You guys with me right?

I mean from my experience on home consoles it was all about 1 game and that was Super Mario Galaxy. Sure there was a Banjo driving/platform game hybrid which I do my best to avoid. But apart from downloadable games on PSN/XBL/Wiiware, the pickings were indeed slim. It seemed like action was where all the money was and on the hard edged HD platforms, they didn't seem that interested in makiing bright, colourful platform games that we used to enjoy on PS1 and N64. Nintendo made a 2D game to remind everyone why they liked 2D mario again in NSMB although there was something not quite right about it.

Then there were..... I think 3 Rachet games? Two retail I think.

As someone who doesn't have a PS3, I was left twiddling my thumbs playing WiiWare games like Lost Winds 1 and 2 and Nyxquest. I forgot how much I miss the N64 Rare platform games and even going further back to SNES and Genesis, there were a ton of platform games, even if some of them had shooting in them. To me, it felt like everyone had given up on trying to compete with what Nintendo did, reinventing Mario each time. Sonic was pootling along, dripping out mediocre games for years in the wilderness.

Then suddenly this year it's been crazy, just going off the top of my head, Wii alone got Super Mario Galaxy 2, then Metroid Other M, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Sonic Colours turned out great, I'm playing and loving Epic Mickey and then DKC Returns is out in a few days time.

All of a sudden I am ensconced in velvet platform games. I feel almost giddy at times, I remember fondly booting up the Christmas level on Banjo Kazooie when it came to December, I remember Mario Galaxy 1 making Christmas feel like Christmas. Giving you that giddy wide mouthed grin and feeling like a kid again.

Playing Epic Mickey, at certain parts - it's not consistently as successful - but at certain parts I would just feel enchanted in this Disney world, brimming with imagination.

And I'm really happy that Nintendo has given us this 2D resurgence of classic franchises too. I mean they put out 2D Mario, 2D Metroid, 2D Donkey Kong, 2D Kirby all as full price, fully fleshed out retail games.

I wish other companies would do the same for their classic franchises - Bionic Commando re-armed? How many other 2D Capcom games are begging to be made? 2D Strider, Ghouls and Ghosts etc.

Give me more, I don't just want to be ensconced in platform games, I want to be buried in them.

So what has been your experience with platform games this generation? Are you enjoying them? And what more would you like?

phantom_leo said:

You... you didn't mention MEAT BOY ! ? !

Needs more swearing in title ... specifically motherfucking

bugsonglass said:

Needs more swearing in title ... specifically motherfucking

Is it time to start the Motherfucking Thread of Motherfucking Motherfuckers?  We could make it about House of the Dead Overkill.

Mirror's Edge is a good platform game too. The best one I played on an HD console anyway.

NyxQuest is probably my favorite platform game this gen; it took me by surprise, and I loved every minute of it.

Super Mario Galaxy follows very closely in second place.

It really is like a platforming resurgance this gen. led by DK, SMG 1 and 2.  Let us not forget about the Prince of Persia games, though the two this gen were kinda meh.

I like Little Big Planet and Splosion Man, which both have me set for pretty much the whole generation.

I make no claims to know the sales of 2d platformers this generation, but the fact that there are so many of them indicates to me that they were published, therefore, publishers got over whatever concerns they had about the market viability of 2d platformers.  Most of them are on the XBLA and PSN services, where I understand they have done quite well.

Besides SMG which developers have solved how to use a camera in the 3d space? Well in platformers I wouldn't know because they are a blight on the industry and painful to play, so I've only played SMG this generation, but stepping outside the platformer realm for a moment, if you look at games like Crackdown, Mirror's Edge, Infamous, Uncharted, Arkham Asylum, God of War and Bayonetta it's pretty clear that devloeprs have, in this generation, finalyy gotten comfortable with how to use a camera in 3d space.  Something that largely eluded them in the prior two generations.

Super Mario Galaxy is a gaming miracle. I'm fucked again this year probably going to have to give SMG2 my GOTY.

Ravenprose said:

robio said:

And  you'll never be able to play it again!

Steam says, "Hello!"

. . .  it won't be the same.