Rayman games

In 1992, Michel Ancel, Young prodigy of the French design game, finds in his childhood drawings a character with the pace of a soft and benevolent teenager, without arms or legs. What to allow much more fluid animations than what was done at that time, and therefore to create a platform game which will become the first game to exceed one million sales on all supports. The main series has five games, and countless derivative games, in particular with Cretin rabbits, Again and always created by the brilliant Michel Ancel. Like Mario, he will try many different kinds, and will impose himself as a mascot of his publisher Ubisoft.

Donkey Kong Games

Mario, Donkey Kong was born from the genius of Shigeru Miyamoto and of Gunpei Yokoi, who were inspired by Popeye and King Kong to create the very first game of the Arcade Franchise in 1981. Since then, DK is undoubtedly one of the stars of Nintendo, and crosses the ages by offering titles on all the consoles of the manufacturer, through the series of Donkey Kong Country, or more recently of Tropical Freeze on Nintendo Switch. At the start designed to be the “villain” of Nintendo games, Donkey Kong turns out to be a particularly endearing character, to the point of surrounding himself with a whole small family who accompanies him in all his games, who are mostly platform games, even if he has also known many genres, as with Diddy Kong Racing Or Donkey Konga, the rhythmic games that were played with tom-tams !

Sonic Games

Created by Sega To compete with Mario, Sonic totally revolutionized the genre of platform game, thanks to the incredible dynamism of its games. The algorithm that was used to develop the first game was initially designed to reproduce the movement of a ball in a tube, in order to give a great impression of speed. Mission accomplished, when it was released in 1991 success is phenomenal and allows Sega to overcome Nintendo for the first time in terms of sales. Since then, the fastest blue hedgehog in the video game world has distinguished itself in many titles (37 in all), the last of which is Sonic Forces, released in 2017. He even won the cinema and is about to land on Netflix. Definitely a star of the genre.

Crash bandicoot games

Nintendo had Mario, Sega had sonic. To establish himself as a serious actor in the world of video games, PlayStation also needed his mascot on the dominant genre of the time. The studio Naughty Dog Imagine a platform game allowing to take advantage of the advantages offered by 3D thanks to a concept which they call “Sonic’s Ass” to symbolize the new positioning of the camera behind the character. The concept will become Crash bandicoot, And will mark a whole generation of players thanks to its design but especially thanks to its revolutionary and extremely demanding gameplay. In 2020, 24 years after the release of the first opus, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s about Time Always has this special, unforgettable flavor.

Castlevania games

At the origins of the platform game, the saga Castlevania obviously holds an important place. The player’s goal is always to be able to cross Dracula’s castle to succeed in defeating him using different weapons and including a whip. The saga also has the reputation of being particularly demanding in its platform phases, and this is probably one of the reasons for its immense success, since it has more than thirty opus. It is also at the origin of a very very particular genre, with the Metroid games: the Metroidvania, which mix the concepts of the two games, in particular by freeing oneself from the concept of levels.

Spyro games

Essential among heroes of platform games, Spyro The Dragon, created by Insomniac Games, He also had a big success in the late 90s. Intended for a younger audience with cartoony and reassuring graphics, Spyro experienced an original first trilogy between 1998 and 2000 before returning between 2006 and 2008 for a new trilogy. The character obviously has the distinction of being a dragon, and therefore of having small wings and being able to spit fire to overcome his enemies.

Mega Man Games

Inspired by Japanese manga Astro Boy, Mega Man will quickly impose itself as an essential character in the world of video games and platform games in particular. He has become the hero of an incalculable number of titles, which are divided into different derivative series. Like all popular video game heroes, Mega Man has the right to export to many other genres, without real success.

Prince of Persia Games

The saga Prince of Persia Begun in 1989 on Apple II. And if the success is not immediately at the meeting, it will arrive quickly, in particular thanks to different portes on more popular systems. When Ubisoft Recover the series and released in 2003 Prince of Persia: the sands of time, The prince becomes a global phenomenon. The scenario does not have an extraordinary interest since it is, as often, of going to save a princess at the end of a castle, it is the gameplay, and in particular the possibility of going back a few seconds to start a movement, which will make the success of the series. In 2021, we are waiting for the remake of this legendary title.

