#18 Shovel Knight
What @NovelMike has to say:
"The original Shovel Knight was a great and enjoyable experience but the additional campaigns that have been added just add so much more to an already fun game, and you'd think that going through many of the same levels with new characters would get old but the different characters have enough unique things going on and the levels have many tweaks that constantly keep them interesting and fun to play."
OST Highlights:
Strike the Earth (Plains of Passage)
Game: Shovel Knight Music: Strike the Earth! (Plains of Passage)
www.youtube.com
Flowers of Antimony (The Explodatorium)
Game: Shovel Knight Music: Flowers of Antimony (The Explodatorium)
www.youtube.com
#17 Super Mario Bros.
What
Slime Stack has to say:
"I think it's fair to say that SMB might be the most essential video game of all time, let alone platformer. Those crazy wizards of Nintendo somehow managed to write the book on good platform game design with basically no reference. Everything about SMB is iconic: the music, the graphic design, the weird mushrooms you jump on in level 1-3. Even the finer details have aged really well for a game that's literally 35 years old. It's extremely well-paced, rewards skillful play, has memorable set pieces, and fantastic sound design: tenets that would later become synonymous with what constitutes a good platformer."
OST Highlights:
Overworld
Super Mario Bros (NES) Music - Overworld Theme Download all my NES Soundtracks as MP3 herehttp://www.nes-snes-sprites.com/
www.youtube.com
Underwater Theme
Super Mario Bros (NES) Music - Underwater Theme Download all my NES Soundtracks as MP3 here http://www.nes-snes-sprites.com/
www.youtube.com
#16 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles)
What
Old_King_Coal has to say:
"This game exemplifies a lot of the things that make classic Sonic different from Mario, with enormous level maps that contain multiple branching paths and routes and routinely provide opportunities to explore the space beyond simple 'hidden bonus room' secrets, as well as replaying to find the most optimal ways to speed through. Sonic's controls are well refined by this point, with the insta-shield ability rounding out his classic moveset nicely. [With] 3 playable characters with unique abilities, an actual level select, beautiful art and fantastic music, this really is the 'essential' Sonic experience."
OST Highlights:
Flying Battery Zone- Act 1
🔔 SUBSCRIBE! https://www.youtube.com/c/OfficialVGM?sub_confirmation=1 👾 FOLLOW ME! http://twitter.com/officialvgm Thank you for your support!
www.youtube.com
Hydrocity Zone- Act 2
This is the music for act 2 of the Hydrocity zone in Sonic 3.
www.youtube.com
#15 Super Mario 3D World
BADGE:
3rd Place Best Upgrades
What
FernandoRocker has to say:
"Integrates all of the best "true" Mario elements into one. Maps opening up worlds like Super Mario World (SNES), playable characters with different attributes like Super Mario Bros 2 (NES), random roaming enemy challenges on the way like Super Mario Bros 3 (NES), all with a very Super Mario Galaxy feel and amazing creativity. [...] Honestly, I implore you. Go find a cheap used Wii U and play Super Mario 3D World. Don't miss the best Mario game ever made."
OST Highlights:
A Boss Approaches
Music: A Boss Approaches Composers: Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Yasuaki Iwata, Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz5gUls4mkX-AM61...
www.youtube.com
Double Cherry Pass
Music: Double Cherry Pass Composers: Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Yasuaki Iwata, Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz5gUls4mkX-AM6...
www.youtube.com
#14 Rayman Legends
What
Plinkerton has to say:
"To me, Rayman Legends is the perfect video game. The painted art-style is incredible and so detailed (what happened to UbiArt!?), the platforming feels point-perfect and those music levels are so much fun. Its one of those games that you can have fun with from minute one, right the way through to hour 100 when you're going after every last collectable and trying to perfect every time challenge, because its constantly giving you new ways to move in the world and new challenges to think about."
