player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...

climbing Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small boulders. Climbing is done ...

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

The Legend of Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-relea ...

Miner 2049er ''Miner 2049er'' is a platform game created by Bill Hogue that was released in 1982 by Big Five Software. It was developed for the Atari 8-bit family and widely converted to other systems. The title "Miner 2049er" evokes a 21st-century take on th ...

isometric perspective Isometric video game graphics are graphics employed in video games and pixel art that use a parallel projection, but which angle the viewpoint to reveal facets of the environment that would otherwise not be visible from a top-down perspective ...

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. Through the various areas of the game world, player may be able to collect items and powerups that can come in handy for different situations, and give the main character new abilities for overcoming adversities. Most games of this genre consist of multiple levels of increasing difficulty, that may also be interleaved by boss encounters, where the character has to defeat a particularly dangerous enemy in order to progress. Usually the level order is pre-determined, but some games also allow players to navigate freely throughout the game world, or may feature different paths to take at certain points. Simple logical puzzles to resolve and skill trials to overcome are another common element in the genre. A more modern variant of platform games (generally 3D scrolling), called "runners", have the main character always moving forward at high speed while the player must direct it properly to not make it fall or crash against obstacles, and manage to reach checkpoints on time. Due to the relative simplicity of the controls, this kind of game works well on mobile devices and has become popular in recent years.

Naming

Various names were used in the years following the release of the first established title in the genre, '' Donkey Kong'' (1981).

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he ...

originally called ''Donkey Kong'' a "running/jumping/climbing game" while developing it. Miyamoto commonly used the term "athletic game" to refer to ''Donkey Kong'' and later games in the genre, such as '' Super Mario Bros.'' (1985). ''Donkey Kong'' spawned a number of other games with a mix of running, jumping, and vertical traversal, a novel genre that did not match the style of games that came before it, leaving journalists and writers to offer their own terms. ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website w ...

'' magazine, among others, referred to the genre as "Donkey Kong-type" or "Kong-style" games. "Climbing games" was used in Steve Bloom's 1982 book ''Video Invaders'' and 1983 magazines '' Electronic Games'' (US)—which ran a cover feature called "The Player's Guide to Climbing Games"—and ''TV Gamer'' (UK). Bloom defined "climbing games" as titles where the player "must climb from the bottom of the screen to the top while avoiding and/or destroying the obstacles and foes you invariably meet along the way." Under this definition, he listed '' Space Panic'' (1980), ''Donkey Kong'', and '' Frogger'' (1981) as climbing games. In a December 1982 ''

Creative Computing ''Creative Computing'' was one of the earliest magazines covering the microcomputer revolution. Published from October 1974 until December 1985, the magazine covered the spectrum of hobbyist/home/personal computing in a more accessible format t ...

'' review of the Apple II game ''Beer Run'', the reviewer used a different term: "I'm going to call this a ladder game, as in the 'ladder genre,' which includes '' Apple Panic'' and ''Donkey Kong''." That label was also used by ''Video Games Player'' magazine in 1983 when it named the

Coleco Coleco Industries, Inc. was an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as The Connecticut Leather Company. It was a successful toy company in the 1980s, mass-producing versions of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and its video game consol ...

port of ''Donkey Kong'' "Ladder Game of the Year". Another term used in the late 1980s to 1990s was "character action games", in reference to games such as ''Super Mario Bros.'', ''

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers m ...

'', and '' Bubsy''. It was also applied more generally to side-scrolling video games, including run-and-gun shooters such as ''

Gunstar Heroes ''Gunstar Heroes'' is a run-and-gun shooter video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was Treasure's debut game, originally released on the Sega Genesis in 1993. The game's premise is centered around a pair of characters, the ...

''. ''Platform game'' became a standard term in the late 1980s, popularized by its usage in the United Kingdom press. By 1989, British magazines were using the term "platform" games to refer to the genre; examples include referring to the "''

Super Mario (also known as and ) is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every major Nintendo vide ...

'' mould" (such as '' Kato-chan & Ken-chan'') as platform games, or calling '' Strider'' a "platform and ladders" game.

History

Single-screen movement

Platform games originated in the early 1980s. Most early examples of platform games were confined to a static playing field, generally viewed in profile, and were based on climbing mechanics between platforms rather than jumping. '' Space Panic'', a 1980 arcade release by

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

, is sometimes credited as the first platform game. Another precursor to the genre from 1980 was Nichibutsu's ''

Crazy Climber is a vertical scrolling arcade climbing game produced by Nichibutsu ( Nihon Bussan Co. Ltd.) and released in 1980 worldwide. In North America, the game was also released by Taito America. It was later released by UA Ltd. in 1982 for the Emerson ...

'', in which the player character scales vertically scrolling skyscrapers. The unreleased 1979 Intellivision game ''Hard Hat'' has a similar concept. '' Donkey Kong'', an

arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade vi ...

created by

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...

and released in July 1981, was the first game to allow players to jump over obstacles and gaps. It is widely considered to be the first platform game. It introduced

Mario is a character (arts), character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in ...

under the name Jumpman. ''Donkey Kong'' was ported to many consoles and computers at the time, notably as the system-selling pack-in game for ColecoVision, and also a handheld version from Coleco in 1982. The game helped cement Nintendo's position as an important name in the video game industry internationally. The following year, ''Donkey Kong'' received a sequel, ''

Donkey Kong Jr. is a 1982 arcade platform game that was released by Nintendo. It is the sequel to ''Donkey Kong'', but with the roles reversed compared to its predecessor: Mario (previously named "Jumpman") is now the villain and Donkey Kong Jr. is trying t ...

'' and later '' Mario Bros.'', a platform game with two-player cooperative play. It laid the groundwork for other two-player cooperative platformers such as '' Fairyland Story'' and '' Bubble Bobble''. Beginning in 1982, transitional games emerged that did not use scrolling graphics, but had levels that span several connected screens. David Crane's '' Pitfall!'' for the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...

, with 256 horizontally connected screens, became one of the best-selling games on the system and was a breakthrough for the genre. '' Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle'' was released on the ColecoVision that same year, adding uneven terrain and scrolling pans between static screens. '' Manic Miner'' (1983) and its sequel '' Jet Set Willy'' (1984) continued this style of multi-screen levels on home computers. '' Wanted: Monty Mole'' won the first award for Best Platform game in 1984 from ''Crash'' magazine. Later that same year, Epyx released '' Impossible Mission'', and

Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products we ...

released ''

Montezuma's Revenge Travelers' diarrhea (TD) is a stomach and intestinal infection. TD is defined as the passage of unformed stool (one or more by some definitions, three or more by others) while traveling. It may be accompanied by abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, ...

