The platformer genre has been a cornerstone of gaming for decades.Mascot characterslike Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, and, in particular, Mario are some of gaming’s most iconic characters and ones that helped push gaming into the mainstream and make it the enormous entertainment industry that it is today.
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Despite the genre’s importance in gaming history and the array of legendary characters, the genre hasn’t always been a roaring success. The sixth generation of home consoles was particularly tough, as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox focused more onaction-packed shootersand adventures. The GameCube churned out a handful of excellent platformers, though the console struggled to compete with Sony’s second console. Thankfully for platforming fans, the genre made a welcome comeback in the 2010s, thanks to the rise of indie gaming.
During the platformer genre’s low point, and even at some of its most profitable times, there have been a few excellent games that fell through the cracks of public attention and struggled to sell. However, their quality eventually shone through, earning them cult classic status.
5Psychonauts
Psychonautswas a big hit with critics upon release, exemplified by its88 Metascore, though it still struggled to perform commercially.Double Fine Productions' platformer wasincredibly uniquewhen it was released in 2005, both for its creative story and abundance of gameplay mechanics other than running a jumping, something that was uncommon in the genre at the time.
The game puts players in the shoes of Raz, a psychic who has run away from home to join a summer camp for fellow psychic children. As the game progresses, players gain psychic abilities that give the gameplay tremendous variety and partner well with the creative level designs. Along with the innovative gameplay,Psychonautsis also revered for its dialogue, which is some of the funniest of its era.
From one of the platforming genre’sfunniest ever releasesto another,Conker’s Bad Fur Daywas developed by the legendary British studio Rare and was first released on Nintendo 64 in March 2001.
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The game initially appears to be another wholesome platformer, a style of game that was extremely popular in the late ’90s and early 2000s. However, it sooner becomes clear thatConker’s Bad Fur Dayisn’t trying to be the nextSuper MarioorSonic The Hedgehog, as the game is filled with adult humor that would have shocked a few parents and children who didn’t think to look at the game’s age rating.
The game’s contrast between adult humor and cartoony visuals was ahead of its time, though it evidently didn’t connect with enough people in 2001 to be a commercial hit.
3Crash Twinsanity
In 2004, Traveller’s Tales took the iconic platforming franchiseCrash Bandicootin a bold new direction. This was likely due to the underwhelming critical and commercial reception ofCrash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, which was criticized for being too similar to Naughty Dog’sCrash Bandicoot: Warped.Crash Twinsanityditched the series' trademark corridor style level design in favor of more open stages, let players control a handful of characters with different playstyles, and centered the story and numerous gameplay sections around the concept of Crash and Cortex being forced to work together.
The game was ambitious, and the open stages had huge potential. However, the developers ran into time constraints, which meant thatTwinsanitywas released unfinished. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t hide its short development time well, as it’s riddled with glitches, only around five hours in length, and lacks polish in the final third. Interestingly, the short development time was largely due to the teamoriginally working on a game calledCrash Bandicoot Evolution, which was deemed too similar toRatchet & Clankand had to be scrapped and replaced withTwinsanity.
DespiteCrash Twinsanity’s issues, the game’s huge potential does shine through in places, particularly with the excellent open-level designs and hidden gems that are often great fun to find.
2Kao The Kangaroo: Round 2
Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2was first released in Poland in 2003 before making its way to Europe and North America in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Unfortunately for Tate Interactive’s game, the platformer genre was struggling to perform commercially on non-Nintendo consoles in the mid-2000s, with audiences preferring action and adventure games likeCall of Duty,Resident Evil, andGod of War.
Despite this,Kao The Kangaroo: Round 2ischerished among platformer fans, as although it doesn’t add much new to the genre, it’s an enjoyable collectathon that doesn’t stretch itself too far and doesn’t overstay its welcome. The 3D platformer franchise was recently rebooted in May 2022, with another game in the series that keeps it simple and offers classic collectathon fun.
1Wallace & Gromit In Project Zoo
When most people think ofWallace & Gromit’s video game ventures, they tend to pictureTelltale Games’Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures.It’s not hard to see why, as the episodic adventure game wonderfully captures the humor of the iconic claymation franchise.
However, the graphic adventure isn’t the only quality game to come out of the British film series, as - somewhat surprisingly - inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit have also starred in a genuinely excellent 3D platformer. Not many people were asking for aWallace & Gromitplatformer, which is likely why it flew under the radar, though word of its surprise quality got around the platformer community, and ithas since become a respected cult classic.
