Best Platform Game

[rxd]

OK, I admit it. I love platform games. I know moste people here frown on them and consider them to be casual gamer type games but I don't care. I still love them. So anyone have any thoughts about their favorite platform games for each system? I'm hoping to get some useful feedback so I know what to keep my eye out for in the future....

Thanks,
Ron

[Professor Hector]

I love them as well. Platformers and shoot-em-ups are practically the only thing I play these days. As for my favorites, hm?

SNES - Aside from the obvious stuff like the Mario games and Super Metroid, there's a couple of very good Japanese-only titles here. Magical Pop'n, Pop 'n' Twinbee ~ Rainbow Bell Adventure, and Do-Re-Mi Fantasy (a follow-up to Milon's Secret Castle) are all quite good.

Genesis - Wonderboy in Monster World and Monster World IV (the latter is Japan-only as well). Also the well known stuff, the Sonics, Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy, Popful Mail (Sega-CD), etc.

SMS - Alex Kidd in Miracle World, the 2nd and 3rd Wonderboy games (Monster Land and the Dragon's Trap). The latter is one of my favorite games ever.

NES - Way too many to mention. If you have access to a Famicom or don't mind emulation you should give Yume Penguin Monogatari a try. A short, fun, feel-good sort of game. I think there's a review of it on this site.

Playstation/Saturn - Symphony of the Night, Rayman, Silhouette Mirage (a real love it or hate it type of game). The Saturn also has Keio Yugekitai, a very fun and simple platformer-based sequel to Keio's Flying Squadron.

That's probably enough for now.

[-hellvin-]

Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night.
Rondo Of Blood at a close second.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Symphony Of The Night is a must and the alex kidd and wonder boy games like Professor Hector said are good. All the klonoa games rule.

Has anyone ever played tryrush deppy for saturn? I always thought that looked like a cool game. That and zenki for pc-fx.

[NintendoMan]

Hey Ron. Platformer games are the least bit casual type gamers games. I mean it takes time to beat most of them, lots of time.
Anyways, every Mario platformer is my favorite.

[DDCecil]

Other than the usual classics: Mario, Sonic, etc... Here are 2 I really recommend:

Momotarou Kastugeki (PC Engine Hucard) - Very fun, but a bit easy. No Japanese necessary to make it through the game.

Prehistorik Man (SNES) - It's made by Titus (Superman 64, oh no!), but I absolutely love it. it was recently re-released for the GBA, but that version has less-than-spectacular music and is missing an area.

[Richter]

Rondo of Blood
Nocturne in the Moonlight (Richter's game)

[Azazel]

I never cared much for Tyrush Deppy. Getting Super Tempo is more worth your time. Zenki's not worth it unless you can get it dirt cheap.

[Aussie2B]

Anybody who thinks platform games are for casual gamers is a damn fool. They have always and will always be my favorite genre, and many of the most difficult games I have played have been platformers (which I can't say for more "h4rdc0re" genres like RPGs).

As for a little run-down:

NES - Mario series, Castlevania series, Mega Man series, Ninja Gaiden series, Metroid, Batman, the list could go on and on.

Game Boy - Metroid 2, Mario/Wario Land series, and the Castlevania trio (some people hate 'em, but I like them all).

Game Boy Advance - Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (I don't like the other two much myself).

Neo Geo Pocket Color - Sonic

Genesis - Sonic series, Rocket Knight Adventures (my fave on Genesis), Dynamite Headdy, and Castlevania: Bloodlines.

SNES - Mario World, Yoshi's Island, Castlevania 4, Dracula X, Donkey Kong Country 1-3, Kendo Rage, Kirby Super Star, Mega Man X 1-3, Super Ghouls & Ghosts, Mario All-Stars (the platformer fan's staple), and Super Metroid.

N64 - Mario 64, Goemon's Great Adventure (my fave on N64), Kirby 64, and Mischief Makers (if you can tolerate the play control).

PlayStation - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Castlevania Chronicles, Mega Man X4, Mega Man 8, Silhouette Mirage, and Tail Concerto.

GameCube - Mario Sunshine and all the Sonic games.

I left out a ton that I like, but I think that's enough. ;)

[Nez]

Symphony of the Night is my top choice.

Then Super Mario 64

Voodoo Vince at a distant third.

[thegreatescape]

I dont usually have enough patience to finish a platformer, and im kinda fickle about them so here are some of my favs:

Rocket Knight Adventures- PAL MD version is better though
Crash Bandicoot- first in the series is the best IMO
Sonic 3 and Knuckles

I wouldnt mind trying Symphony of the night (psx), Dynamite Headdy (MD), Mischief makers (n64) and vectorman (MD) some day.

[robotriot]

PS1 - Lomax
CD32 - Flink
Amiga - Rick Dangerous 2, Lionheart

[Eternal Tune]

Jak and Daxter on the Playstation 2.

[anagrama]

I don't think platformers are generally considered 'casual gamer' games, it's just that they have a tainted image from the vast number of shoddy quick cash-ins cartoon/movie tie-ins of the 16-bit era. A quality platformer will always be a beautiful thing though, and for me the evolution of the genre really reached it's pinnacle with Yoshi's Island (SNES). Simply sublime from start to finish.

[anagrama]

Rocket Knight Adventures- PAL MD version is better though

Better than what?
AFAIK, the PAL MD version is identical to the Genesis game other than the fact that it's slowed down and squashed-up when played on a PAL console (which hardly constitutes being 'better').

[thegreatescape]

Rocket Knight Adventures- PAL MD version is better though

Better than what?
AFAIK, the PAL MD version is identical to the Genesis game other than the fact that it's slowed down and squashed-up when played on a PAL console (which hardly constitutes being 'better').

Sorry, i should have been more specific. For me better = easier. MD version easy is the same as Gen children, and MD hard is the same as Gen easy (lives and continues are the only diff i think).

I sure as hell wouldnt have the patience to play through ANY platformer with 1 life and no continues to start with.

And the PAL borders/speed thing- never been bothered by it at all

[anagrama]

And the PAL borders/speed thing- never been bothered by it at all

Ah, but have you played a MD/SNES in 60Hz? The difference is staggering. I simply can't bear to play anything in 50Hz now that I've seen the true way

[Lemmy Kilmister]

I never cared much for Tyrush Deppy. Getting Super Tempo is more worth your time. Zenki's not worth it unless you can get it dirt cheap.

No good you say? Oh well. I forgot to mention skyblazer for snes. That was a decent game, and by sony imagesoft to boot. Sure makes up for that shitty smartball

[kai123]

Symphony of the Night was way to easy for me. I don't remember dying once. Richter was a little harder but not much. Also is Symphony of the Night even a platformer? What 2d game wouldn't have some platform gaming built into it? Besides shooters and the obvious ones.

[Querjek]

Super Mario Sunshine.


Oh yeah, I said it. Best. Platformer. Ever. Too bad it's a little on the short side, but hey, who cares. The gameplay owns all other platformers.