2D Platformer are always be one of my favourite video game genres of all time. It was one of the most popular video game genres back in the retro gaming days era, which has most of the memorable Platformer games titles such as Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, Castle of illusion, DuckTales, Adventure Island and Bonk, while today's modern Platformer games has Rayman Origins, Braid, Limbo, Fez and Super Meat Boy. 2D Platformer is all about simple two-dimensional gameplay, colourful graphics, appealing video game characters, challenging levels, collecting power-ups and memorable gaming tunes that made the genre so good in gaming.
Today, I'm going to make my top 5 favourite 2D platformer games that I really liked on my list.
5 - Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia is one of the greatest video game franchises that I really enjoyed playing those excellent titles. The original game was first released in 1989 for Apple II and later ported to various of console platforms, which was created by Jordan Mechner who was known for his first game Karateka. It is one of the 2D platform game that featured rotoscoping for the cinematic animation, which I can considered this game's genre as cinematic style platformer. The player controls an unnamed Prince has his goal to rescue Princess from the Jaffar in 60 minutes before the time runs out.
I'm very pleased that this game focuses on cinematic approach for its game's presentation which was very different from the traditional 2D platformer games. The player's controls plays really well where Prince has the ability to run, jump, climbing and ducking throughout the levels and these levels are full of deadly hazards such as spikes traps, deep pits and guillotines, which adds the challenging difficulty. It has fluid combat gameplay where Prince has the ability to slash and parry against the enemy, which controls really well in the game. The graphics are very innovative with the use of the rotoscoping which gives the character's animation more realistic look for the character's movements and the level design has colourful environments, well detailed stages and it runs smoothly in the whole game for most of the console platforms.
This game has inspired many of the 2D platformer games such as Flashback and Another World. The game's success led to the sequels such as Prince of Persia 2, Prince of Persia 3D and two of the sub-series such as The Sand of Time and 2008 Reboot-title Prince of Persia.
4 - Rayman Legends
Rayman is one of the Ubisoft's best platformer series that offers the amazing titles such as original 1995 Rayman, Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc and Rayman Origins. My favourite Rayman's game title is definitely Rayman legends for various console platforms because I felt this game is the strongest titles in the series which offers magnificent features for modern days platformer.
This game brings a funny sense of humor, cool characters, and fantastic story that made the presentation so entertaining to watch during the cutscenes. It has over epic 120 stages to play including 40 unlockable stages from Rayman Origins. The gameplay has fluid controls, wacky stages, several of hidden secrets, very helpful assistants, superb boss battles, 4-player co-op, and what made the game enjoyable is the rhythm based levels is where the players have to collect all of yellow lums in the right rhythm while the background music plays the awesome cover soundtrack of Hard Rock band such as RamJam - Black Betty, Survivor - Eye of the Tiger, and Anti-Social - Trust that gives high overall atmosphere of the game. The graphics has richer art style of the whole game with cartoony character design, colorful stages with some of great layouts and backgrounds, smooth animation and nice visuals, which made the best graphics for modern days gaming.
Rayman Legends is one of the best sequel in the series that everyone, who are the fan of the platform genre, must play for multiplatform consoles.
3 - DuckTales: Remastered
I really liked watching the 80's cartoons show in my childhood, especially with DuckTales is one of the Disney's classic animation TV series that everyone loves in late 80's. It has great characters, catchy theme song and it has tons of good sense of humors what makes this TV show more memorable, but with the success of TV show led to Capcom's 1989 video game DuckTales for NES which was known for unique levels, tight control, highly challenged gameplay, and it has the best soundtrack of all time. It gained positive reviews from the critics, and it was the commercial success, which sold million of the copies becoming Capcom's highest selling titles for their platforms. In 2013, Disney Interactive Studios and Capcom announced the remake of original NES titles called "Ducktales: Remastered" was released in August 13th, 2013.
