Multi-Character Puzzle Platformers

[FieryReign]

Lost Vikings style. I'm not sure what you would call this genre, so I kinda just went with the title of the topic. I enjoy these kinds of games. Puzzle platformers where you switch between different characters with their own unique abilities in order to solve light puzzles and get through a level.

I remember playing a Nicktoons game on GBA that was in this style and was quite fun. And it was obvious Wayforward "borrowed" the Danny Phantom portions of the game and used the concept for their Mighty Switch Force games.

Any other games I've been missing that have a similar gameplay style?

[Alianger]

They're not platformers, but Puzzle Boy 1-2 (first is called Kwirk in the west) have the same multi char gameplay style for some levels.

It's not quite the same, but Hamelin no Violin for SNES has you control one character followed by another one which is able to transform on your command to gain new abilites. Monster World IV (MD) does a similar thing by having a pet follow you around and acting on your command.

Brothers (PS3/PC) makes you control two characters at the same time, one for each analog stick and it's pretty puzzle heavy but not very challenging.

[Jorpho]

I remember playing a Nicktoons game on GBA that was in this style and was quite fun.Was that Aaahh!!! Real Monsters? There was a SNES game that qualifies.


and used the concept for their Mighty Switch Force games.They aren't multi-character at all, though. There are quite a few other games along those lines – Shifting World and Time Fcuk come to mind, though there are surely earlier examples.

I guess technically Mary-Kate & Ashley - Get a Clue (GBC) qualifies. (Reportedly it was almost a South Park game.)

For the PC, there's Fish Fillets and its sequel, but those aren't really platformers. (The first one is freeware.) Maybe Super Lemonade Factory.

[FieryReign]

Was that Aaahh!!! Real Monsters? There was a SNES game that qualifies.

They aren't multi-character at all, though. There are quite a few other games along those lines – Shifting World and Time Fcuk come to mind, though there are surely earlier examples.

I guess technically Mary-Kate & Ashley - Get a Clue (GBC) qualifies. (Reportedly it was almost a South Park game.)

For the PC, there's Fish Fillets and its sequel, but those aren't really platformers. (The first one is freeware.) Maybe Super Lemonade Factory.

I know they're not multi character, I have both. Was just mentioning how they took a small concept from an older game and made 2 whole new games out of it. If you've ever played the Danny Phantom portions of Nicktoons, there are platforms/walls that fade in and out with the press of a button. Exactly like Mighty Switch Force, it's a straight rip. Shifting World is nothing like that, had that too. That pretty much flips the entire world and got too complicated. This Nicktoons game predates both.

Never heard of Time Fuck, is that PC? I know nothing of PC and don't have one. Guess I should've specified classic consoles and portables.

[celerystalker]

Not exactly the same, but The Humans/Evolution: Dino Dudes uses some similar concepts. It gets grouped in with Lemmings a lot, but you control the characters directly, so I always felt like it was closer to The Lost Vikings.

[Jorpho]

Never heard of Time Fuck, is that PC?Time Fcuk is Flash game by Ed McMillen (famous for Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac) and should be playable in your browser. (It was bundled as part of The Basement Collection on Steam.)
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/511754

His postmortem (http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/EdmundMcMillen/20091122/85965/Time_Fcuk__A_Postmortem.php) suggests the concept was arrived at independently, which is also a distinct possibility for Mighty Switch Force. (Technically you could cite Mario vs Donkey Kong GBA as a precedent, or even the switch blocks of SMB3 for that matter. Maybe the Mouse Trap arcade game.)

[FieryReign]

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Figured out exactly what game it was. Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island. Fun and well designed little romp. Bought it for my son a couple years ago when he was heavily into Spongebob but I ended up playing it more than he did. Didn't keep his attention for very long, the nature of a 4 yr old I guess.

This is the first game I thought of when I played Mighty Switch Force. Wayforward took a similar approach with Wendy: Every Witch Way. Taking the upside-down gimmick from Metal Storm.