OST Highlights:
The Tower of Babel (Menu Theme)
Rayman Legends Music Rayman Legends OST Rayman Legends Soundtrack Rayman Legends Music Rayman Legends OST Rayman Legends Soundtrack Composer(s): Christophe H...
www.youtube.com
The Adventure Begins
⇓ Stream/Download Rayman Legends Full Soundtrack → https://idol.lnk.to/s437d ♫ Listen to the full Original Game Soundtrack on YouTube → http://bit.ly/2GWUlVG...
www.youtube.com
#13 Super Metroid
BADGE:
1st Place Best Upgrades
What sir_crocodile has to say:
"Super Metroid is that rarest of things, a perfect game. It's just beautifully put together with the most perfect pacing on how it opens its world to you, superb graphics, atmospheric music and flawless controls that allow you to get to grips with some of the more challenging enemy/level design the game throws at you."
OST Highlights:
Theme of Super Metroid
Music: Theme of Super MetroidComposer: Kenji YamamotoPlaylist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0BCE0BA953AC33E4Platform: SNES
www.youtube.com
Brinstar (Red Soil)
Music: Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area Composer: Kenji Yamamoto Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0BCE0BA953AC33E4 Platform: SNES
www.youtube.com
#12 Banjo-Kazooie
What
Christo750 has to say:
"My favorite game of all time. At the time it was one of the grandest senses of adventure I had encountered in a video game. The movement tools at your disposal both had context and were outlandish, in a way that made this unlikely Bear and Bird duo unforgettable. I loved learning things like the Talon Trot in Mumbo's Mountain, the Wonderwing in Clanker's Cavern, and of course, the ability to fly in Treasure Trove Cove. Each world had an amazing cast of characters, a wide array of collectables without ever being or feeling unmanageable, and most importantly, an UNINTERRUPTED sense of exploration."
OST Highlights:
Spiral Mountain
Music: Spiral Mountain Composer: Grant Kirkhope Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFA7714E316F2CB06 Platform: Nintendo 64
www.youtube.com
Gruntilda's Lair
Music: Gruntilda's Lair Composer: Grant Kirkhope Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFA7714E316F2CB06 Platform: Nintendo 64
www.youtube.com
#11 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
BADGE:
3rd Place Best Soundtrack
What
Leo has to say:
"DKC2 was one of the first instances of a collectathon platformer, and is still the one of the most balanced ones. This is a game that really compels you to go for 100% (102%, actually) because it rewards you with fun new levels, and looking for the bonuses and DK coins is so much fun and never feels like a chore, all of the secrets are well hidden but still very much intuitive and fair. On top of all that, the game is widely recognized by it's legendary soundtrack, that brought the world and its beautiful scenics to full realization with music that isn't what anyone would expect from a mascot videogame in 95. DKC2 is a masterpiece and every gamer should experience it."
OST Highlights:
Mining Melancholy
The theme to Squawk's Shaft from Donkey Kong Country 2
www.youtube.com
Stickerbush Symphony (Bramble Blast)
Stickerbush Symphony, but Very Slow: https://youtu.be/O0-tThDmHAg My remix: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sqa2yctcAEM See also: Best VGM 83 - http://www.youtube...
www.youtube.com
#10 Hollow Knight
BADGES:
1st Place Best Boss Design
2nd Place Best Storytelling
What
Bosh has to say:
"For those like myself that ever thought, I love MetroidVania's but I really wish they where bigger while still retaining the same level of detail Super Metroid or SOTN, Hollow Knight delivers and blows past expectations. While on my way 100%+ I was still finding new areas 50 hours into my journey. Each area tells a story through its incredible artwork while delivering quality boss fights all over the map. The game boast a high enemy variety (168!) keeping you on your toes in every area."
What
lightning16 has to say:
OST Selections:
Dirtmouth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyZylLMiFeY
City of Tears
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1unm0LS10ao
#9 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
BADGES:
1st Place Best Art Design
2nd Place Best Boss Design
What
toilet_sandpaper has to say:
"I still have to see a platformer with so much charisma, polished visuals that blend so well with the mechanics and enemies. Transforming Yoshi in vehicles was so cool. Driving a train on the wall paintings? Getting stoned with forest plants? Fighting a giant crow on the moon? Man, the developers were SO CREATIVE with this game. As a child, the game fascinated me. I played it this year in Switch and it still is the best made platformer of all time for me. No flaws on this one (except the Mario cry that makes me never want to have a baby!)."
What
Thuddert has to say:
"It's an incredible charming game with a gorgeous artstyle and an excellent move set. The level and world design is hard to top even to this day. Yoshi's Island is a game I keep discovering new things in every time I play through it again and it just such a lovely and wholesome experience every time. It's also one of the few games where I would encourage people to go for the full completion, as it really becomes a very different beast altogether. Even after so many times it feels just right in providing a proper challenge, but also still very reasonable to complete it."
