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What is your favorite PLATFORMER all time? And why?

MajulaDream

MajulaDream

Member
Oct 25, 2017
755
With Aladdin and The Lion King having a re-release, I've been looking back to when I spent a ton of time playing Platformers on SNES in particular. Aladdin was fantastic! Loved it as a kid.

My favorite platformer ever is perhaps Donkey Kong Country 2. It is a perfect game, still love revisiting :)

What about you ERA? Lots of incredible platformers out there but WHY is your favorite.. your favorite? :)
 

Deleted member 8861

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
10,564
super mario bros 3, the gba port (sue me)

the first mainstream game i've ever played. possibly determined the course of my life
 
Pirate Bae

Pirate Bae

Edelgard Feet Appreciator
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,792
??
Donkey Kong Country. I have so many fond memories of me playing it with my mom.
 
Clay

Clay

Member
Oct 29, 2017
8,107
Probably DK: Tropical Freeze. Looks and plays incredible, has amazing level variety, fun bosses.

If we're not limited to 2D platformers then Mario Odyssey and Galaxy 2 are both masterpieces.
 
WhiteNovember

WhiteNovember

Member
Aug 15, 2018
2,192
Donkey Kong Country 2. Hope it will release soon on switch.

Edit: I love the whole design of the game. The scenarios are great, same goes for the protagonists and enemies. The newer gamea also play great, but I don't like the new design. Also, the snes dkcs control very well and have a great flow and the enemy placement, especially in dkc2, is a big part of the platforming.
 
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5pectre

5pectre

Member
Nov 16, 2017
2,237
Super Mario World

It has a good variety of levels and they progressively get harder. There's lot to discover in the game in form of hidden exits, that in turn, can make you take shortcuts throughout the whole game.
Also has a great world map and a great soundtrack.

Super Mario Bros 3 is a close 2nd.
 
Banzai

Banzai

The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
2,585
Super Meat Boy. It's quick, it's fun, it's challenging. Just pure platforming goodness.
 
SoH

SoH

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,733
Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle
Cave Story
Castlevania III
Celeste
Flashback
Gimmick
La Mulana
Legendary Axe
N++
Rocket Knight Adventures
Solstice
Spelunky
Strider
Super Mario World
Super Metroid
Wizards & Warriors
Ys III

Pick whatever at random from that and call it my favorite. Pretty sure the range of my tastes are represented one way or another.
 
Aniki

Aniki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,791
Super Mario World is still my absolute favorite. It features the best soundtrack and is endlessly replayable.

The only game that came close to it is Shovel Knight. Yeah i know not a pure platformer but platforming is still the main focus so it counts. Platforming is great while somewhat easy, but you can adjust it by destroying checkpoints. I was really blown away by the story in this game and how it made me feel. Yes a platformer can have a great story.
 
daninthemix

daninthemix

Member
Nov 2, 2017
5,021
Donkey Kong Country. And I don't think it's possible to be objective - most people will respond with a game heavily influenced by nostalgia, like me.
 

Goodbye

Member
Oct 27, 2017
547
Tropical Free. Lengthy levels combined with beautiful graphics and an amazing soundtrack. Everything is perfectly balanced in the presentation of the game. Absolutely an all-time favourite of mine.

Second place goes to Mario 64. I never felt so into the future as the first time I played this game. It was Mario. In 3D. You could go everywhere! It still holds up because of the tight controls, Mario's moveset and fun levels.
 
Mekanos

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,088
Banjo-Kazooie, but out of 2D platformers, it's Donkey Kong Country 2 followed very closely by Super Mario Bros. 3.

Banjo-Kazooie feels like a perfect playground game. The worlds aren't very big but they are dense with places to discover and things to do. They're just a joy to walk around and explore, and the whole thing is paced extremely well.

DKC2 has the perfect combination of level design, atmosphere, soundtrack, and story (playing as the sidekick to save the hero of the previous game in enemy territory was pretty bold for a SNES platformer), and my two favorite Kongs and depiction of the Kremlings. Truly a timeless classic.

SMB3 I think speaks for itself although nowadays I find it a tad simplistic (partially speaking from an aesthetic perspective), but it's still a masterclass of level design, variety, and pacing that puts even most platformers released today to shame.
 
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callamp

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,473
Sonic 3 and Knuckles is my favourite. Rayman Legends is a recent platformer that I rank very highly.
 

srtrestre

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,963
The GOAT

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Send Me Bunny Pics

Send Me Bunny Pics

Member
Sep 14, 2018
442
I don't really care for platformers that much, but Super Mario World is easily my favorite. It's one of the few platformers that I love.
 