Jak and Daxter games

Developped by Naughty Dog, The first opus in the series Jak and Daxter released in 2001 and aims in particular to demonstrate the new technical capacities of the PS2. It allows you to take a course to platform games, since in addition to having a rather extensive scenario, it transports players in large open levels that mix the platform phases and action phases. The main series will have three opus and will export through spin-offs on PSP. Long hoped by the fans, Jak 4 has been canceled several times by the Naughty Dog studio, which seems to have definitively detached from the pure and hard platform game.

Ratchet & clank games

On the same model as Jak and Daxter, Insomniac Games perfectly followed the evolution of the platform genre with Ratchet and clank. Not really surprising when you know that the two games are developed on the same engine, and that the two studios shared the same building. Two characters to guarantee nice dialogues, large levels open to explore, and the perfect mix between action and platform: Ratchet and clank fulfills all the criteria of this new kind that will meet a lot of success. In all, the series currently has 9 opus, the last of which arrives in 2021 exclusively on PS5, Ratchet and Clank: Rift apart.

Portal games

Games Portal are the perfect mix between reflection game and platform game. It is a question of using teleportation portals to succeed in leaving a level, by solving various puzzles and other puzzles. The two opus in the series were acclaimed by criticism and the players, especially for their innovative side. Since 2011 and the release of Portal 2, Millions of fans are waiting for a suite … Fortunately, the community continues to build its own levels, always more difficult !

Oddworld Games

Known for his gloomy universe and his humor, the series Oddworld, The first opus of which was released in 1997, continues today with the planned outing in 2021 of Oddworld Soulstorm. It will be a remake of Oddworld: ABE Exodus, released in 1998. In all the opus in the series, the player fights against very industrial civilizations which do not respect nature and the living, such as glukkons and vykkers, which gives Oddworld the committed side which made its reputation, beyond the technical revolutions brought by some of his episodes.

The Little Big Planet Games

Created in 2008 by Media molecule, The series of platform games Little Big Planet is mainly known for its community aspect since it has always offered players the possibility of editing their own levels to share them. The saga, which has three main installments all released on PlayStation consoles, continues today with the exit of Sackboy: a big adventure on PS4 and PS5, who highlights the little woolen mesh hero.

Super Meat Boy games

Born from a little flash game on the internet, Super Meat Boy is today a series of platform games particularly famous among specialists. The player embodies a small piece of meat which must progress from level to level by avoiding many obstacles. These games are mainly aimed at an audience lover of pure hardcore platform games and mainly shine by the requirement of their gameplay. The second opus, Super Meat Boy Forever was released in 2020 and has the distinction of generating levels in a procedural manner, to ensure almost infinite replayability.

OR games

As Super Meat Boy, The Or Or Games series only has these lines written, only two installments, but is already part of the best platform games. The player embodies Or, A little white sylvestite spirit, in a universe particularly worked in 2D. Both modern thanks to many different gameplay mechanics, and traditional in its design, the Ori series is very successful. The last opus, Ori and the will of the Wisps was released in 2020.

Celestial

Released in 2018, Celestial has also particularly marked the community of platform game lovers. Extremely demanding in its gameplay, Celeste presents a very retro graphic universe and puzzle-game mechanics in addition to platform phases. The player plays Madeline there, a young woman who tries to climb a mountain riddled with obstacles where she will meet several other characters.

Hollow Knight

Developed by only three artists and a composer in 2017, Hollow Knight has over time conquered a large audience and met with great critical success. Its original artistic direction and its very demanding gameplay are notably at the origin of its reputation. The player embodies a kind of small insect which must release a kingdom from his infection. A second opus, Hollow Knight Silksong should see the light of day in 2021 to the delight of fans.