your favorite top 10 platformers of all time.

[8th lutz]

Mine are

Super Mario Brothers one

Super Mario Brother 3

Sonic 2

Super mario World one

Cool spot

Alex kidd in miracle world

Kirby's adventure

Sonic & knockles

Donkey Kong

Duck Tales

[AtticGamer]

Super Mario World (SNES)

Super Mario 64 (N64 and NDS)

Donkey Kong (NES)

Super Mario Brothers (NES)

Mappy (NES)

Edited December 8, 2005 by Atari_kid

[vdub_bobby]

First thoughts. Top six, in a sort-of order:

1. G.I. Joe (NES)

2. Sonic 1 (Genesis)

3. Contra (NES)

4. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)

5. Zelda II (NES)

6. Ninja Gaiden (NES)

 

Others I like, unordered:

Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)

Super Mario Bros. (NES)

Bionic Commando (NES)

Bubble Bobble (multiple - I've mostly played the NES)

Mega Man 2 (NES)

Pitfall II (2600)

Castlevania (NES)

Joust (multiple - mostly on NES, again)

Flashback (Genesis)

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure (SNES)

A Boy and His Blob (NES)

[tmont]

My top three:

 

Super Mario Bros. 2

Mega Man

Mega Man X

[Flojomojo]

Whole buncha Mario games.

Vectorman for Genesis.

Strider in the arcade.

 

That's about ten.

[guitarmas]

Mega Man 2 would probably be my favorite one.

[figgler]

In no particular order;

 

Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros 3

Super Mario World

Prince of Persia SOT

Kid Dracula

Donkey Kong Country

Sonic 2

Banjo Kazooie

Super Mario 64 DS

Pitfall

[Serguei2]

My top 10

 

Super Mario Land 3: Warioland

Warioland 2

Warioland 4

Popeye

Donkey Kong

Jumpman

Lode Runner

Super Mario Bros

Bill & Ted's Excellent gameboy adventure game

The amazing Spiderman (gameboy LJN 1990)

[Christophero Sly]

I can't come up with ten of the top of my head, but I'm pretty sure Lode Runner is #1.

Edited December 9, 2005 by Christophero Sly

[Inky]

Montezuma's Revenge / CV

Super Mario Bros. NES

Sonic 1

Sonic 2

Mega Man 1

Pac Man World 2

Crash Bandicoot 2

[cimerians]

I'm thinking of ALL the systems I have owned since the late 70's:

 

Donkey Kong (arcade or C64, has to have the pie level!)

Miner 2049er (C64 OR Colecovision)

Montezumas Revenge (c64 or Atari 5200)

Jumpman (c64)

Mega Man 2 (NES)

Prince of Persia SOT (PC)

Bruce Lee (c64)

Conan (c64)

 

 

Can HERO be considered a platformer? I think it can so I vote for HERO on the Atari 2600 as well.

 

I loved Super Mario Brothers but I could not play them if you paid me these days. Still burnt out on them from so much playing.....

[AlexKIDD]

Super Mario Wold

Yoshi's Island

Bonk's Revenge

Mega Man X

Sonic 2 and knuckles

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

Psycho Fox

Mario 64

Sonic 3

Pitfall

Edited December 9, 2005 by AlexKIDD

[Spoon]

Wow. That's a tough one. Probably something like this...

 

1. Mega-Man III - NES

2. Kid Icarus - NES

3. Pitfall II - C64

4. Batman - NES

5. Super Ghouls & Ghosts - SNES

6. Strider - Genesis

7. Super Turrican - Amiga

8. Contra - NES

9. Robocop vs. Terminator - SNES

10. Shatterhand - NES

[+FujiSkunk]

In rough order of favorites...

 

10. Mario Brothers

 

Hints of things to come.

 

9. Super Mario Brothers

 

Admittedly I'm not much of a fan of the Mario platformers, but even I can't deny their legacy, introducing gamers to huge multi-screen worlds full of endearing characters, catchy music, cute yet dangerous enemies, hidden treasures and ever-collectable coins. And let's not forget the fair princess waiting to be rescued at the end of it all.

 

8. Ghosts 'n' Goblins

 

The music sells this one, especially on the Commodore 64, thanks to Mark Cooksey and his magical SID powers.

 

7. Contra

 

A borderline case (are platforming heroes allowed to have guns?), but there is no denying its quality, or how it almost single-handedly popularized the video game Easter egg (sorry, Warren).

 

6. Pitfall II

 

Old school platforming, before it was even a buzzword!

 

5. Bubble Bobble

 

Perhaps not a platformer in the strictest sense, since everything stays on a single screen, but there are still lots of jumping, collecting, cute music, and trance-inducing gameplay involved.

 

4. Croc

 

Little more than a 3-D rip-off of both Sonic and Mario, Croc nevertheless is a winner, with adorable characters, addictive game play, and some of the best music ever found in a platformer.

 

3. Sonic the Hedgehog

 

The game that introduced Sonic to the world. Classic.

 

2. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

 

Bigger and better than its predecessor, with a cinematic ending (as cinematic as the 16-bit generation could get, anyway) that made the hours of gameplay before it worth every second.

 

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 + Knuckles

 

The absolute pinnacle of 2-D platforming. It's all here, complete with an engrossing story that actually develops as the game goes on. The only catch is you really need both cartridges put together to get the full experience.

Edited December 9, 2005 by skunkworx

[Lord Helmet]

In no paticular order:

 

Donkey Kong

Super Mario Bros...1, 2, 3...