Unknownlight

Unknownlight

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 2, 2017
10,539
Unironically, Sonic Robo Blast 2, a Sonic fangame.

I generally prefer 3D platformers over 2D platformers for the freedom they provide, but no 3D platformer has the same sense of "pick up and play" breezy smoothness as a 2D platformer. Your controls are a lot more stiff in 3D (by necessity) and everything is slower paced and more deliberate. Playing the first level of Super Mario World feels nothing like playing the first level of Super Mario 3D World.

Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the one exception to this. It plays almost exactly like a 2D platformer, but in 3D. That's because it's a fangame, so the creators didn't have to worry about silly little things like "sensical controls" and "a difficulty curve". It feels half-unplayable to begin with, Sonic sliding all over the level at uncontrollable speeds, but once I got used to it it became my favorite movement system in any platformer, ever. Even terrible level mods are fun because playing the game is inherently fun. I love it.

 
TheSpaceBetween

TheSpaceBetween

Member
Jan 11, 2018
9,652
The one that had the most impact on me was probably Super Mario 64. The game was just absolutely revolutionary when it came out. I still remember getting to 119 stars on several occasions, with only the 100 coins on tick tock clock remaining, only for my friends 3 year old niece to erase our save data, until finally one day we beat it. It was just one of the best experiences of my life playing through that game over and over.

In terms of best designed platformer, I might have to give that to Tropical Freeze. Its still such a joy to play to this day, and has one of the best OT's of all time.
 
Alex840

Alex840

Member
Oct 31, 2017
5,106
DK Country: Tropical Freeze.

Even after going back and replaying 2D Mario games, TF still feels just as good to play, but has infinitely better level design.
 
Unicorn

Unicorn

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 29, 2017
9,506
Yoshi's Island continues to blow me away visually.

I couldn't believe it wasn't an animation when I saw it when it came out in a Toy's R Us.
 
Kurtikeya

Kurtikeya

One Winged Slayer
Member
Dec 2, 2017
4,427
Rayman Legends and Celeste. Not the best platformer but certainly also a favorite is LittleBigPlanet 2, simply because I cannot divorce myself from the sentiments and memories I have with that game.
 

Deleted member 17403

User Requested Account Closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,664
Probably R&C2 Going Commando. It was a distillation of everything right with the first R&C, with all that game's impurities removed. You had more expansive worlds, better weapons that were all viable, great graphics, cool side quests, and tons of mission variety. I don't think any platformer, besides Ape Escape, is any where near as complete of a package. This was a period of time where Insomniac was CLEARLY a better studio than Naughty Dog and weren't afraid to do their own thing, while ND was chasing trends by turning J&D into GTA.
 
ItsOKAY

ItsOKAY

Member
Jan 26, 2018
1,347
Frankfurt, Germany
Super Mario World
Best platforming, incredible soundtrack, beautiful world map, great levels with so much phantasie...oh man. And did i mention the incredible soundtrack already;)
 
.exe

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,206
Mario 64 is still my favorite 3D platformer. Just all around great fun, brilliant music and lots of charm.

In the 2D space, I think Celeste has taken up my top spot. I love the puzzle-like nature of the levels and the challenge. The instant restart is great. Lots of cleverly designed levels. Wonderful.
 

Kismet

Banned
Nov 9, 2017
1,432
2D: Super Mario World
It just has everything I need in a platformer. So much diversity, great desing. And of course catchy music.

3D: Super Mario 64
The first time I played this it felt more like an adventure. So many special memories. And the game hasn't aged. It's still better than other platformers, even to this day.
 

Pokémon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,678
Gimmick! on NES/Famicom. It's a tough game to pick up but once you learn how to ride that star it's so satisfying and good. And that sweet, sweet music is just incredible. Such a shame it was released so late in the NES's life cycle.
 
eXistor

eXistor

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,268
Harder to answer than I thought. It's gotta be a Mario game no doubt, nothing else really comes close. Question is, which one?

I'm torn between Mario 3 and World. Mario 3 is more dense, challenging and focused, but World is more adventurous and exploratory; elements I also really love. I suppose it depends on the day. I'd rate them both similarly in their own way.

Gun to my head? Mario 3.
 
Tedmilk

Tedmilk

Avenger
Nov 13, 2017
1,902
Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Graphics, music, level design, scenario design, controls, character selection, length... It's got it all!

Close runner up is Yoshi's Island for its graphics, gameplay mechanics and level design.
 

Deleted member 40102

User requested account closure
Banned
Feb 19, 2018
3,420
The most game that genuinely put happiness in me was spyro,don't remember which exactly ,but each new game I hear about and play use to make me like I have got everything I wanted.

No other platformer ever did this to me.
 
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