OST Selections:
Athletic Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUeW7IOSFc
Baby Bowser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbFQh32xlh0
#8 Super Mario Odyssey
BADGES:
1st Place Best Mechanics
What
UnapologeticallyBLK has to say:
"This is basically the culmination of all of 3D platforming; free movement, awesome camera, and a variety of platforming challenges that allow the most novice player to advance in the game while fulfilling the more experienced players' desires for goals based on both exploration and precision platforming. The story and visuals are fantastic, and New Donk City itself is a perfect storm of great set-pieces, fun high/low exploration, and enjoyable platforming segments. It's essentially a perfect game."
What
salamedratos has to say:
"I think this one is as close to being perfect as a Mario game can get. The levels are inventive and full of depth in the exploration and in the platforming itself, the mechanics are rich and complex, the art design is varied and close to perfect and its full of emotional and surprising moments, which is something platformers usually lack as those moments are usually tied to more narrative experiences. All in all, this is a truly complete package."
OST Highlights:
Steam Gardens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8Mx18uR1dY
Jump Up, Superstar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9r5hx47kxM
#7 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
BADGES:
1st Place Best Soundtrack
1st Place Best Level Design
What
Xtortion has to say:
"Level construction is wonderfully intricate, often weaving together multiple escalating gimmicks per level in a style of design that evolves the Yoshi's Island approach by using those gimmicks to support an overarching level theme. Stage backdrops are painstakingly detailed to tell environmental stories with very few stages looking alike, and composer David Wise arguably one-ups himself from DKC2 to create a damn near bottomless well of incredible music. For platformers that emphasize challenging gauntlets to hop and bop through, you can't get much better than this."
What
Nocturnowl has to say:
"Tropical Freeze is packing my favourite overall selection of stages in any game on this list, every outing is meticulously detailed with distinct backgrounds that carry a sense of progress alongside the foreground obstacles ramping up while aesthetically tying into a stages overarching theme. Whole worlds can run with this idea, look no further than Juicy Jungle's run of stages that take you through an entire fruit harvesting and production process. [...] Top tier OST, has Owl Switzerland with Bopopolis to boot, this game is one of those ones where it feels made for me, hence number 1."
OST Highlights:
Funky Waters (Amiss Abyss)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA2WjP6sgrc
Busted Bayou
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95HuSMQSUVo
#6 Super Mario Galaxy 2
BADGES:
2nd Place Best Level Design
What
AuroraMusisAmica has to say:
"Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the culmination of Nintendo EAD Tokyo's wild imagination, abundance of creativity, and masterclass of game design all coming together. It's not simply a retreading or evolution of their first go around beyond the Mushroom Kingdom's atmosphere, but a continuation of pushing boundaries and redefining what a platformer is capable of. Each world is a smorgasbord of every platforming idea under the sun, re-imagined, reinvented, and honed down to perfection. [...] Super Mario Galaxy 2 is everything its predecessor is, and more. It is the pinnacle of the platformer genre, and a masterclass of the gaming medium."
What
Lord Azrael has to say:
"The absolute GOAT. Level variety is crazy. So many different ideas and mechanics that could hold up entire games on their own. Yet no level overstays its welcome - you're constantly moving on to something new. Great mix of tight platforming and exploration levels, with beautiful art design. Some of the best controls in any game ever. Actually made the Wii pointer super fun, always keeping your hands busy with stuff like star bits or Yoshi."
OST Highlights:
Puzzle Plank Galaxy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaf2gUhy74o
Cloudy Court Galaxy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6d4lxw9FYM
#5 Celeste
BADGES:
1st Place Best Storytelling
3rd Place Best Mechanics
What
Ramsay has to say:
"Madeline controls brilliantly, with a moveset that it simultaneously easy to grasp as it is difficult to master. The level design is immaculate, squeezing every last ounce of creativity from both the level concepts and Madeline's moveset - to the point where the B-sides, C-sides and Farewell flat out utilise speedrunning techniques. The cherry on top is the game's heartfelt, well-told story that brilliantly utilises the game's difficulty as an allegory for anxiety and depression. Whilst the game demands that you get good, it at no point becomes condescending like many difficult games, but rather, is consistently encouraging the player."
