What are your top 5 platformers of all time?

I started out playing Super Mario 3D World this weekend, and it's so damn good on Switch. Haven't even started Bowser's Fury. Then all of a sudden I got the Mario bug and started playing Mario 64 from 3D All Stars, and man, it's still so good! Way better than Odyssey. So that got me thinking.. what are your top 5 platformers of all time? Though I'm no platforming expert, here is my list:

• SuperMario64: a game that's just pure fun, and that doesn't hold your hand, entices you to explore, and gives you a variety of things to do that are fun and challenging. This is still the best 3D sandbox style Mario. Screw Odyssey!
• SuperMarioGalaxy: Ok, I still haven't played 2, was hoping for Nintendo to get on that Switch port. But Galaxy was a pretty cool idea, and it was a time when Mario was still fun and innovative.
• Super Mario 3D World (Switch): not sure what to call this other than Mario 2.5 lol. Mixes what we love about 3D Mario and 2D Mario into a really fun package. And it's perfect on Switch!
• Ori and the Blind Forest / Will of the Wisps: probably the most refreshing modern platformer. The complete package between amazing visuals, challenging platforming, and heart warming story!
• LittleBigPlanet: LBP was a big deal back in 2008. A charming platformer with a innovative level creator tool. Awesome level design and I absolutely love the soundtrack, even to this day. Too bad this franchise died out.

Honorable mentions: Super Mario 3D Land, Crash Bandicoot 4, Celeste, Cuphead, and I'm sure I'm missing a couple more.

How about you, SW? What are your top 5 platformers of all time?

Pretty much the last time i cared about them we were during the N64 days. I liked the first two Banjo games, the Rayman game on the N64 and SMG1 and 2. Don't care much about the rest.

• Tomb Raider II
• Rayman Forever
• Super Mario 3D Land
• About 80% of Tomb Raider III
• Rayman: Origins/Legends

@hardwenzen: if IPDaily was a Goomba, would you jump on him?

Wouldn't want to approach someone who has 100% AssCreed Valhalla. Very disgusting.

Man, so many good ones in the 2d space. Not even counting action platformers like Mega Man, Shovel Knight, CV games, stuff like that.

2d "pure" platformers, I'm really partial to SMB3, SMW, Yoshis Island, Super Meat Boy, Celeste, VVVVVV, DKCR. Stuff like Sonic 3&K as well as Mania can be really fun once you've locked in some speedrun routes.

3d platformers, honestly just a list of Mario games.

Didn't follow your rules :D

Cuphead

Well it's your list. But yeah, don't really consider Cuphead a platformer. Think it has what, two platforming sections? And of those, only the brief cyclops chase being some legit good platforming.

Not that big on platformers, but I don't know how you could put LBP that high with those floaty controls

@ConanTheStoner: lol, well I remember jumping a lot.

Yeah. I get why people dug it for creating/sharing levels, fun with friends stuff. But the actual platforming is trash lol. Good old original SMB is still a better platformer than LBP.

Ha, I get you. I consider it more run n gun. It's like Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Metal Slug, but in boss rush form.

@ConanTheStoner: true 😆

I'm mentioning one game per IP, otherwise my list would only comprise of Sonic and Mega Man. I'm also not including run 'n gunners or Metroidvanias to keep things simple.

1. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
2. Mega Man X
3. NiGHTS into Dreams
4. Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii)
5. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

@SolidGame_basic:

I remember the game was supposed to be pure boss rush, but gamers bitched. So they threw in some traditional platforming stages just because. No mystery why those stages were underwhelming, not really the focus of the game.

Another L for devs listening to gamers too much.

@ConanTheStoner: whatever happened to the DLC lol

@SolidGame_basic:

....I didn't know that was a thing.

Apparently delayed multiple times and scheduled for release this year?

Game feels like an eternity ago lol.

@ConanTheStoner: lol yea, I thought they announced it right after it came out.

Not played platformer for years, but I'd go with

Alex Kid in Miracle world

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (master system version)

Nights into Dreams

Super Mario World

Donkey Kong Country 2

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Super Mario games in general (2D or 3D, i aint choosing)

Mega Man X

Castlevania Bloodlines

Super Meat Boy

I haven't played Celeste. I have been told that its pretty godlike.

Ori games have exceptional movement, and damn i did forget mirror's edge hmmmmm...but the point is I don't think of Ori as a platformer, because I don't think of metroidlikes as platformers straight up. More like action/adventure titles.

@jg4xchamp: Celeste is great, should definitely give it a try.

Now I'm not gonna for at least a year because you said to do it!!

I was kidding, don't even bother.

