Platform
Description
Platform games (platformers) are action games in which the playfield is set up as a series of planes (floors, levels, or platforms) for the player to navigate.
Platform games often involve combat, but include additional challenges by making navigation hazardous. Often the challenges of overcoming environmental dangers surpass those posed by combat. The player character is usually required to jump over gaps and damaging areas, or to access a different platform. In many platform games the player character is very vulnerable and can die easily from falling damage, environmental traps, or enemy attacks.
Early platform games (e.g.
Donkey Kong) were confined to one screen and required the player character to climb in order to reach higher platforms. Later platformers, popularized by
Super Mario Bros., began to focus on traversing side-scrolling levels, often within an allotted time limit, fending off upcoming enemies and jumping. This style, commonly referred to as
jump-and-run, has preserved itself in many later platformers as well.
Other platform games, such as
Prince of Persia, emphasize exploration, combat, and problem-solving in addition to the usual platform challenges. Such games have become known as
cinematic platformers. This style has had a considerable influence on many 3D platformers (e.g. later
Prince of Persia games,
ICO, etc.), which incorporate extensive puzzle-solving.
 Game Title |
Macintosh (2012) and Windows (2012) 1000 Amps is a monochrome puzzle game played as a platformer. The player controls Plug and has to restore the... |
iPad (2011) and iPhone (2011) 1000 Heroz is a game where the goal is to get your hero to the end area in the shortest... |
Windows (2005) This is the first part of the trilogy featuring prisoner 1213 (Twelve Thirteen). Locked up in a dark cell and... |
Windows (2006) In the second episode of the trilogy starring prisoner 1213, he continues his quest to escape the facility where he... |
Windows (2006) Episode 3 concludes the story of prisoner 1213's escape. Unlike the previous instalments, access to the entire game is only... |
Windows (2006) 1213 (Special Edition) is a bundle of the three games in 1213 series of which the individual instalments were given... |
DOS (1994) The game simulates the 15 Puzzle, a sliding puzzle that consists of numbered square tiles located on 4x4 board in... |
Genesis (1991) 16t is a scrolling platform action game similar to Teddy Boy, in which the player controls a youngster in prison... |
J2ME (2005) It is year 1955. You are the only surviving allied pilot. You have just been assigned a secret mission to... |
Commodore 64 (1983) and ZX Spectrum (1983) You are Smiffy, a person locked in the world of George Orwell's "1984." The book's totalitarian-spying concept is updated for... |
Atari 2600 (2005) This cartridge contains six of the 1 kilobyte entries and one 4 kilobyte entry from the 2005 Minigame Competition with... |
|
Game Boy Advance (2004) This THQ double pack has two of the Disney GBA games combined on one cartridge:
Disney Princess
Disney's The Lion... |
Game Boy Advance (2004) This double pack has two of the SpongeBob GBA games combined on one cartridge:
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom... |
Windows (2001) In this 3D Donkey Kong clone, players take the role of a caveman looking for Stonehenge. Players travel along paths... |
Macintosh (1999) and Windows (1999) In 3D Dragon Duel, you (as a dragon) must clear out several castles from other enemy dragons and dinosaurs, while... |
Windows (1998) In this 3D Pac-Man variation you control a frog who clears levels by eating bugs, worms and bubbles while evading... |
Windows (1998) In this 3D take on the classic Pac-Man game you guide Maze Man through 9 different worlds, gobbling up objects... |
Commodore 64 (1991) The game is another computer simulation of the board game chess. This installment allows the player to use two screens... |
Windows (1998) The return of the classic board game "Battleship" in 3D. You can play against the computer AI (3 skill levels... |
Windows (2000) 3D Spryjinx is a platform game in which two players compete to get the highest score by jumping on platforms.... |
DOS (1992), Commodore 64 (1992) and Amiga (1992) In this boxing game you can choose from dozens of boxers with different attributes in skill areas such as Power,... |
Genesis (1994) and SNES (1994) You must help an old samurai to retrieve a dagger he once got as an award for his achievements in... |
PlayStation (1999) and PS Vita (2012) 40 Winks is a 3D action-platform game in which you play as Ruff or Tumble, two children who must battle... |
DOS (1994) 4D Prince of Persia is an unofficial reworking of the original Prince of Persia game by Jordan Mechner. The levels... |