'', which further expanded on the exploration aspect.

Scrolling movement

The first platform game to use scrolling graphics came years before the genre became popular. '' Jump Bug'' is a platform-shooter game developed by Alpha Denshi under contract for Hoei/Coreland and released to arcades in 1981, only five months after '' Donkey Kong''. Players control a bouncing car that jumps on various platforms such as buildings, clouds, and hills. ''Jump Bug'' offered a glimpse of what was to come, with uneven, suspended platforms and levels that scrolled horizontally and, in one section, vertically. Irem's 1982 arcade game ''

Moon Patrol is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Irem. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America. The player controls a moon buggy which can jump over and shoot obstacles on a horizontally scrolling landscape as well as ...

'' combines jumping over obstacles and shooting attackers. A month later,

Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. I ...

released ''

Jungle King ''Alpinia purpurata'', commonly referred to as red ginger, also called ostrich plume and pink cone ginger, are native Malaysian plants with showy flowers on long brightly colored red bracts. They look like the bloom, but the true flower is the sma ...

'', a side-scrolling action game with parallax scrolling and some platform elements: jumping between vines, jumping or running beneath bouncing boulders. It was quickly re-released as ''Jungle Hunt'' because of similarities to

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

. The 1982 Apple II game '' Track Attack'' includes a scrolling platform level where the character runs and leaps along the top of a moving train. The character is little more than a stick figure, but the acrobatics evoke the movement that games such as ''Prince of Persia'' would feature. '' B.C.'s Quest For Tires'' was released by Sierra On-Line in 1983 on the ColecoVision and several home computers. The game has large, side-scrolling levels and simple platform gameplay in which players jump over oncoming pitfalls and obstacles, much like ''

Moon Patrol is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Irem. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America. The player controls a moon buggy which can jump over and shoot obstacles on a horizontally scrolling landscape as well as ...

''. The same year, a scrolling platform game appeared on the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness W ...

and Atari 8-bit computers called ''Snokie''. It added uneven terrain and an emphasis on precision jumping. Based on the

Saturday morning cartoon "Saturday-morning cartoon" is a colloquial term for the original animated series programming that was typically scheduled on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the United States on the "Big Three" television networks. The genre's popularity had a br ...

rather than the maze game, Namco's 1984 '' Pac-Land'' is a bidirectional, horizontally-scrolling, arcade platformer with walking, running, jumping, springboards,

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chose ...

s, and a series of unique levels.

Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...

creator

Toru Iwatani is a Japanese video game designer who spent much of his career working for Namco. He is best known as the creator of the arcade game ''Pac-Man'' (1980). Early life Iwatani was born in the Meguro ward of Tokyo, Japan on January 25, 1955. While ...

described the game as "the pioneer of action games with horizontally running background." According to Iwatani,

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he ...

described ''Pac-Land'' as an influence on the development of '' Super Mario Bros.''. Nintendo's '' Super Mario Bros.'', released for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in America ...

in 1985, became the archetype for many platform games. It was bundled with Nintendo systems in North America, Japan, and Europe, and sold over 40 million copies, according to the 1999

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

. Its success as a pack-in led many companies to see platform games as vital to their success, and contributed greatly to popularizing the genre during the 8-bit console generation.

Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...

attempted to emulate this success with their ''

Alex Kidd is a platform video game series developed by Sega, and starring the titular Alex Kidd. Games The franchise includes seven titles. * ''Alex Kidd in Miracle World'' - 1986, Master System * '' Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars'' - 1986, Arcade, 198 ...

'' series, which started in 1986 on the

Master System The is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 an ...

with '' Alex Kidd in Miracle World''. It had horizontal and vertical scrolling levels, the ability to punch enemies and obstacles, and shops for the player to buy

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chose ...

s and vehicles. Another Sega platformer series that began that same year is '' Wonder Boy''. The original ''Wonder Boy'' in 1986 was inspired more by ''Pac-Land'' than ''Super Mario Bros.'', with skateboarding segments that gave the game a greater sense of speed than other platform games at the time,The Legend of Wonder Boy
, IGN, November 14, 2008 while its sequel, ''

Wonder Boy in Monster Land ''Wonder Boy in Monster Land'', known by its original arcade release as , is an platform video game developed by Westone Bit Entertainment and released by Sega in Japanese arcade game, arcades in 1987 and for the Master System in 1988, with a num ...

'' added action-adventure and role-playing elements. ''Wonder Boy'' in turn inspired games such as '' Adventure Island'', ''Dynastic Hero'', '' Popful Mail'', and ''

Shantae ''Shantae'' is a series of platform games developed by WayForward. The eponymous heroine of the series, a half-genie, was created by Erin Bozon, while the games were created from this character by her husband Matt Bozon. The series consists of ...

''. Scrolling platform games went portable in the late 1980s with games such as ''

Super Mario Land ''Super Mario Land'' is a 1989 side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch game for its Game Boy handheld game console. It is the first ''Mario'' platform game to have been released for a handheld cons ...

'', and the genre continued to maintain its popularity, with many games released for the handheld

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...

and Game Gear systems. One of the first platform games to scroll in all four directions freely and follow the on-screen character's movement is in a vector game called '' Major Havoc'', which comprises a number of mini-games, including a simple platformer. One of the first raster-based platform games to scroll fluidly in all directions in this manner is 1984's''

Legend of Kage is a side-scrolling hack-and-slash game developed and released by Taito as an arcade video game in 1985. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, MSX, Sharp X1, and ZX Spectrum, Plot The player takes t ...

''. In 1985,

Enix was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...

released an open world platform-adventure game, ''

Brain Breaker ''Brain Breaker'' is a side-scrolling action-adventure platform game released for the Sharp X1 in 1985. It is an early example of the Metroidvania genre. Plot The player's spaceship crash lands on a mysterious alien planet, whose inhabitants h ...

''. Reprinted from The following year saw the release of a more successful open-world platform-adventure, Nintendo's ''

Metroid is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the power of the parasitic ...

'', which was critically acclaimed for having a balance between open-ended and guided exploration. Another platform-adventure released that year,

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affi ...

's ''

Super Pitfall is a 1986 side-scrolling platform video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, NEC PC-8801, and TRS-80 Color Computer 3 published under Activision's license. Despite the title screen stating that it was developed by Pony Inc, the actual ...