What
ShironRedshift has to say:
"And then on top of that, there's the wonderful set of accessibility options, which are among the best in the genre, IMO, which give you complete control over the kind of experience you want. You can just play the game normally, you can play the game on normal settings while trying to get all the Strawberries where if you're doing that there certainly are some particularly deviously placed ones for sure, of if that's not quite your thing, you can turn on accessibility options to the point where even stuff like bottomless pits won't hurt you if you like. [...] And so if nothing else already did, just giving those players those kind of options and that level of customizing your playthrough to your personal tastes, to focus on whatever your personally like in platformers certainly makes me feel if anything would deserve to be at the top of such a list, well, Celeste is certainly one such game."
OST Highlights:
Reach for the Summit
🍓 Celeste Original Soundtrack 🍓Purchase: https://radicaldreamland.bandcamp.com/album/celeste-original-soundtrackWritten, performed & mastered by Lena Raine...
www.youtube.com
Mirror Temple (Mirror Magic Mix)
🎛 Celeste B-Sides 🎛Purchase: https://radicaldreamland.bandcamp.com/album/celeste-b-sidesRemix by 2 Mellohttp://2mellomakes.bandcamp.comMastered by Lena Raine
www.youtube.com
#4 Super Mario Galaxy
BADGES:
2nd Place Best Soundtreack
3rd Place Best Storytelling
What
Big G has to say:
"This is as good as it gets, a wonderful "best of both worlds" 3D platformer that does it all, from precision platforming stages to the exploratory nature of prior 3D entries. This experimental period between open-ended 3D Mario and linear 3D Mario produced something positively mind-blowing, where nearly everything felt fresh and new and unlike anything I'd played before. It rewrote the book on what was possible in a 3D platformer, and is one of the best games ever made."
What
DLH has to say:
"Super Mario Galaxy is the best of both worlds. Its gimmick can't be strapped onto Mario's back or plopped on top of his head. Indeed, Mario's equipment and abilities are largely the same as they were in Super Mario 64. However, the fundamental laws that govern the way the world interacts with his movement have changed. His long jump is still his long jump, but the world around him dictates whether that long jump will propel him along a flat stretch of ground, or shoot him into an eccentric orbit around small spheroids. Because of this, Galaxy's gimmick did not feel artificial, as if it were tacked onto previous innovations. Rather, it was transformative, breathing new life into mechanics that you already knew and loved, while refining those mechanics further."
OST Highlights:
Gusty Garden Galaxy
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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Good Egg Galaxy
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
IT'S FINALLY HERE! The top 101 is complete and I just want to thank everyone who participated in getting to this wild ride. But we're not done yet. Honorable Mentions will be posted early next week, and there are other stats and content being worked on as well. In the meantime, enjoy ResetEra's 101 Essential Platformers!
#3 Super Mario Bros. 3
BAGES:
3rd Place Best Level Design
What
TheWildCard has to say:
"Represents the pinnacle of the 8-bit platforming era of pure platformers, and still one of the most joyful games you can play. Looks and sounds amazing for the hardware it is running on. Levels are plentiful but not too long, and there are enough powerups and secrets to comb through levels without detracting from the pure pleasure of movement."
What
WestEgg has to say:
"Super Mario Bros. 3 takes the concept of Super Mario Bros., takes the spirit of what it wants to do, and then just reinvents, recontextualizes, and reimagines it in a massively improved way. Mario has never felt better to move and control on a 2D plane. The levels are short and concise, offering a great variety of enemies, obstacles, and challenges that never feels overwhelming. It brought the World Map into the platforming mainstream, and managed to hide secrets not just all over its levels, but even in the maps themselves. [...] The game just feels too big to have been possible on the NES. I still don't understand how they did it. And it feels as good to play today as it did back when I was a kid. It's pure, genius craftsmanship in the art of game making."
What
Lulzwagon has to say:
"Pure platforming bliss distilled into a liquid that was then injected into every cartridge. Super Mario Bros 3. is everything I love about a 2D platformer. Not too many puzzles, not too many gimmicks, not too many underused mechanics introduced for faux-variety and short & sweet levels. I think 2D platformers are at their best when they are simply a test of reflexes, timing and wit. No game represents this purity more than SMB 3."
