Platformers are probably one of the earliest game genres a person can be introduced to, and I'm definitely no exception. My childhood best friend introduced me to my first platformer when I was 6, and ever since, I've been diving down the rabbit hole to find all the best ones. I know I've already done a blog post about my favorite games of all time (which you can read here), but because platformers are my favorite game genre, I felt I had to give them some extra treatment.
Important To Note
I'm excluding Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight and the Shantae series from this list, as I feel they deserve a list of their own
This list is unranked
With that said, let's get to jumping around!!!
Spongebob Squarepants: Battle For Bikini Bottom
So that first platformer I mentioned; this is it. Battle For Bikini Bottom was so great for so many reasons, but my personal favorite was how well the gameplay, levels, and narrative combined together to create an experience that really captured the show. The plot sees Bikini Bottom invaded by an army of out-of-control robots, and it's up to Spongebob, Patrick, and Sandy to end their reign of terror.
Getting to travel to the show's iconic locations like Jellyfish Fields, Goo Lagoon, and The Mermalair is so much fun. From completing the golden spatula challenges, to exploring to find all of Patrick's sock, the level design puts amazing emphasis on using each character's abilities in the most fun ways. And let's not forget the boss fights; they challenge your knowledge of the mechanics so well and are a blast to defeat.
The dialogue has to be where the game shines the most though, as it feels like it was taken directly from an episode, and is applied so well to the game format. Like how Spongebob tells Squidward about how he uses Squidward's toothbrush without him knowing, and seeing the conversation transition so naturally to telling you how to get all the main golden spatulas in Sand Mountain. It makes me so happy that the remake preserved all the original dialogue. All together, it's such a great game, and I hope it's remembered as nothing less.
Kirby Squeak Squad
Here's another first for me, as it was the first game I 100% completed. The first mainline game in the series on the Nintendo DS, it really had to take advantage of the dual screens. Kirby Squeak Squad took a really cool approach to that, in which the bottom screen represented the inside of Kirby's stomach, and you could inhale items/copy abilities in bubbles, but they wouldn't get used. Instead, the bubbles would be stored in his stomach, and you could use the touch screen to pop them, which in turn would use the item, or give you the copy ability. It was a really handy way to build up resources over the course of the game for when you needed them, and boy did I.
This game had a lot of awesome level designs and bosses that really challenged me; from the unexpected encounters with the Squeaks, to the copy ability-specific obstacles. It does a great job at getting you to try out different copy abilities and be as successful as you can. And let's not forget looking for all of the hidden chests in each level. I still remember how satisfying it was to get that complete 120 and see it in the list of save files. It's a memory that will stick with me forever, and remind me of all the fun this game has to offer.
A Hat In Time
I gave this game an honorable mention on my list of favorite games, but looking back on it, it should've gotten the full treatment. I can confidently say that A Hat In Time is one of the most important game, not just in my personal life, but also in my professional life. For anyone new here, I actually built a modded level for this game as a student project called The Twilight Dwellers, which I still consider one of my all-time favorite projects that I've done. Even after it, I continued using UDK to make even more levels (which you can check out here), and will always look forward to the next one I make.
But enough about the levels I've made, let's get into the game itself. A Hat In Time is marketed as "a cute as heck" 3D platformer, and boy are they not lying. The game is colorful, vibrant, and full of amazing characters such as the adorable Hat Kid and the hilarious Snatcher (who I represent with a face mask that has his smile on it). As Hat Kid, you get to explore a collection of fun and challenging environments as you race to collect all the Time Pieces for your spaceship. The platforming is incredibly satisfying, the puzzles are challenging and fun, and the abilities are so unique and exciting. The game really did such an awesome job at capturing the feel of classic 90s 3D platformers.
Pac-Man World 2
Another game my best friend introduced me to, there really isn't too much to say here. Pac-Man World 2 is just a really great 3D platformer. The plot sees the Ghosts unleash their evil king Spooky on Pac-Land, and it's up to Pac-Man to recover the golden fruits that they stole and imprison Spooky once again. The game takes you through a delightful and challenging collection of levels as you collect Pac-Pellets, Rev Roll across platforms, discover hidden tokens for the the arcade, and take down ghosts in epic robot boss battles. And of course, there are a collection of Galaxians that will take you to a classic-style Pac-Man maze to play.