'', was critically panned for its vagueness and weak game design. That same year

Jaleco was a corporate brand name that was used by two previously connected video game developers and publishers based in Japan. The original Jaleco company was founded in 1974 as Japan Leisure Company, founded by Yoshiaki Kanazawa, before being renam ...

released '' Esper Boukentai'', a sequel to '' Psychic 5'' that scrolled in all directions and allowed the player character to make huge multistory jumps to navigate the vertically oriented levels. Telenet Japan also released its own take on the platform-action game, '' Valis'', which contained

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

-style cut scenes. In 1987,

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It has created a number of multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being '' Resident Evil'', '' Monster Hunter'', '' Street Fighter'', ''Mega Man'', ''De ...

's ''

Mega Man ''Mega Man'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man (character), Mega Man". Mega Man (video game), The original game w ...

'' introduced

non-linear In mathematics and science, a nonlinear system is a system in which the change of the output is not proportional to the change of the input. Nonlinear problems are of interest to engineers, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, and many other ...

level progression where the player is able to choose the order in which they complete levels. This was a stark contrast to both linear games like ''Super Mario Bros.'' and open-world games like ''Metroid''.

GamesRadar ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites '' Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Comput ...

credits the "level select" feature of ''Mega Man'' as the basis for the non-linear mission structure found in most open-world, multi-mission,

sidequest A quest, or mission, is a task in video games that a player-controlled character, party, or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward. Quests are most commonly seen in role-playing games and massively multiplayer online games. ...

-heavy games. Another Capcom platformer that year was ''

Bionic Commando ''Bionic Commando'' is a video game franchise consisting of an original arcade game released in 1987 and several later versions and sequels. Background The original Japanese arcade game and its Famicom counterpart (''Hitler's Resurrection'') ...

'', a multidirectional-scrolling platform-action game which introduced a

grappling hook A grappling hook or grapnel is a device that typically has multiple hooks (known as ''claws'' or ''flukes'') attached to a rope; it is thrown, dropped, sunk, projected, or fastened directly by hand to where at least one hook may catch and ho ...

mechanic that has since appeared in dozens of platform games, including '' Earthworm Jim'' and ''

Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...

''.

Second-generation side-scrollers

By the time the

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

and TurboGrafx-16 launched, platform games were the most popular genre in console gaming. There was a particular emphasis on having a flagship platform title exclusive to a system, featuring a mascot character. In 1989, Sega released '' Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle'', which was only modestly successful. That same year, Capcom released '' Strider'' in arcades, which scrolled in multiple directions and allowed the player to summon

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech ...

partners, such as a droid, tiger, and hawk, to help fight enemies. Another Sega release in 1989 was '' Shadow Dancer'', which is a game that also included an AI partner: a dog who followed the player around and aid in battle. In 1990,

Hudson Soft was a Japanese video game company that released numerous games for video game consoles, home computers and mobile phones, mainly from the 1980s to the 2000s. It was headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, T ...

released ''

Bonk's Adventure ''Bonk's Adventure'', known as in Japan and ''PC Kid'' in Europe, is a scrolling platform game developed by Red Company and Atlus and released in 1989 in Japan and 1990 in North America for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16. The Japanese title ''PC ...

'', with a protagonist positioned as

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It provides IT and network soluti ...

's mascot. The following year, Takeru's '' Cocoron'', a late platformer for the Famicom allowed players to build a character from a toy box filled with spare parts. In 1990, the Super Famicom was released in Japan, along with the eagerly anticipated '' Super Mario World''. The following year, Nintendo released the console as the

Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eu ...

in North America, along with ''Super Mario World'', while Sega released ''

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers m ...

'' for the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

. ''Sonic'' showcased a new style of design made possible by a new generation of hardware: large stages that scrolled in all directions, curved hills, loops, and a physics system allowing players to rush through its levels with well-placed jumps and rolls. Sega characterized Sonic as a teenager with a rebellious personality to appeal to gamers who saw the previous generation of consoles as being for kids. The character's speed showed off the hardware capabilities of the Genesis, which had a CPU clock speed approximately double that of the Super NES.

Sonic Sonic or Sonics may refer to: Companies *Sonic Drive-In, an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain * Sonic (ISP), an Internet provider and CLEC, serving more than 100 California communities * Sonic Foundry, a computer software company wh ...

became a new model for mascots, particularly for his perceived attitude, which characterized him as a rebel. This attitude soon became popular as companies attempted to duplicate Sonic's success with their own brightly colored

anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

s. These often were characterized by impatience, sarcasm, and frequent quips. A second generation of platform games for computers appeared alongside the new wave of consoles. In the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s, the

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore International, Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and sign ...

was a strong gaming platform with its custom video hardware and sound hardware. The

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first per ...

was solidly supported as well. Games like '' Shadow of the Beast'' and '' Turrican'' showed that computer platform games could rival their console contemporaries. ''

Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two games i ...

'', originally a late release for the 8-bit Apple II in 1989, featured a high quality of animation. The 1988

shareware Shareware is a type of proprietary software that is initially shared by the owner for trial use at little or no cost. Often the software has limited functionality or incomplete documentation until the user sends payment to the software developer ...

game '' The Adventures of Captain Comic'' was one of the first attempts at a Nintendo-style platformer for

IBM PC compatibles IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

. It inspired '' Commander Keen'', released by id Software in 1990, which became the first MS-DOS platformer with smooth scrolling graphics. Keen's success resulted in numerous console-styled platformers on the PC, including ''

Duke Nukem ''Duke Nukem'' is a video game series named for its main character, Duke Nukem. Created by the company Apogee Software Ltd. (now 3D Realms) as a series of video games for personal computers, the series expanded to games released for various co ...

'', ''

Duke Nukem II ''Duke Nukem II'' is a 1993 platform game developed and published by Apogee Software. The game consists of four episodes (of eight levels each), the first available as shareware. It is the follow-up to 1991's ''Duke Nukem (video game), Duke Nuke ...

'', '' Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure'', and '' Dark Ages'' all by Apogee Software. These fueled a brief burst of episodic platform games where the first was freely distributed and parts 2 and 3 were available for purchase.

Decline of 2D

The abundance of platformers for 16-bit consoles continued late into the generation, with successful games such as '' Vectorman'' (1995), '' Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' (1995), and '' Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'' (1995), but the release of new hardware caused players' attention to move away from 2D genres. The

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the su ...

,

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...

, and Nintendo 64 nevertheless featured a number of successful 2D platform games. The 2D '' Rayman'' was a big success on 32-bit consoles. '' Mega Man 8'' and '' Mega Man X4'' helped revitalize interest in

Capcom is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. It has created a number of multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being '' Resident Evil'', '' Monster Hunter'', '' Street Fighter'', ''Mega Man'', ''De ...