[drunk3nj3sus]

Flintstones 2, Little Nemo, & Samurai Pizza Cats on the NES aren't really too puzzle based but you have to switch characters to get through a lot of levels, Inspector Gadget for the GBA involves changing characters quite a bit don't remember if the SNES one is the same. I know there are a few on the SNES but I can't really think of any at the moment.

[goldenband]

Great topic! I like this genre a lot too, and wish there were more games in it. Good call (celerystalker) on The Humans, though unfortunately the game itself is sort of half-baked.

Another puzzle game that does something similar is Catrap, in which some levels feature both characters and you switch between them to solve the puzzle.

Animaniacs on Genesis has character-switching on the fly to solve puzzles and get past obstacles with each Warner sibling's unique ability, though all three characters move together in a group.

I'm sure there are more games in this genre -- especially more in which each character moves independently. I'd like to see an Atari 2600 game that does this.

[Spartacus]

The Humans have a sequel on the DS called The Humans: Meet the Ancestors.

Mary-Kate & Ashley had another game on the GBC called The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley with similar gameplay.

Die Maus on the GBC solved puzzles by switching between a mouse & elephant

Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Kaznapped! on the GBA also lets you switch between Ami and Yumi for some puzzle solving.

OddWorld: Munch's Oddysee allowed switching control between Abe and Munch.
And as in Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus and Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - you could sort of switch characters by telepathically controling other species.

The Kore Gang on the Wii mixes platforming with some puzzles using three switchable characters.

Wreck-It Ralph on the Wii/DS let's you switch between Ralph and Felix to progress through levels.

There's also puzzles to solve with switchable characters in the LEGO action adventure games such as....
LEGO Batman: The Video Game
LEGO The Hobbit
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
LEGO Jurassic World

[goldenband]

There's also one puzzle in the RPG Drakkhen that requires you to split up your party and switch between characters, but it can be completely bypassed with no consequence (if anything, it's more a trap than a puzzle).

[Jorpho]

Flintstones 2, Little Nemo, & Samurai Pizza Cats on the NES aren't really too puzzle based but you have to switch characters to get through a lot of levelsThat reminds me, Legacy of the Wizard for the NES may qualify.


Animaniacs on Genesis has character-switching on the fly to solve puzzles and get past obstacles with each Warner sibling's unique ability, though all three characters move together in a group.I remember reading about the Game Boy version, which might be slightly different in that regard. For that matter, Sonic Heroes could be described the same way.

...But then, I guess the defining feature is that there are multiple characters with different abilities independently controlled and simultaneously onscreen, so probably none of those qualify.

[FieryReign]

Animaniacs on the great Genesis is a good one. Forgot all about that game. Doesn't matter to me if they're controlled simultaneously or independently. Doesn't have to be all super puzzly either, the abilities of each character getting through a level is a sort of light puzzle itself. Just looking for some fun games with a similar style. Didn't really know what to call these games. Humans looks interesting, as do some of the others.

[Koa Zo]

The Crayon Shin-Chan games on Nintendo DS involve a lot of character changing to progress through levels.
They certainly aren't puzzle games. Rather it's a matter of using the proper character abilities to navigate obstacles.

[celerystalker]

The Wai Wai World games are less puzzle-oriented, but do require use of character-specific abilities (in the first one) and offer a cool classic Konami crossover.

[Tanooki]

Well the sequel Wai Wai World 2 uses even more character specific talents to get beyond problems in stages, but you do get kind of a choice who you can use.

[celerystalker]

You sure you're not reversing the two? The second game uses the system where you have changes as more or less of a powerup in straight up action sequences, whereas the first game had character specific items and abilities in an exploration format in order to progress...

[SparTonberry]

Yes, in the second game you chose a preset selection of 3 characters. You can only swap by getting a power-up, and even then only for a certain time limit (if you take a hit while transformed, you lose a bit of the transformation timer instead of health).