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 |
Atari ST (2008) Manical Drop is a puzzle game for one or two players based on Magical Drop from Data East. This is... |
SAM Coupé (1992) Miner Willy fell into a forgotten mine shaft near Surbiton and discovered a network of underground caverns left by an... |
 DOS (1997), Windows (1998), Game Boy Advance (2002), Amiga (1990), Commodore 64 (1984), ZX Spectrum (1983), MSX (1985), Amstrad CPC (1985), Dragon 32/64 (1984), iPhone (2010), BBC Micro (1984), iPad (2010), Windows Phone (2012), bada (2011), Oric (1985), Commodore 16, Plus/4 (1986), Memotech MTX (1985) and Tatung Einstein (1985) You play the role of Miner Willy, a bold explorer and adventurer. He discovers a network of underground caverns used... |
Windows (2008) The Manipulator is a platform game where the player is contracted by the government to enter a facility and destroy... |
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ZX Spectrum (1984) Man Trap is a deceptively simple arcade game for the Spectrum where the objective is to survive for as many... |
 Game Boy Advance (2004), NES (1984), Game Gear (1991), MSX (1984), Palm OS (2004), Windows Mobile (2005), Wii (2008), PC-88 (1986), Nintendo 3DS (2013), Sharp X1 (1986), FM-7 (1986), Sord M5 (1983), Epoch Super Cassette Vision (1986) and Arcade (1983) You control Mappy, a police-mouse whose job is to collect valuables (consumer electronics) from a cat's house. You are being... |
NES (1989) Mappy the mouse had a son named Happy. Happy has grown up and now wants to settle down with a... |
NES (1986) Mappy the mouse has a girlfriend named Mapica. In order to please his girlfriend, Mappy goes on a mission to... |
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 DOS (1997), Windows (1997), PlayStation (1998) and Game Boy Color (2000) Swing is a Tetris inspired puzzle game: At the top of the screen you see two lines of eight balls... |
 Windows (2008) Marble Mayhem is a 3D puzzle platformer similar to Marble Madness or the more contemporary Switchball where the player guides... |
 Game Boy Advance (2002), NES (1983), Commodore 64 (1987), Atari 2600 (1983), Atari 5200 (1983), Atari 7800 (1988), Atari 8-bit (1988), ZX Spectrum (1987), Amstrad CPC (1987), Wii (2006), PC-88 (1984), Nintendo 3DS (2013), Wii U (2013) and Arcade (1983) Mario and Luigi, the best plumbers in the world, have a real job on their hands. A host of characters... |
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DOS (1990) Mario Brothers VGA is an unofficial remake of the classic Mario Bros. game of the arcade in VGA 16 colors.You... |
 Nintendo DSi (2009) Mario Clock is a Nintendo DSiWare app. It displays the time in 8-bit graphics. The user can switch between an... |
Windows (2004) Mario Forever is an unofficial remake of the famous Super Mario Bros. with some improvements and additions: better graphics, music... |
DOS (2001) Mario & Luigi is an unofficial DOS remake of Super Mario Bros. Just like in the original game, it features... |
 Nintendo 3DS (2013) One day, the people from the Mushroom Kingdom receive an invitation to visit Pi'illo Island, turned into a touristic region.... |
 GameCube (2004) This new Mario Party has a twist. Along with the four-player party action that is expected with the board game... |
 Nintendo DS (2007) Mario Party DS continues the Mario Party gameplay on the Nintendo DS. It is a multiplayer game played as a... |
 Game Boy Advance (2003) This unique title combines a card game with the Game Boy Advance e-reader add-on, using the characters and game style... |
 Game Boy Advance (2004) and Nintendo 3DS (2011) In the beginning video, Donkey Kong is at home channel-surfing. While flipping through channels, DK notices an ad about the... |
 Nintendo DS (2006) Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is an action/puzzle game where the object is to bring as... |
MobyRank
Top games by as rated by the press:
- 96 Super Mario Galaxy 2
- 96 Super Mario Galaxy
- 96 Super Mario Bros. 3
- 95 Super Mario All-Stars
- 95 Super Mario 64
- 94 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
- 94 Super Mario World
- 94 Rayman 2: The Great Escape
- 94 Cave Story
- 93 Super Metroid
Games must have at least a MobyRank of 80 to be considered.
MobyScore
Top games by as rated by our users:
- 5.00 2 Games in 1: Disney Princess + Disney's The Lion King 1 ½ (2004)
- 3.35 Adventure Island (2004)
- 3.35 Adventure Island (2004)
- 3.35 Adventure Island (2005)
- 4.11 The Adventures of MicroMan (1999)
- 3.41 Aero the Acro-Bat (2002)
- 5.00 (Almost) Total Mayhem (2011)
- 5.00 And You Will Be Fit For More Than Ashes (2009)
- 5.00 Ardy Lightfoot (1993)
- 4.53 Arthur's Pet Chase (2003)
Games must have at least 1 votes and a MobyScore of 4.0 to be considered.
Perspectives and Viewpoints
Platform is part of Perspectives and Viewpoints. This group of genres contain:
