Platformer Games buying guide

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Platformer Games

Arguably the most basic of all video game classes, platformers involve heroic characters who advance through the straightforward games by reaching new levels, or platforms. The heritage goes back to the earliest days of video games, in which Mario and Donkey Kong ruled. These days platformers have fallen off a bit in frequency and quality, but they still offer old-school appeal and easy button-mashing fun. Kids and lapsed gamers are usually most drawn to platformers.

Consoles

Super Mario Sunshine : The GameCube's only true Mario platformer has the princess-rescuing plumber hero romping through lava falls, leaping chasms and searching out 3-D worlds for hidden items.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal : This game is all about guns -- big ones, and lots of 'em. A wryly humorous story unfolds as you jump, run and shoot yourself through alien worlds, blasting enemy creatures and robots.

Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith : Many professional reviewers dinged this film adaptation, but it's hard to see why. Playing as Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and even Yoda, you relive scenes from the film with vigor. There's even an alternate ending for the film in the game.

Pac-Man World 3 : The yellow, spherical munchmaster breaks free of his classic puzzle roots for a 3-D world of ghosts, power pellets and boss battles. Fans of the 1980s Pac-Man cartoon show, which operated on a similar motif, should dig this.

Handhelds

New Super Mario Bros. : Mario's finest hour comes in this DS game, which revitalizes the classic series by bringing it back to its 2-D roots. A fine addition is the mega mushroom, which causes Mario to grow so huge he takes up nearly the entire screen.

Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble : Another brilliant 2-D side-scroller, Viewtiful Joe is a helmeted vigilante whose environments pay tribute to gamedom's roots. This game is stronger than even most console entries.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow : Zombies, werewolves, vampires and various other creatures of the night stand in the way of Soma Cruz, a reincarnation of Dracula who looks to exorcise some demons, both literally and figuratively. The game is scary-good.

Teen Titans : Designed in the retro, angular style of the animated series, the game lets you play as one of five teen superheroes, each of which is blessed with different special abilities. This one is a throwback to the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade games.

Computer

Over the Hedge : Even cute, cuddly creatures have problems. Help RJ the raccoon and his crew save their forest enclave from being stamped out by subdivision construction in this game, which sticks closely to the film on which it's based.

Psychonauts : At a kids' psychic summer camp, someone is stealing the students' brains. It's up to you to delve into the kids' minds and rescue them from oblivion.

Spider-Man and Friends : This kid-themed comic book adventure features Spidey and several other Marvel characters in an easy, breezy adventure. Teens may not get into it, but the game is an excellent fit for grade-schoolers.

Pitfall: The Lost Expedition : Pitfall Harry didn't reach the heights of celebrity like Mario, but he's still chugging along -- swinging from vines, rescuing damsels and using crocodiles as stepping stones.

Classic

Super Mario Bros. : Good old Mario, always there for you when you feel like shooting fireballs out of your fists, smashing the heads of mean mushroom creatures or bashing blocks with your head. Fire up the old NES for this one.

Pitfall : The Atari 2600 excelled in platformers, and the side-scrolling jungle adventure Pitfall was at the top of the heap. Although sometimes frustrating, this game is a rite of passage for the growing gamer.

Sonic the Hedgehog : Sega decided to compete against Mario with raw speed. Sonic streaks across the screen at an wind-whipping rate. Play the frenetic game and it's easy to see why Sonic spawned so many sequels.

Donkey Kong : Here's a bit of trivia: the mustachioed, overalls-wearing hero character is not Mario, as most believe -- it's Jumpman, who would one day evolve into Mario. Help Jumpman rescue his girlfriend by climbing to the top of a construction site and dodging DK's barrels in this single-screen romp, pictured here for ColecoVision.

External Links

GameSpot -- One of the top gaming resources on the net.
IGN -- Covers video games as well as the rest of the entertainment world.
Game Informer -- An excellent video game magazine's home page.
Reference.com -- An encyclopedia entry for platformer games, with links to some of the great ones.

Consoles

Super Mario Sunshine : The GameCube's only true Mario platformer has the princess-rescuing plumber hero romping through lava falls, leaping chasms and searching out 3-D worlds for hidden items.	Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal : This game is all about guns -- big ones, and lots of 'em. A wryly humorous story unfolds as you jump, run and shoot yourself through alien worlds, blasting enemy creatures and robots.	Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith : Many professional reviewers dinged this film adaptation, but it's hard to see why. Playing as Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and even Yoda, you relive scenes from the film with vigor. There's even an alternate ending for the film in the game.	Pac-Man World 3 : The yellow, spherical munchmaster breaks free of his classic puzzle roots for a 3-D world of ghosts, power pellets and boss battles. Fans of the 1980s Pac-Man cartoon show, which operated on a similar motif, should dig this.

Handhelds

New Super Mario Bros. : Mario's finest hour comes in this DS game, which revitalizes the classic series by bringing it back to its 2-D roots. A fine addition is the mega mushroom, which causes Mario to grow so huge he takes up nearly the entire screen.	Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble : Another brilliant 2-D side-scroller, Viewtiful Joe is a helmeted vigilante whose environments pay tribute to gamedom's roots. This game is stronger than even most console entries.	Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow : Zombies, werewolves, vampires and various other creatures of the night stand in the way of Soma Cruz, a reincarnation of Dracula who looks to exorcise some demons, both literally and figuratively. The game is scary-good.	Teen Titans : Designed in the retro, angular style of the animated series, the game lets you play as one of five teen superheroes, each of which is blessed with different special abilities. This one is a throwback to the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade games.

Computer

Over the Hedge : Even cute, cuddly creatures have problems. Help RJ the raccoon and his crew save their forest enclave from being stamped out by subdivision construction in this game, which sticks closely to the film on which it's based.	Psychonauts : At a kids' psychic summer camp, someone is stealing the students' brains. It's up to you to delve into the kids' minds and rescue them from oblivion.	Spider-Man and Friends : This kid-themed comic book adventure features Spidey and several other Marvel characters in an easy, breezy adventure. Teens may not get into it, but the game is an excellent fit for grade-schoolers.	Pitfall: The Lost Expedition : Pitfall Harry didn't reach the heights of celebrity like Mario, but he's still chugging along -- swinging from vines, rescuing damsels and using crocodiles as stepping stones.

Classic

Super Mario Bros. : Good old Mario, always there for you when you feel like shooting fireballs out of your fists, smashing the heads of mean mushroom creatures or bashing blocks with your head. Fire up the old NES for this one.	Pitfall : The Atari 2600 excelled in platformers, and the side-scrolling jungle adventure Pitfall was at the top of the heap. Although sometimes frustrating, this game is a rite of passage for the growing gamer.	Sonic the Hedgehog : Sega decided to compete against Mario with raw speed. Sonic streaks across the screen at an wind-whipping rate. Play the frenetic game and it's easy to see why Sonic spawned so many sequels.	Donkey Kong : Here's a bit of trivia: the mustachioed, overalls-wearing hero character is not Mario, as most believe -- it's Jumpman, who would one day evolve into Mario. Help Jumpman rescue his girlfriend by climbing to the top of a construction site and dodging DK's barrels in this single-screen romp, pictured here for ColecoVision.