It really knew how to get you excited about beating levels to; I'll never forget screaming at the top of my lungs "I BEAT VOLCANIC PANIC!!!" I think it was probably a solid year that I was stuck on that level before I finally got past it (keep in mind, this was probably before I had turned 10). And the replayability also made them shine, cause who knows how many times I've played Blade Mountain purely because it was so fast-paced and exciting to skate down a frozen mountain. Or how many time I went back to the forest to fight Inky and his wooden robot ghost, not even caring that I had already gotten the Golden Strawberry from him. Even just talking about these levels now, I'm getting excited about the idea of replaying them, and will be more than happy to start a new save file just to do so.
Super Mario Sunshine
I felt like I had to put a Super Mario game on this list, and of all the 3D platformers, this one was definitely my favorite. The game sees Mario about to embark on a tropical vacation to Isle Delfino when he's framed as a graffiti-drawing hooligan, and sets out to find the actual culprit. To help along the way, Mario equips the "Flash Liquidizing Ultra Dousing Device", or F.L.U.D.D. for short, and makes it his mission to clean up all the goop that has given him a bad name.
F.L.U.D.D. was such a unique addition to the game's mechanics that still stands out to this day. He really emphasized not just spraying water to solve puzzles, but also moving around in new and interesting ways with the different nozzles. It made the game's platforming challenges and secrets that much more satisfying to overcome. I still never get tired of going to Rico Harbor, jumping in the water, and using the Turbo Nozzle to just fly around at top speed.
And don't forget the environment; Delfino is nothing short of beautiful and vibrant. Tons of great levels with awesome art, fun platforming challenges, and amazing characters. Not to mention that it was the game that introduced Bowser Junior, who has gone on to become one of the best characters in the series. Overall, Sunshine is always a blast to play, and I can definitely look forward to another playthrough anytime.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Thinking about what my favorite platformers are had me going through my collection of GameCube games, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I really love Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. It's a pretty simple plot for the game in which Donkey Kong sets out to defeat a collection of evil gorillas, boars, giant birds carrying eggs, and robot elephants, all while collecting as many bananas and giant fruits as possible. Like I said; simple, right?
But the game shines with its bongo controller, in which you move around and attack enemies via playing the bongos and clapping to the beat. It made for a unique and exciting experience, and also really utilized the controller for each encounter. The boss fights especially were something to remember, which also was my family yelling at me to keep it down since I was absolutely mashing the bongos when I stunned a boss. Happy to say that I still have the bongos, and love to bust them out every once in a while. Now I just have to worry about neighbors yelling at me to keep it down, which could be more problematic.
Kirby's Return To Dreamland
And last, but most certainly not least, we have my favorite Kirby game of all time. I've talked about this before, but the anticipation for this game is something I'll never forget. It had been 5 years since the last mainline Kirby game had come out (Squeak Squad; I'm not counting Super Star Ultra since that was a remake), so I had been dying to get my hands on this game. Technically, I had to wait longer since it was originally planned for a 2005 release on the GameCube. But wow, it was completely worth the wait.
Kirby sets out alongside Meta Knight, King Dedede, and the newly introduced Bandana Waddle Dee to help repair the crashed ship of Magalor, and make an all-new adventure across Planet Popstar. The game feels as classic as a Kirby game can be, with tons of amazing copy abilities, fun and well-designed levels, plenty of hidden collectables, and in my opinion, a True Arena that is both the most challenging and exciting the series has ever had. But the big selling point of the game was the introduction of the Super Abilities, which you use to destroy the environment in the most epic and grandiose ways. There's not much to say; you just feel like a superhero when you use them. It's a game that I will never get tired of, and will continue to stand as my favorite in the series.
Honorable Mentions
Kirby & The Forgotten Land
Lego Batman
New Super Mario Bros.
Sonic Unleashed
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Portal 2
And there you have it, some of my favorite platformers. Hope you enjoyed me geeking out in this blog. And perhaps that list of metroidvanias could be on the horizon!