's Mega Man character. '' Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'' revitalized its series and established a new foundation for later ''Castlevania'' games. ''

Oddworld ''Oddworld'' is a video game series and fictional universe, created by developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. The series has been released on various platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Game Boy, ...

'' and ''

Heart of Darkness ''Heart of Darkness'' (1899) is a novella by Polish-English novelist Joseph Conrad in which the sailor Charles Marlow tells his listeners the story of his assignment as steamer captain for a Belgian company in the African interior. The no ...

'' kept the subgenre born from ''Prince of Persia'' alive. The difficulties of adapting platform gameplay to three dimensions led some developers to compromise by pairing the visual flash of 3D with traditional 2D side scrolling gameplay. These games are often referred to as 2.5D. The first such game was the

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the su ...

launch title, ''

Clockwork Knight ''Clockwork Knight'' is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. It was released in Japan in November 1994, in North America on the 1995 launch, and in Europe on July 8, 1995. Reviews were mixed, w ...

'' (1994). The game featured levels and

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

characters rendered in 3D, but retained 2D gameplay and used pre-rendered 2D sprites for regular characters, similar to ''Donkey Kong Country''. Its sequel improved upon its design, featuring some 3D effects such as hopping between the foreground and background, and the camera panning and curving around corners. Meanwhile, '' Pandemonium'' and '' Klonoa'' brought the 2.5D style to the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...

. In a break from the past, the Nintendo 64 had the fewest side scrolling platformers with only four; '' Yoshi's Story'', '' Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'', '' Goemon's Great Adventure'', and '' Mischief Makers''—and most met with a tepid response from critics at the time. Despite this, ''Yoshi's Story'' sold over a million copies in the US, and ''Mischief Makers'' rode high on the charts in the months following its release.

Third dimension

The term ''3D platformer'' usually refers to games with gameplay in three dimensions and polygonal 3D graphics. Games that have 3D gameplay but 2D graphics are usually included under the umbrella of '' isometric platformers'', while those that have 3D graphics but gameplay on a 2D plane are called '' 2.5D'', as they are a blend of 2D and 3D. One of the first platformers with 3D graphics was Sega's ''

Congo Bongo , also known as , is an isometric platform game released by Sega for arcades in 1983. The game includes a ROM that contains a message indicating it was likely coded at least in part by the company Ikegami Tsushinki. The game is viewed in an is ...

'' in 1983. The first platformers to simulate a 3D perspective and moving camera emerged in the early-mid-1980s. An early example of this was

Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has ca ...

's platform game '' Antarctic Adventure'', where the player controls a penguin in a forward-scrolling third-person perspective while having to jump over pits and obstacles. Originally released in 1983 for the MSX computer, it was subsequently ported to various platforms the following year, including an arcade version, NES, and ColecoVision. 1986 saw the release of the sequel to forward-scrolling platformer ''Antarctic Adventure'' called '' Penguin Adventure'', which was designed by

Hideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer and writer. He is regarded as an auteur of video games. He developed a strong passion for action/adventure cinema and literature during his childhood and adolescence. In 1986, he was hi ...

. It included more

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform g ...

elements, a greater variety of levels, RPG elements such as upgrading equipment, and multiple endings. In early 1987, Square released '' 3-D WorldRunner'', designed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nasir Gebelli. Using a forward-scrolling effect similar to Sega's 1985 third-person rail shooter '' Space Harrier''."Hironobu Sakaguchi: The Man Behind the Fantasies". ''Next Generation Magazine'', vol 50. ''3-D WorldRunner'' was an early forward-scrolling pseudo-3D third-person platform-action game where players were free to move in any forward-scrolling direction and could leap over obstacles and chasms. It was notable for being one of the first stereoscopic 3-D games. Square released its sequel, '' JJ'', later that year. The earliest example of a true 3D platform game is a French computer game called ''

Alpha Waves Alpha waves, or the alpha rhythm, are neural oscillations in the frequency range of 8–12 Hz likely originating from the synchronous and coherent (in phase or constructive) electrical activity of thalamic pacemaker cells in humans. Historica ...

'', created by Christophe de Dinechin and published by Infogrames in 1990 for the

Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first per ...

,

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore International, Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and sign ...

, and

IBM PC compatibles IBM PC compatible computers are similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT, all from computer giant IBM, that are able to use the same software and expansion cards. Such computers were referred to as PC clones, IBM clones or IBM PC clones. ...

. ''

Bug! ''Bug!'' is a platform video game developed by Realtime Associates and published by Sega originally for its console, the Sega Saturn. It was first released in North America, in 1995, just weeks after the Saturn's launch there; in Europe on ...

'', a

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the su ...

game that was released in 1995, offered a more conservative approach to true 3D platforming. It allowed players to move in all directions, but it did not allow movement along more than one axis at once; the player could move orthogonally but not diagonally. Its characters were pre-rendered sprites, much like the earlier ''

Clockwork Knight ''Clockwork Knight'' is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. It was released in Japan in November 1994, in North America on the 1995 launch, and in Europe on July 8, 1995. Reviews were mixed, w ...

''. The game played very similarly to 2D platformers, but it was considered a true 3D title, and let players walk up walls and on ceilings. It has a sequel called ''Bug Too!''. In 1995, Delphine Software released a 3D sequel to their 2D platformer '' Flashback''. Entitled '' Fade to Black'', it was the first attempt to bring a popular 2D platform game series into 3D. While it retained the puzzle-oriented level design style and step-based control, it did not meet the criteria of a platform game, and was billed as an action adventure. It used true 3D characters and set pieces, but its environments were rendered using a rigid engine similar to the one used by '' Wolfenstein 3D'', in that it could only render square, flat corridors, rather than suspended platforms that could be jumped between. Sony adopted an existing project by developers Naughty Dog: '' Crash Bandicoot''. Crash remained Sony's unofficial mascot for the next several years before switching to multi-platform releases in the following console generation. Sega had tasked their American studio, Sega Technical Institute, with bringing Sonic the Hedgehog into 3D. Their project, titled '' Sonic Xtreme'', was to have featured a radically different approach for the series, with an exaggerated fisheye camera and multidirectional gameplay reminiscent of ''Bug!''. Due in part to conflicts with Sega Enterprises in Japan and a rushed schedule, and the game never made it to market.

True 3D

In the 1990s, platforming games started to shift from pseudo-3D to "true 3D," which gave the player more control over the character and the camera. To render a 3D environment from any angle the user chose, the graphics hardware had to be sufficiently powerful, and the art and rendering model of the game had to be viewable from every angle. The improvement in graphics technology allowed publishers to make such games but introduced several new issues. For example, if the player could control the

virtual camera In 3D video games, a virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in video games where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; m ...

