Platformers are an interesting genre. From games as simple as Super Mario to more complicated 3D experiences like Prince of Persia, the genre has real opportunities to do something cool and wow you.

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But what platformers are actually good? How many have stood the test of time?

Plumbing through Platforming Perfection

If we're going to talk about platformers, of course, we need to talk about the big daddy of them all. Nintendo’s Golden Boy - Super Mario Brothers.

There’s a reason people know all about it. Super Mario isn't a memorable name for nothing. Audiences fell in love with this plucky plumber during the lowest point in gaming, back when the video game crash had happened and people were unsure if gaming was even worth pursuing long-term. In a hobby that had (at the time) seemed pointless and low quality, Mario came jumping in with skip and a hop.

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Appearing in the titular Super Mario Brothers, Mario's single handedly dominated the gaming on his release. With its simple to understand controls and skill-intensive gameplay, Mario was a game everyone could enjoy. You didn't need complicated rules or esoteric game design to appreciate it. You just needed to know how to stomp some goombas!

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An Oddysee to "see"

That's not to say that other games didn't rise to the challenge. While Mario had revitalaized gaming and made platformers popular, it’s really games like Prince of Persia and Abe’s Odyysee that took that things a step further. Where Mario had been cartoony, fun, and colorful, these games were markedly more depressing and serious in their tone. A degree of “realism” was being incorporated, and more adult themes were worming its way into popular media.

Prince of Persia for instance, included more mature aspects in its gameplay, needing to do running jumps, platforming, and swordfighting to really get anywhere.

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Mistime a jump? Suffer the consequences, and watch your character suffer a particularly gruesome death for the time.

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But this new era of platformers is (in my opinion) best encompassed with Oddworld: Abe’s Odyysee. Controlling the strange alien Abe, you had to hide, dodge, and beat your captors to rescue your fellow aliens from a gruesome death. You needed quick reflexes, proper timing, and quick wit to survive.

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It was tense but fun, and every screen you conquered felt like an actual triumph.

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Of course - 2D games wouldn’t last forever. Not even platformers. And so we come to the era of 3D platformers.

Raided Tombs and Timeless Princes

Some of them you may already know! Classic Tomb Raider might be the most recognizable of these new 3D platforming games. Mixing action with movement, Tomb Raider had you controlling explorer Lara Croft in her quest for ancient artifacts. With her handy pistols, you were expected to help Lara shoot, dodge, and jump her way to whatever priceless artifact caught her eye.

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Tomb Raider got popular for a good reason. Movement was smooth, controls were intuitive (especially during its release on the PS1 era) and its success was a testament that platforming had a place in 3D. However, while Tomb Raider was good, there was something much better.

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I’ve already talked about Prince of Persia, but its 3D sequel on the PS2, Sands of Time, is what I think of when I think of 3D platformers. Released back in 2003, Sands of Time was a successor to its 1989 counterpart. You jumped across chasms, and you fought against the guards along your way, all to avenge yourself against a traitorous vizier. What Sands of Time innovated on though, was the quality of its platforming.

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No longer confined to a 2D plane, Sands of Time had players running across walls, timing jumps, and leaping from area to area. It was fluid, it was fun, and its time warping mechanics weren’t just a fun gimmick - it was a legitimate mechanic meant to smooth over mistimed jumps and 

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Compared to Tomb Raider, Sands of Time was so much more free in its approach. It wasn’t restricted to tank controls like Tomb Raider was. Its puzzles were more intricate, and the PS2’s technology allowed for more expansive levels, all while its rewind mechanic prevented a lot of needless frustration and even allowed its use for some smart puzzles.

Where Tomb Raider walked, Sands of Time ran. And so it is with modern platformers today.

With so many successful platformer games in the market, the games of today have no lack of inspiration to draw from. Knowing what works and what doesn’t is what allowed Nintendo to release a game like Super Mario Odyssey, or Sony its Astrobot. And it’s what allowed us to release The Meating as well.

The Meating

In The Meating, take the role of a ghostly Minotaur on his way to reclaim his meat. With a vast array of powers to use, and tons of interesting levels to platform through, The Meating is our attempt to harken to the classics of olde. Are you skilled enough to help our bovine friend hoof his way from level to level? Or is it his fate to wander alone, and “meat” his maker? If you’re a fan of platformers, you definitely don’t want to miss this!

Order a copy now on NES, Game Boy Advance, or Nintendo Switch, and enjoy a thrilling adventure in the palm of your hand!

The Meating

Platformers are still pretty cool, and the best of them haven’t aged a day. It’s a genre that many people love - and by the looks of things, still will.