OST Highlights:
Overworld
Music: Above Ground BGM Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL45AF721D6D42EA80 Platform: NES
www.youtube.com
Athletic
Music: Athletic BGM Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL45AF721D6D42EA80 Platform: NES
www.youtube.com
#2 Super Mario World
What
CJCW? has to say:
"About as close to perfection as a game can get. The platforming itself feels tight, with Mario moving exactly as you'd expect him to based on your inputs. The powerups, both new and old, change your approach to enemies and obstacles encountered; the cape in particular adds a new degree of freedom to the Mario formula, and is used pretty ingeniously when required to find the game's more tricky exits. [...] The music is incredible, not just in how good it is on its own, but also in its refusal to simply parrot old series tunes - Athletic, my personal favorite, fits the stages it's present in with its jaunty rhythm and its balance between feeling upbeat and manic. The sprite work is fantastic, about as good as it gets in a 16-bit game, presenting clear enemy designs, well-timed animations, and gorgeous scrolling backgrounds. All in all, Super Mario World is everything a fan of platforming games could ever want, and sits comfortably at the top of my list of the best the genre has to offer."
What
miserable Person has to say:
"Platforming perfection and one of the greatest games of all-time. Mario's romp through Dinosaur Land is rife with shortcuts, secrets, and teases of what's to come during an ever escalating quest to rescue Princess Peach. Mario feels perfect, his weightiness doesn't betray his ability to properly maneuver mid jump and real skill is needed to complete every level the game has to offer."
What
MondoMega has to say:
Super Mario World resonates with me more than any other 2D Mario title; the colorful aesthetic letting it stand out, Koji Kondo's compositions obviously be exceptional (personally, i'm a huge fan of them using a single leitmotif throughout the game; but i'm glad they only decided to go for it once), Mario's looser controls allowing for a ton of fun and surprisingly precise movement (kinda an oxymoron there, I know) and the inter-connected feeling of Dinosaur Land truly expanding upon the world map first introduced in SMB3. I don't have much more I can say; it's good.
OST Highlights:
Athletic
Music: Athletic Platform: SNES Reupload of GilvaSunner: https://www.youtube.com/user/GilvaSunner
www.youtube.com
Castle Theme
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com
#1 Super Mario 64
BADGES:
2nd Place Best Mechanics
What
Nisaba has to say:
"I consider this to be the most important platformer. At the time of it's release, I could not believe what I was playing. Years of 2D platforming foundation ingrained in me...to suddenly be shattered so easily by Nintendo once they introduced that third dimension. I still cannot believe they managed to get it so right on their first try, how? This game is a testament to the genius of Nintendo and a true masterstroke of platforming that really has defined the genre in 3D. I cannot picture any other platformer being as essential to play and experience at least once so you too can know of it's innovation and delightful range of gameplay mechanics."
What
DinoBlaster has to say:
"The bible of 3D platformers. Mario still controls like a dream and the music/sound effects remain timeless. After the first couple missions you can tackle the game in almost any order you want, and it's all magical. Exploring Peach's castle, jumping into paintings, grabbing Bowser by the tail, long-jumping and side-flipping anywhere I damn well please...I love this game."
What
Kolibri has to say:
"This is the most essential 3D platformer of all time, and my favourite platformer altogether. Well over 20 years later, this polygonal pioneer is still an absolute joy to play. People all over the world know the impact this game had on the industry, and everyone can appreciate just how hard Nintendo nailed this on their very first try. I did not place this game above the other 3D Mario games (which I all love), merely out of nostalgia.
Mario just controls that well in this old game. The unbelievable variety of moves Mario can pull of in this game are simply unmatched (although Odyssey comes close). [...] I love the freedom of level progression. I love Mario's moves. I love the 'levels within levels' like the Pyramid in Shifting Sand Land. I love the music. I love 'surfing' around on a Koopa Shell."
OST Highlights:
Dire, Dire Docks
Music: Dire, Dire Docks Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FA3FE759E7FEE2B Platform: Nintendo 64
www.youtube.com
Slide
Music: Slide Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FA3FE759E7FEE2B Platform: Nintendo 64
www.youtube.com