• Super Mario Odyssey
• Super Mario Sunshine
• Super Mario Galaxy
• Inside
• Ori (both games)

Honourable mentions: Super Mario 3D World, Katana Zero, Yoshi's Island... there's definitely more though.

What actually constitutes a platformer? Seeing answers like Tomb Raider in here have me curious. Here's my top 5 based on my definition...

• Jurassic Park (Genesis)
• Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Genesis)
• Sonic CD (Sega CD)
• Super Mario World (SNES)
• Ducktales (NES)

So many good games being mentioned itt. Honestly I can't pick but I want to mention megaman, mmx, mmz, sonic games, mario ofc.

• Super Mario Bros 3
• Ori (both)
• Super Mario 3D World
• Rayman 3D
• Super Mario World

• Donkey Kong Country 2
• Super Mario 64
• Banjo-Kazooie
• Shovel Knight
• Rayman 2 great escape

Honorable mentions: The Messenger, Glover, Conkers Bad Fur Day, Yooka Laylee, Megaman X, Super Mario World, Gex, Sly Cooper, Crash bandicoot, Spyro, phychonauts, yoshis story

really hard to make a top 5 because i love a lot of platformers.

Ducktales
Earthworm Jim
Mega Man X
Ori
Super Castlevania IV

I don't feel like making a top 5 so I'll just list my favorite:

Super Mario World

2D:

• Alex Kidd in Shinobi World
• Super Mario World
• Ninja Gaiden
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Metal Slug X

3D:

• Super Mario 64
• Tomb Raider
• Sonic Adventure 2
• Super Monkey Ball
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

-Super Mario Bros. 3

-Super Mario Galaxy

-Tomb Raider: Legend

-Rayman Origins

-Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles

Honorable mention: Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie (it's better than you'd think), Sonic Colo(u)rs, LEGO series, Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country Returns

I'll just add Rayman Legends to the pile.

Mine are all old-school 2D. Does my favorite game of all time, Bubble Bobble, count as a platformer?

Sonic 1 & 2

Super Mario World

Rayman (the first game on Saturn/PSX). The modern 2D platformers are also great.

Geez just about every thread i rock up to these days people are already mentioning me, i should start to rent the spaces i currently own LOL

As for the topic

Just add any/all Sonic games.

Worst platformers would be Mario, any & all of them, slow & boring as shit.

1. Yoshi Island

2. Mario 64

3. Mario 3

4. Lil Nemo

5. Super Meat Boy

Super Mario All stars

Donkey kong country

conker

Crash 2

Sonic 2

1. Ratchet and Clank (all of them)

3. Mario (all of them)

3. Jumping Flash

4. Poi

5. Psychonauts

Alex kidd in miracle world

Sonic the hedghog 1 for master system

Donkey kong country

Wonder boy

Sonic mania

Noita, Sonic&Knuckles, Tomb Raider 2 and if they count as platformers Midnight Resistance and Contra.

Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario 64
Super Mario Galaxy
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

So many good ones, but if I had to pick out the absolute bestest, that's probably my list. No order though.

As in The Dream Master?

Cool game.

Probably the most underrated Mario game.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Donkey Kong Country Trilogy

Ori and its sequel

Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World

Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair

Underrated or underappreciated?

Get Yooka Laylee on Switch! You won't regret it!

@SolidGame_basic: I heard Playtonic is working on a third project. Super excited to find out more :)

Probably the latter now that you mention it. It got good reviews, afaik. Rarely see anyone talk about it though.

@pmanden: Yes, Bubble Bobble is a platformer. What else did you think it was?

@Jag85: I dunno. You are shooting bubbles a lot and can't move on to the next screen till you killed all enemies. Shoot'em'up maybe? Anyway, let us say it is a platformer, and it is my favorite game of all time.

@R4gn4r0k: Donkey Kong Country also features the greatest graphics of any 16-bit game ever. I wonder what the game would have looked like on the Sega Genesis.

Interesting OP started this topic as I just finished Psychonauts, which is by far the most interesting platformer I have ever played. Looking forward to Psychonatus 2. Surprised not many mentioned Psychonauts on their list (looks like it's still underrated and not getting the love and attention it deserves).

Anyways my list.

1. Tomb Raider Legend

2. Psychonauts

3. Tomb Raider Anniversary

4. NiGHTS into Dreams

5. Tomb Raider Underworld

All on PC. Although I haven't completely finished the last two so the list may change if and whenever I get a change or have the interest to finish those two. Although I doubt I would put the last two as my first and second even if I do complete it.

@pmanden: Sega Genesis had Vectorman, I always heard it's the Sega equivalent of DKC :D