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 |
DOS (1995) Pocahontas is a side-scrolling platformer based on the Native American Indian later made famous in a Disney movie by the... |
Game Boy (1997) and Game Boy Color (1998) Long, long ago, the sun was covered by a dark and heavy cloud. It was said this cloud was caused... |
NES (1987) Players take on the role of Hashimoto, a studious human boy who gets transformed into a dinosaur by one of... |
Linux (2005), Windows (2005) and Macintosh (2005) Pogo Sticker is an unusual platformer, best described as "jump'n'run without the running". You'll have to cross the levels with... |
MSX (2006) Just as the name this is a rather pointless platform game. Your goal is simply to jump from platform to... |
Game Boy Advance (2004) All aboard the Polar Express! Take a journey to the North Pole as you visit scenes from the movie based... |
Windows (2007) Polarity is a 2D platform/puzzle game based on magnetism. The goal of the game is to navigate environments and solve... |
DOS (1997) The Politically Incorrect Adventures of Gewt Ningrich is a satirical sidescrolling beat'em up. You play as Gewt Ningrich, who is... |
Windows (2007), Macintosh (2007) and Linux (2007) Sure, the Monkey may actually be abstracted down to a one-eyed box, and yes, the Funk isn't any more authentic... |
DOS (1991), ZX Spectrum (1991), Amstrad CPC (1991) and MSX (1991) "Poogaboo: La Pulga 2" is the sequel to Indescomp's Bugaboo (The Flea). Conserving the same gaming style and argument of... |
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ZX Spectrum (1985), Commodore 64 (1986) and Amstrad CPC (1986) The object of the game is to collect hearts and deliver them to Olive Oyle to keep her 'lovemeter' topped... |
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Game Boy (1993) Popeye 2 is a side-scrolling platform game in which the player plays as Popeye. The player can walk in all... |
NES (1983) This game aims to help younger Japanese speaking children learn some English vocabulary words. The game features Popeye the Sailorman,... |
Game Boy Advance (2005) While going out for a walk one day, Popeye and Olive Oyl were harassed by Bluto once again. Sick of... |
SEGA CD (1994) and SNES (1994) The cute bounty hunter known as Popful Mail looks like she would have no trouble making a living slashing bad... |
PC-98 (1992) and TurboGrafx CD (1994) Mail is a young, cute, enthusiastic female bounty-hunting elf. Unfortunately, every time a bounty is a near something goes wrong:... |
TurboGrafx CD (1992) Pop 'n Magic is a platformer with single-screen stages, similar in concept to Bubble Bobble. Demons have attacked a lovely... |
SNES (1995) Porky Pig ventures to Dry Gultch Haunted Theme Park and while staying there, falls asleep. He dreams up a nightmare,... |
Atari 2600 (1983) and Atari 8-bit (1983) You play as Edward "Pee Wee" Morris, who, despite his shortcomings, strives to get revenge on Porky, the owner of... |
Windows (2007) and Macintosh (2010) Aperture Science is a secret weapons research organization in competition with Black Mesa. Chell is a test subject at the... |
Macintosh (2011), PlayStation 3 (2011), Windows (2011) and Xbox 360 (2011) Portal 2 is the sequel to Portal and offers the same first-person puzzle-platform gameplay. Players continue the story taking the... |
Game Boy Color (2001) In Portal Runner you assume the role of the bow and arrow wielding Vikki G. Thinking she was investigating a... |
Browser (2007) Portal: The Flash Version is - like its name - an unofficial Flash edition of the game Portal.Without much background... |