, it had to be constrained to stop it from clipping through the environment. In 1994, a small developer called Exact released a game for the X68000 computer called '' Geograph Seal'', which was a 3D first-person shooter game with platforming. Players piloted a frog-like

mech In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is ...

that could jump and then double-jump or triple-jump high into the air as the camera panned down to help players line up their landings. In addition to shooting, jumping on enemies was a primary way to attack. This was the first true 3D platform-action game with free-roaming environments, but it was never ported to another platform or released outside Japan, so it remains relatively unknown in the West.Travis Fahs
Geograph Seal (X68000)
, ''The Next Level'', November 25, 2006 The following year, Exact released their follow-up to ''Geograph Seal''. An early title for Sony's new

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...

console, ''

Jumping Flash! ''Jumping Flash!'' is a first-person platform video game co-developed by Exact and Ultra and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. The first installment in the ''Jumping Flash!'' series, it was released for the PlayStation on 28 April ...

'', released in April 1995, kept the gameplay from its precursor but traded the frog-like mech for a cartoony rabbit mech called Robbit. The title was successful enough to get two sequels and is remembered for being the first 3D platformer on a console. Rob Fahey of

Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EG ...

said ''Jumping Flash'' was perhaps "one of the most important ancestors of every 3D platform game in the following decade." It holds the record of "First platform videogame in true 3D" according to ''

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

''. Another early 3D platformer was '' Floating Runner'', developed by a Japanese company called Xing and released for PlayStation in early 1996, before the release of ''Super Mario 64''. ''Floating Runner'' used D-pad controls and a behind-the-character camera perspective. In 1996, Nintendo released ''

Super Mario 64 is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combining traditional ...

'', which is a game that set the standard for 3D platformers. It let the player explore 3D environments with greater freedom than was found in any previous game in the genre. With this in mind, Nintendo put an analog control stick on its Nintendo 64 controller, a feature that hadn't been seen since the Vectrex but which has since become standard. The analog stick provided the fine precision needed with a free perspective. In most 2D platformers, the player finished a level by following a path to a certain point, but in ''Super Mario 64'', the levels were open and had objectives. Completing objectives earned the player stars, and stars were used to unlock more levels. This approach allowed for more efficient use of large 3D areas and rewarded the player for exploration, but it meant less jumping and more action-adventure. Even so, a handful of

boss levels In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that ...

offered more traditional platforming. Until then there was no settled way to make platform games in 3D, but ''Super Mario 64'' inspired a shift in design. Later 3D platformers like ''

Banjo-Kazooie ''Banjo-Kazooie'' is a series of video games developed by Rare. The games feature a male bear named Banjo and his friend, a large female red bird named Kazooie, who are both controlled by the player. Banjo originally made his debut as a play ...

'', ''

Spyro the Dragon ''Spyro the Dragon'' is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation on September 9, 1998. The first game in the ''Spyro'' series, it stars the title character, a young purple ...

'', and '' Donkey Kong 64'' borrowed its format, and the "collect-a-thon" genre began to form. In order to make this free-roaming model work, developers had to program dynamic, intelligent cameras. A free camera made it harder for players to judge the height and distance of platforms, making jumping puzzles more difficult. Some of the more linear 3D platformers like '' Tork: Prehistoric Punk'' and ''

Wario World ''Wario World'' is a 3D platform game developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game's plot centers on Wario and his quest to regain his treasure and his castle from the evil gem, Black Jewel. The game was fairly wel ...

'' used scripted cameras that limited player control. Games with more open environments like ''Super Mario 64'' and ''Banjo Kazooie'' used intelligent cameras that followed the player's movements. Still, when the view was obstructed or not facing what the player needed to see, these intelligent cameras needed to be adjusted by the player. In the 1990s, RPGs,

first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...

s, and more complex

action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...

s captured significant market share. Even so, the platformer thrived. ''

Tomb Raider ''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...

'' became one of the bestselling series on the

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...

, along with Insomniac Games' ''

Spyro ''Spyro'' is a series of platform games which features the main protagonist Spyro, a dragon. Since the series' introduction in 1998 with the PlayStation game '' Spyro the Dragon'', there have been numerous sequels and a reboot trilogy. Origin ...

'' and Naughty Dog's '' Crash Bandicoot'', one of the few 3D games to stick with linear levels. Moreover, many of the Nintendo 64's bestsellers were first- and second-party platformers like ''Super Mario 64'', ''Banjo-Kazooie'', and ''Donkey Kong 64''. On

Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for se ...

and Mac, Pangea Software's ''

Bugdom ''Bugdom'' is a 1999 platform video game originally created by Pangea Software for Mac OS 9. It was included with the iMac DV 2000 and later iBook models. The Microsoft Windows version, released in 2000, was developed by Hoplite Research and publi ...

'' series and BioWare's '' MDK2'' proved successful. Several developers who found success with 3D platformers began experimenting with titles that, despite their cartoon art style, were aimed at adults. Examples include Rare's ''

Conker's Bad Fur Day ''Conker's Bad Fur Day'' is a 2001 platform game developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64. The game follows Conker, a greedy, hard-drinking red squirrel who must return home to his girlfriend. Most of the game requires the player ...

'', Crystal Dynamics's ''Gex: Deep Cover Gecko'' and ''Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver'', and Shiny Entertainment's ''Messiah (video game), Messiah''. In 1998, Sega produced a 3D Sonic game, ''Sonic Adventure'', for its Dreamcast console. It used a hub structure like ''Super Mario 64'', but its levels were more linear, fast-paced, and action-oriented.

Into the 21st century

Nintendo launched its GameCube console without a platform game. However, it released ''Super Mario Sunshine'' in 2002, the second 3D ''Mario'' platformer. Other notable 3D platformers trickled out during this generation. ''Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, Maximo'' was a spiritual heir to the ''Ghosts'n Goblins'' series, ''Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg'' offered Yuji Naka's take on a ''Mario 64''-influenced platformer, Argonaut Software returned with a new platformer named ''Malice (2004 video game), Malice'', games such as ''Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair'' and ''Pitfall: The Lost Expedition'' were attempts to modernise classic video games of the 1980s using the 3D platformer genre, ''Psychonauts'' became a critical darling based on its imaginative levels and colorful characters, and several franchises that debuted during the sixth generation of consoles such as ''Tak and the Power of Juju, Tak'', ''Ty the Tasmanian Tiger'', ''Ape Escape'' and ''Sly Cooper'' each developed a cult following. In Europe specifically, the ''Kao the Kangaroo (2000 video game), Kao the Kangaroo'' and ''Hugo (franchise), Hugo'' series achieved popularity and sold well. ''Rayman''s popularity continued, though the franchise's third game was not as well received as the first two. ''Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee'' brought the popular ''Oddworld'' franchise into the third dimension, but future sequels to this game did not opt for the 3D platform genre. Naughty Dog moved on from ''Crash Bandicoot'' to ''Jak and Daxter series, Jak and Daxter'', a series that became less about traditional platforming with each sequel. A hybrid platformer/shooter game from Insomniac Games called ''Ratchet & Clank (series), Ratchet & Clank'' further pushed the genre away from such gameplay, as did Universal Interactive Studios' rebooted ''

Spyro ''Spyro'' is a series of platform games which features the main protagonist Spyro, a dragon. Since the series' introduction in 1998 with the PlayStation game '' Spyro the Dragon'', there have been numerous sequels and a reboot trilogy. Origin ...