Super Mario World

Crash Bandicoot (the 1str one)

Sonic 2

Pitfall 2

Mario 64

[Rugxulo]

Random favorites of mine:

Kirby's Dreamland (GB)

Super Mario Land (GB)

Earthworm Jim 2 (SNES)

Sonic 2 (GG)

Sonic Chaos (GG)

Donald Duck: Deep Duck Trouble (GG)

Shadow of the Beast (Lynx)

Viking Child (Lynx)

?Ninja Gaiden (NES)

Super Mario Bros (NES)

Super Mario World (SNES)

Pac Man World 2 (XBox)

Donkey Kong Country 1,2,3 (SNES)

?Dragon's Lair (JagCD)

Sonic 3D Blast (via Sonic Collection, XBox)

 

Stuff I don't own (yet):

Cool Spot (GG)

Scrapyard Dog (Lynx)

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (Lynx)

Mega Man Anniversary Collection (XBox)

Capcom Classics (XBox)

Taito Collection (XBox)

Pitfall: Mayan Adventure (Jag)

Flashback (Jag)

Rayman (Jag)

Zool 2 (Jag)

Bubsy (Jag)

 

Stuff I haven't played (yet):

Ristar (via Sonic Collection, XBox)

Flicky (via Sonic Collection, XBox)

 

Stuff I haven't played enough (yet):

most stuff from Sonic Mega Collection Plus (XBox)

 

My brother's favorites:

Pac Land (Lynx)

?Kirby Tilt N' Tumble (GBC)

Donkey Kong Country 1,2,3 (SNES)

Edited December 9, 2005 by Rugxulo

[tmont]

There seems to be an interesting definition of platformers going around. I normally wouldn't consider games like Flashback, Bubble Bobble, Kid Icarus, Zelda II, etc. to be platformers. Flashback's controls make jumping difficult, Bubble Bobble is a single room full of bubbles and fruit, and Zelda II has platforms, but it's definitely an adventure game more than a platformer. I always considered a platformer to be a game where you're suspended above an infinite cliff, and you jump on platforms, and avoid huge holes. Like Mario and Mega Man. Sometimes you have a mustache. Sometimes you're bare-chested (Contra).

[8th lutz]

I didn't put any megaman's down for me question the genre for Megaman and a few other games.

[8th lutz]

Didn't know the previous post came through due to apply button having a difficult time going through. Sorry for double post.

Edited December 10, 2005 by 8th lutz

[The Eidolon]

Depending on what you call a platformer, and in no particular order:

 

Spelunker (A8)

Montezuma's Revenge (5200)

Out of This World (PC/Mac)

Mouse Trap (ST)

Nebulus (ST)

Bubble Bobble (Arcade)

Buster Brothers (Arcade)

Mega Man Series (NES/SNES/PS1 etc.)

Strider (Arcade)

Shinobi (Arcade)

SD Gundam Psycho Salamander (Arcade)

Jumpman/Jumpman Jr. (A8)

Super Mario Series (NES/SNES etc.) Not Mario Sunshine though...

Mountain King (5200)

Prince of Persia (original) (PC)

Pitfall 2 (5200 for the extra level)

Castlevania SOTN (PS1)

Metroid (NES)

Zelda 2 (NES)

Black Tiger (Arcade)

Ghouls & Ghosts (Arcade)

Super Ghouls & Ghosts (SNES)

Boulderdash (A8)

Super Monkey Ball 1&2 (GC, stretching the definition a bit...)

 

 

I'm already well past 10... I've never been exactly sure what makes some games "run-and-guns" and others platformers. Something like Robocop (arcade) or Metal

Slug feels like a run-and-gun because jumping and exploring is a secondary part of

the game and mostly you will be fighting. But then why is Strider or Shinobi a platformer?

I guess the difference is arbitrary, depending on the focus of the game)

 

Anyway, I love platformers, most especially Pitfall II. I could never get into 3D paltformers

beacuse of camera issues and the jumping felt less precise to me. Too much time futzing

about to see if I am facing in exaclty in the right direction and too little frenetic jumping

and dying action.

 

--The Eidolon

[sega saturn x]

I have just enjoyed far to many to make a list out of only 10, but if I did nights would be in there for sure.

[silverpoodleman]

I'm a Genesis fanatic, so -

 

1. Ristar - Why has this not be mentioned yet????? It is the best least known platformer ever

2. Sonic 2

3. Sonic & Knuckles

4. Dynamite Headdy

5. Strider

6. Vectorman

7. Decap Attack

8. Sonic 3

9. Cool Spot

10. Ristar (again) It's that good!

[Famicoman]

Donkey Kong (Arcade)

Mario Bros. (Arcade)

Super Mario Bros (NES)

Super Mario 64 (N64)

Vector Man (Gennesis)

A Boy and his Blob (NES)

Mega Man II (NES)

Super Mario World (SNES)

Sonic 2 w/ knuckles cart (Gennesis)

X-Men 2 (Gennesis)

[J.Max]

In no particular order:

 

 

(2D)

Super Mario Bros. 1,2,3

Super Mario World

Yoshi's Island

Sonic 1,2,3

Sonic and Knuckles

Magician Lord (Neo Geo)

Ristar

Pulseman (Why has no one mentioned this yet? It's my second favorite Genesis game right after Gunstar Heroes!)

Castlevania series, with a special mention of Dracula X: Chi no Rondo.

Gex

Donkey Kong Country Series

 

(3D)

Super Mario 64

Sonic Adventure 1 and 2

Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal

Jax and Daxter Series

Crash Bandicoot 1 and 2

[Zoop]

no certain order

 

Super Mario Bros

Super Mario World

Yoshi's Island

Sonic The Hedgehog

Ristar

Donkey Kong Country

Rayman 2

Super Mario 64

Banjo Kazooie/Tooie

Crash Bandicoot