Best 2D PSX Platformers?

[Fullish]

On my blog I wrote a list of what I viewed to be best 2D platformers released on the Playstation 1.
Read it here (http://casualtygamer.com/2008/07/retro-wednesday-top-psx-2d-platformers/)
To summaries the top 5 were;
Klonoa, Heart of Darkness, Oddworld (1 & 2) & Castlevania: Symphony of The Night.

I've now managed to get a hold of every game in the list, and now I want to try and find more... So does anyone have any suggestions for other good 2D platformers released on the PlayStation?
As I can't seem to get enough of them :D

Cheers

[Yukio]

What's about GEX? Some people liked this game on Microsoft Windows 95 or in the Panasonic 3DO console ...

[blue lander]

Most people say the Adventures of Little Ralph is right up there with SOTN as the best 2D platformer for the PSX, but it was only released in Japan.

[MrSparkle]

try as i might i just couldnt get into oddworld. Symphony of the night i see has been mentioned as i would expect it to have been. I personally loved mega man x4 id say that should go right up there.

[Jorpho]

Lots of fans of Toomba , as well. And perhaps Skullmonkeys?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Skullmonkeys is the best IMO.

Classic NES/Genesis era 2D platforming at it's best, funniest and MOST CHALLENGING on the PSX.

[chicnstu]

My favorite has always been Rayman. SotN is a close second. I can't think of any others I've played though...

[MrSparkle]

rayman to be played in all its glory must be played in its jaguar cart rendition the colors and lack of load times just put it far above its cd based incarnations.

[Xian042]

I kinda liked Skeleton Warriors

[mailman187666]

I'll second castlevania and Toomba. I don't think it was the best, but Sillouhette Mirage was a fun game I though. Original anyways.

[sharc]

fullish, you would be well-served by immediately checking out umihara kawase shun, tomba! and strider 2 (hey, if you're counting symphony of the night as a platformer). actually, to that end castlevania chronicles is also a good time. tough, but full of really great setpieces.

as for other platformers, adventures of ralph is well-thought of, although i always found it a little "loose" in controls. much the same with the rapid angel and chou-kousoku grandoll (all three being imports). koro koro post nin is probably my favorite import platformer, although it copies cameltry/on the ball, where you rotate the stage instead of moving your character, so it's borderline.

in 2.5 d style games i'd recommend trying at pandemonium/magical hoppers, spider and shake kids (another import). spider's probably my favorite of those just based on creativity and the great music, although it can be pretty unfair.

oh, and stay away from pinobee and punky skunk. pinobee wasn't much fun for me and punky skunk feels like a half-finished preview build.

edit: whoops, only read the top five instead of the whole list. i see i'm not the only one who made that mistake, heh.

[PDorr3]

You pretty much nailed all of them, my personal favorite would be Klonoa (one of my favorite games of all time), Heart of Darkness also is very dear to me being one of my very first PS1 games, I was totally blown away by it's graphics for the time. Skullmonkeys is also very unique in terms of it's humor and graphics (best bonus stage in a game ever!) and of course how can we forget SOTN and it's killer soundtrack, giant sprites, and classic voice acting. If you don't mind Im gonna give your article some exposure on Platformer Update.

[Steven]

On a side note, from all accounts I've read it's below avg to average, but how did you find Punky Skunk (I believe it was called?). It came out in like '98 and was odd in that it really reminded me, picture-wise, of one of the million me-too mascot games of the early-mid '90s. It specifically reminded me of an underrated SNES game (IMO) "Rocky Rodent"

Anyone played Punky Skunk? How is it?

[sharc]

punky skunk is, uh, meh? it's not terrible but it sets out all these ideas and never really goes anywhere interesting or unexpected with them. the last regular level is actually pretty great, forcing you to jump from one of the "extreme sports" powers to the other while running a crazy gauntlet of enemeis and deathtraps, but after that you just go to a jetpack stage that's pretty much straight from ukiyotei 's previous platformer, skyblazer. whic his by all means a much better game.

[theChad]

I'll put in another vote for Tomba! (not Toomba). I couldn't even guess how many hours I've spent playing that game - lots of good puzzles and the overall bizarre factor of it is just great. I was just thinking this morning that I'd probably start playing that one again. It's been at least two or three years.

[Fullish]

Wow thanks for all the responses.

What's about GEX?
Oddly I've never played GEX, I'll see if I can track down a copy of it.. Does look interesting :)


Most people say the Adventures of Little Ralph is right up there with SOTN

Wow never heard of it before and the artwork looks fantastic. Def adding this to my list to find.

Also
+1 Skullmonkeys, although I haven't had much sucess finding a copy.


umihara kawase shun, koro koro post nin is probably my favorite import platformer, although it copies cameltry/on the ball, where you rotate the stage instead of moving your character, so it's borderline.

pandemonium/magical hoppers, spider and shake kids (another import). spider's probably my favorite of those just based on creativity and the great music, although it can be pretty unfair.



Nice selections of games Sharc, although most I've never heard of... Looks like I'm going to be doing a bit of research :)

Thanks everyone.

[roushimsx]

Tomba is fucking tits. One of my favorite games on the system, easily.

Hearing the negative vibes on Punky Skunk only makes me want to check it out first hand.

[Haoie]

While we're here, anyone know why Tomba was renamed to Tombi in PAL regions?

[Yukio]

Wow thanks for all the responses.

Oddly I've never played GEX, I'll see if I can track down a copy of it.. Does look interesting :)

Thanks everyone.


GEX has some sort of game of the year nomination. It is a 2D platform with pre-rendered intro and pulp culture references to comics/ movies and others. Like some voices (actually phrases) something like "I am Superman" along others. It is about a gecko that live watching television and is sucked into bad television shows, the objective is to pass trough the levels and collect 'remote controls'. This AVI commercial of this game came into a disc from Microsoft, I think that it was on the Microsoft Soccer for Windows 95 that Compact Disc was much like those promotional discs on the Matshushita 3DO (the ads comes direct from the game discs!!!).

[The 1 2 P]

Everyone mentioned Symphony of The Night but no one mentioned Castlevania Chronicles. It was ok for a platformer, but not really top 5 material.

[Jorpho]

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60406

[j_factor]

I really liked The Adventures of Lomax. It's a little on the slow side, but it's appropriate as it makes for a serene experience.