'' trilogy and Microsoft's attempt to create a mascot for the Xbox in ''Blinx: The Time Sweeper''. Ironically, Microsoft later found more success with their 2003 take on the genre, ''Voodoo Vince''. In 2008, Crackpot Entertainment released ''Insecticide (video game), Insecticide''. Crackpot, composed of former developers from LucasArts, for the first time combined influences from the Adventure game#Point-and-click adventure games, point and click genre LucasArts had been known for on titles such as ''Grim Fandango'' with a platformer. The platformer remained a vital genre, but it never regained its old popularity. Part of the reason for the platformer's decline in the 2000s was a lack of innovation compared to other genres. Platformers were either aimed at younger players or designed to avoid the platform label. In 1998, platform games had a 15% share of the market, and an even higher share in their prime. Four years later that figure had dropped to 2%. Even the acclaimed ''Psychonauts'' saw modest sales at first, leading publisher Majesco Entertainment to withdraw from high-budget console games, though its sales in Europe were respectable.Life After Shelf Death
, ''The Escapist'', November 13, 2007

Recent developments

In the seventh generation of consoles, despite the genre having a smaller presence in the gaming market, some platform games found success. In 2007 ''Super Mario Galaxy'' and ''Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction'' were received well by both critics and fans. ''Super Mario Galaxy'' was awarded the Best Game of 2007 by high-profile gaming websites like GameSpot, IGN, and GameTrailers. At that point, according to GameRankings, it was the most critically acclaimed game of all time. In 2008, ''LittleBigPlanet'' paired traditional 2D-platformer gameplay with physics simulation and user created content, earning it strong sales and good reviews. Electronic Arts released ''Mirror's Edge'', which coupled platform gameplay with a first-person perspective, although they did not market the game as a platformer because of the association of the label with games made for kids. ''Sonic Unleashed'' featured stages with both 2D and 3D platform gameplay, a formula used later in ''Sonic Colors'' and ''Sonic Generations''. Moreover, two ''Crash Bandicoot'' platform games were released in 2007 and 2008. Freedom Planet Milla screenshot

The popularity of 2D platformers rose in the 2010s. Nintendo revived the genre. ''New Super Mario Bros.'' was released in 2006 and sold 30 million copies worldwide, making it the List of best-selling Nintendo DS video games, best-selling game for the Nintendo DS and the fourth List of best-selling video games#Top 20 console games of all time, best-selling non-bundled video game of all time. ''Super Mario Galaxy'' eventually sold over eight million units, while ''Super Paper Mario'', ''Super Mario 64 DS'', ''Sonic Rush'', ''Yoshi's Island DS'', ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', and ''Kirby: Squeak Squad'' also sold well. After the success of ''New Super Mario Bros.'', there was a spate of 2D platform games. These ranged from revivals like ''Bionic Commando: Rearmed'', ''Contra ReBirth'', ''Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and'' ''Rayman Origins'' to original titles like ''Splosion Man'' and ''Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure''. ''Wario Land: The Shake Dimension'', released in 2008, was a 2D platformer with a rich visual style. Later games like ''Limbo (video game), Limbo'', ''Super Meat Boy'', ''Braid (video game), Braid'', ''A Boy and His Blob (2009 video game), A Boy and His Blob'', and The Behemoth's ''BattleBlock Theater'' also used 2D graphics. ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' is especially notable because unlike most 2D platformers in the twenty-first century, it came out for a non-portable console and was not restricted to a content delivery network. A year after the success of ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', Nintendo released more 2D platformers in their classic franchises: ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' and ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''. In 2012, they released two more 2D platformers: ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'' for the 3DS and ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' for the Wii U. Nintendo also experimented with 3D platform games that had gameplay elements from 2D platform games, leading to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the 3DS and ''Super Mario 3D World'' (2013) for the Wii U, the latter having Cooperative video game, cooperative multiplayer. Both were critical and commercial successes. Besides Nintendo's games, indie games in the late 2000s and the 2010s helped grow the platform-game market. Indie platform games had a stronger focus on story and innovation. In 2009, independent developer Frozenbyte released ''Trine (video game), Trine'', a 2.5D platform game that mixed traditional elements with modern physics puzzles. The game sold more than 1.1 million copies, and a sequel, ''Trine 2'', came out in 2011. The year 2017 saw the release of several 3D platformers, leading the media to speculate about a revival of the genre. These included ''Yooka-Laylee'' and ''A Hat in Time'', both crowdfunding, crowdfunded on the website Kickstarter. ''Super Mario Odyssey'', which returned the series to the open-ended gameplay of ''Super Mario 64'', became one of the best-selling and best-reviewed games in the franchise's history. ''Super Lucky's Tale'' and an HD remaster of ''Voodoo Vince'' came out for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. ''Snake Pass (video game), Snake Pass'' was called a "puzzle-platformer without a jump button." The ''Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'' for PlayStation 4 sold over 2.5 million copies in three months, despite some critics noting it was harder than the original games. The next few years saw more remakes of 3D platformers: ''Spyro Reignited Trilogy'', ''SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated'' (2020), and a remake of 1998's ''MediEvil (2019 video game), MediEvil'' for PS4. In the ninth generation of consoles, the platform game remains important. ''Astro Bot Rescue Mission'' (2018), a PlayStation VR game, was followed by ''Astro's Playroom'' (2020), which came pre-installed on every PlayStation 5. ''Sackboy: A Big Adventure'' (2020), developed by Sumo Digital, was a PlayStation 5 launch title. ''Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time'' (2020) was released to critical praise. ''Bowser's Fury'' (2021), a short campaign added to the Switch port of ''Super Mario 3D World'', bridged the gap between the gameplay of ''3D World'' and that of ''Super Mario Odyssey, Odyssey''. ''Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart'' (2021) was one of the first PlayStation 5-exclusive games made by Insomniac. On August 25, 2021, the Kickstarter-funded ''Psychonauts 2'' was released to critical acclaim.