I'm very glad that the developer team Wayforward Technologies did a fabulous job with the remastered version which offers such improvements over the original 1989 game for NES. It featured more presentation with storytelling cutscenes and featuring original voice cast from the TV series is just like watching the original TV series which adds the overall story development. This game retains the same style as the NES version which made the gameplay feels like a classic 2D platformer game. The player have abillity to jump by using pogo stick which lets you jump multiples times on enemies, objects and hazards and you can also hit objects by swinging the pogo sticks like a golf club sticks which is quite innovative for platformer genres and it has amazing levels to explore which is great for finding secret places in the levels, collectable treasures, and some important items to collect in the stages. I really enjoyed the boss battles because it's makes the game more challenged and fun to play.
It has memorable levels from the original game, such as Amazon, Himalayas, African Mines, Transylvania, and of course the Moon is one of the best level in the game. I really loved the hand-drawn characters, smooth animation, some decent visuals and colorful details which made the graphics look stunning in the whole game and it has same catchy theme music from the TV series along with the original soundtrack in the levels are sounds pretty outstanding especially from the moon stage has the best video game soundtrack in history.
DuckTales is one of my favourite Disney's video games that never disappoint me, so these are must play for the fan of the 1989's original NES game.
2 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog series is the most memorable video game franchises by SEGA, so we all know that lovable Blue Hedgehog is the fastest video game characters in gaming history.
The first Sonic the Hedgehog game for SEGA Genesis/Megadrive was a commercial success and one of the best platformers games on 16 bit system which praised for faster 2D gameplay, graphics visuals, soundtrack and memorable stages. The success of the first game led to 1992's sequel called Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was also best selling game for SEGA Genesis/Megadrive and gained positive review by most of the video game critics.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 offers amazing improvements over the 1991's original game. It had fantastic zone stages to play, superb gameplay mechanics which introduces Sonic's new ability such as spindash, 3D special stages to collect chaos emeralds, and you get to play as Tails (first apprentice on Sonic 2) for both 1 or 2 player co-op and VS battle. I felt the gameplay is more fast-paced than the first game and the level stages are slightly more exciting to play which increases the game's atmospheres. The boss stages is very entertaining for most of the zones which increases the gameplay's challenge and I had to admit Dr Robotnik is one of the best villain in the Sonic series. I loved the 3D special stages that blew my mind to see how SEGA Genesis/Megadrive was capable of running 3D environment on 16 bit system and I love collecting so many rings to earn chaos emeralds, which it felt this is lot better than the special stages from the first Sonic game.
If you're the fan of the Sonic series then this is definitely must play for SEGA Genesis/Megadrive collectors.
1 - Super Mario World
Super Mario series are always be the most ironic Nintendo franchises that gained popularity in gaming worlds. It's starts off with 1985's Super Mario Bros for NES was the commercial success and becomes most influential platformer game that defines the game's genre. The success of Super Mario Bros led to many sequels and adaptations into a television series, an anime, and a full-length feature film. We all know Mario is one of the Nintendo's most beloved video game mascot in gaming industries.
In 1990, Nintendo has bought Super Mario World for SNES was the first Mario game ever released for 16-bit system. The first player controls Mario, while the other controls Luigi has their goal to rescue Princess Peach from their nemesis Bowser once again. The player must navigate through the overworld map which has selectable levels, fortresses, ghost houses and other map icons to complete.
The gameplay plays like the original Super Mario Bros, but introduces new moves and power-ups such as spin jump which are used for break blocks beneath them and cape feather allows them to fly and glide above. The game also introduced new character Yoshi which has ability to eat most of the enemies and spit out the shell. It has several of secrets which unlocks the new path in the overworld map which is a newest thing for the Mario series. It has simple controls to use, linear levels with many great challenges, the map are great to explore, outstanding power-ups and epic boss battles that made this game so nostalgia. The graphics are very appealing for 16-bit system which offers more variety of colourful environment, simple character's design, well-built level design, great animation and impressive visuals that aged really well.
This is one of my favourite 2D platformer game on my list and this is highly recommend for most of the Super Mario fans.
Honorable Mention:
Super Mario Bros (Including Super Mario All-Stars)
Yoshi's Island
Yoshi's Story
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic Advance 2
Castle of Illusion: Starring Mickey Mouse
QuackShot
Aladdin
Wario Land 4
Alex Kidd
Cool Spot
Limbo
Thomas Was Alone
LittleBigPlanet 2
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