Subgenres

This list some definable platform games in the following types, but there are also many vaguely defined subgenres games that have not been listed. These game categories are the prototypes genre that recognized by different platform styles.

Puzzle-platform game

Puzzle platformers are characterized by their use of a platform game structure to drive a game whose challenge is derived primarily from Puzzle video game, puzzles.

Enix was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...

's 1983 release ''Door Door'' and Sega's 1985 release ''Doki Doki Penguin Land'' (for the SG-1000) are perhaps the first examples, though the genre is diverse, and classifications can vary. ''Doki Doki Penguin Land'' allowed players to run and jump in typical platform fashion, but they could also destroy blocks, and were tasked with guiding an egg to the bottom of the level without letting it break. ''The Lost Vikings'' (1993) was a popular game in this genre. It has three characters players can switch between, each with different abilities. All three characters are needed to complete the level goals. This subgenre has a strong presence on handheld systems. ''Wario Land 2'' moved the Wario series into the puzzle-platform genre by eliminating the element of death and adding temporary injuries, such as being squashed or lit on fire, and specialized powers. ''Wario Land 3'' continued this tradition, while ''Wario Land 4'' was more of a mix of puzzle and traditional platform elements. The Donkey Kong (1994 video game), Game Boy update of ''Donkey Kong'' was also successful and saw a sequel on Game Boy Advance: ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong''. ''Klonoa: Empire of Dreams'', the first handheld title in its series, is also a puzzle-platform game. Through independent game development, this genre has experienced a revival since 2014. ''Braid'' uses time manipulation for its puzzles, and ''And Yet It Moves'' uses frame of reference rotation. In contrast to these Side-scrolling video game, side-scrollers, ''Narbacular Drop'' and its successor, ''Portal (video game), Portal'', are first-person games that use portals to solve puzzles in 3D. Since the release of ''Portal'', there have been more puzzle-platform games which use a first-person camera, including ''Purity'' and ''Tag: The Power of Paint''. In 2014, Nintendo released ''Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker'' which uses compact level design and camera rotation in order to reach the goal and find secrets and collectibles. Despite lacking jump ability, Toad (Nintendo), Toad still navigates the environment via unique movement mechanics.

Run-and-gun platform game

The run-and-gun platform genre was popularised by

Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has ca ...

's ''Contra (video game), Contra''. Among the most popular games in this style are ''

Gunstar Heroes ''Gunstar Heroes'' is a run-and-gun shooter video game developed by Treasure and published by Sega. It was Treasure's debut game, originally released on the Sega Genesis in 1993. The game's premise is centered around a pair of characters, the ...

'' and ''Metal Slug''. Side-scrolling run-and-gun games marry platform games with shoot 'em ups, with less tricky platforming and more shooting. These games are sometimes called platform shooters. The genre has arcade roots, so these games are generally linear and difficult. There are games which have a lot of shooting but do not fall in this subgenre. ''

Mega Man ''Mega Man'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man (character), Mega Man". Mega Man (video game), The original game w ...

'', ''

Metroid is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the power of the parasitic ...

'', ''Ghosts 'n Goblins'', '' Vectorman'', ''Jazz Jackrabbit'', '' Earthworm Jim'', and '' Turrican'' are all platformers with shooting, but unlike ''Contra'' or ''Metal Slug'', platforming, as well as exploring and back-tracking, figures prominently. Run-and-gun games are generally pure, and while they may have vehicular sequences or other shifts in style, they have shooting throughout.

Cinematic platform game

Cinematic platformers are a small but distinct subgenre of platform games, usually distinguished by their relative realism compared to traditional platformers. These games focus on fluid, lifelike movements, without the unnatural physics found in nearly all other platform games. To achieve this realism, many cinematic platformers, beginning with ''

Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two games i ...

'', have employed rotoscoping techniques to animate their characters based on video footage of live actors performing the same stunts. Jumping abilities are typically roughly within the confines of an athletic human's capacity. To expand vertical exploration, many cinematic platformers feature the ability to grab onto ledges, or make extensive use of elevator platforms. As these games tend to feature vulnerable characters who may die as the result of a single enemy attack or by falling a relatively short distance, they almost never have limited lives or continues. Challenge is derived from trial and error problem solving, forcing the player to find the right way to overcome a particular obstacle. ''

Prince of Persia ''Prince of Persia'' is a video game franchise created by Jordan Mechner. It is built around a series of action-adventure games focused on various incarnations of the eponymous Prince, set in ancient and medieval Persia. The first two games i ...

'' was the first cinematic platformer and perhaps the most influential. '' Impossible Mission'' pioneered many of the defining elements of cinematic platformers and is an important precursor to this genre. Other games in the genre include '' Flashback'' (and its Flashback (2013 video game), 2013 remake), ''Another World (video game), Another World'', ''Heart of Darkness (video game), Heart of Darkness'', the first two ''

Oddworld ''Oddworld'' is a video game series and fictional universe, created by developers Oddworld Inhabitants under the direction of Lorne Lanning. The series has been released on various platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, PlayStation 3, Game Boy, ...

'' games, ''Blackthorne'', ''Bermuda Syndrome'', ''Generations Lost'', ''Heart of the Alien'', ''Weird Dreams'', ''Limbo (video game), Limbo'', ''Inside (video game), Inside'', ''onEscapee'', ''Deadlight'', and ''The Way (video game), The Way''.

Comical action game

Games in the genre are most commonly called "comical action games" (CAGs) in Japan. The original arcade '' Mario Bros.'' is generally recognized as the originator of this genre, though '' Bubble Bobble'' is also highly influential. These games are characterized by single screen, non-scrolling levels and often contain cooperative two-player action. A level is cleared when all enemies on the screen have been defeated, and vanquished foes usually drop score bonuses in the form of fruit or other items. CAGs are almost exclusively developed in Japan and are either arcade games, or sequels to arcade games, though they are also a common genre among amateur dojin soft, ''doujinshi'' games. Other examples include ''Don Doko Don'', ''Snow Bros.'' and ''Nightmare in the Dark''.

Isometric platform game

Isometric platformers present a three-dimensional environment using two-dimensional graphics in isometric projection. The use of Isometric graphics in video games, isometric graphics was popularized by

Sega is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, respectively. Its division ...

's arcade isometric shooter ''Zaxxon'' (1981), which Sega followed with the arcade isometric platformer ''

Congo Bongo , also known as , is an isometric platform game released by Sega for arcades in 1983. The game includes a ROM that contains a message indicating it was likely coded at least in part by the company Ikegami Tsushinki. The game is viewed in an is ...

'', released in February 1983. Another early isometric platformer, the ZX Spectrum game ''Ant Attack'', was later released in November 1983. ''Knight Lore'', an isometric sequel to ''Sabre Wulf'', helped to establish the conventions of early isometric platformers. This formula was repeated in later games like ''Head Over Heels (game), Head Over Heels'' and ''Monster Max''. These games were generally heavily focused on exploring indoor environments, usually a series of small rooms connected by doors, and have distinct adventure and puzzle elements. Japanese developers blended this gameplay style with that of Japanese

action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...

s like ''The Legend of Zelda (video game), The Legend of Zelda'' to create games like ''Land Stalker'' and ''Light Crusader''. This influence later traveled to Europe with Adeline Software's sprawling epic ''Little Big Adventure'', which blended RPG, adventure game, adventure, and isometric platforming elements. Before consoles were able to display true polygonal 3D graphics, the ¾ isometric perspective was used to move some popular 2D platformers into three-dimensional gameplay. ''Spot Goes To Hollywood'' was a sequel to the popular ''Cool Spot'', and ''Sonic 3D Blast'' was Sonic's outing into the isometric subgenre.

Platform-adventure game

Many games fuse platform game fundamentals with elements of

action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a story ...

s, such as ''

The Legend of Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-relea ...

'', or with elements of Role-playing video games, RPGs. Typically these elements include the ability to explore an area freely, with access to new areas granted by either gaining new abilities or using inventory items. Many 2D games in the ''

Metroid is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the power of the parasitic ...

'' and ''Castlevania'' franchises are among the most popular games of this sort, and so games that take this type of approach are often labeled as "Metroidvania" games. '' Castlevania: Symphony of the Night'' popularized this approach in the ''Castlevania'' series. Other examples of such games include Hollow Knight, both games in the ''Ori'' series (Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps), ''Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap'', ''Tails Adventure'', ''Cave Story'', ''Mega Man ZX'', ''Shadow Complex,'' DuckTales: Remastered. Early examples of Open world, free-roaming, side-scrolling, 2D platform-adventures in the vein of "Metroidvania" include Nintendo's Metroid (video game), ''Metroid'' in 1986 and

Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has ca ...

's ''Castlevania'' games: ''Vampire Killer'' in 1986 and ''Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Simon's Quest'' in 1987,Jeremy Parish
Metroidvania Chronicles II: Simon's Quest
1UP.com, June 28, 2006 ''The Goonies II'' in 1987 again by Konami, as well as

Enix was a Japanese video game publisher that produced video games, anime and manga. Enix is known for publishing the ''Dragon Quest'' series of role-playing video games. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975, as . Th ...

's sci-fi Sharp X1 computer game ''

Brain Breaker ''Brain Breaker'' is a side-scrolling action-adventure platform game released for the Sharp X1 in 1985. It is an early example of the Metroidvania genre. Plot The player's spaceship crash lands on a mysterious alien planet, whose inhabitants h ...

'' in 1985,

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affi ...

's ''

Super Pitfall is a 1986 side-scrolling platform video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, NEC PC-8801, and TRS-80 Color Computer 3 published under Activision's license. Despite the title screen stating that it was developed by Pony Inc, the actual ...

'' in 1986, System Sacom's ''System Sacom#For computer, Euphory'' in 1987, Quest Corporation, Bothtec's ''The Scheme'' in 1988, and several ''Dragon Slayer (series), Dragon Slayer'' Action role-playing game, action RPGs by Nihon Falcom such as the 1985 release ''Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu, Xanadu'' and 1987 releases ''Faxanadu'' and ''Legacy of the Wizard''.

Auto-runner games are platform games where the player-character is nearly always moving in one constant direction through the level, with less focus on tricky jumping but more on quick reflexes as obstacles appear on screen. The subcategory of endless runner games have levels that effectively go on forever, typically through procedural generation. Auto-runner games have found success on mobile platforms, because they are well-suited to the small set of controls these games require, often limited to a single screen tap for jumping. Game designer Scott Rogers named Side-scrolling video game, side-scrolling shooters like ''Scramble (video game), Scramble'' (1981) and ''

Moon Patrol is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Irem. It was licensed to Williams for distribution in North America. The player controls a moon buggy which can jump over and shoot obstacles on a horizontally scrolling landscape as well as ...

'' (1982) and chase-style gameplay in platform games like ''Disney's Aladdin (1994 video game), Disney's Aladdin'' (1994 8-bit version) and '' Crash Bandicoot'' (1996) as forerunners of the genre.''Swipe This!: The Guide to Great Touchscreen Game Design'' by Scott Rogers, Wiley and Sons, 2012 ''B.C.'s Quest for Tires'' (1983) has elements of runner games, keeping the jumping of ''Moon Patrol'', but replacing the vehicle with a cartoon character. In February 2003, Gamevil published ''Nom'' for mobile phones in Korea. The game's designer Sin Bong-gu, stated that he wanted to create a game that was only possible on mobile phones, therefore he made the player character walk up walls and ceilings, requiring players to turn around their mobile phones while playing. To compensate for this complication, he limited the game's controls to a single button and let the character run automatically and indefinitely, "like the people in modern society, who must always look forward and keep running". While the concept thus was long known in Korea, journalists credit ''Canabalt'' (2009) as "the title that single-handedly invented the smartphone-friendly single-button running genre" and spawned a wave of clones. ''Fotonica'' (2011), a one-button endless runner viewed from the first person, that was described as a "hybrid of ''Canabalt''s running, ''Mirror's Edge''s perspective (and hands) and ''Rez (video game), Rez''s visual style". ''Temple Run'' (2011) and its successor ''Temple Run 2'' are popular endless running games. The latter became the world's fastest-spreading mobile game in January 2013, with 50 million installations within thirteen days.

References

External links

Platform games
at MobyGames *
The evolution of gaming: computers, consoles, and arcade
from Ars Technica
Puzzle Platform Games

Best Action PC Games

Benefits of Playing Games
{{DEFAULTSORT:Platform Game Platform games, Video game genres Video game terminology Articles containing video clips Games and sports introduced in 1980

Concepts

Naming

History

Single-screen movement

Scrolling movement

Second-generation side-scrollers

Decline of 2D

Third dimension

True 3D

Into the 21st century

Recent developments

Subgenres

Puzzle-platform game

Run-and-gun platform game

Cinematic platform game

Comical action game

Isometric platform game

Platform-adventure game

See also

References

External links