Summary
Platformers were some of the biggest titles during the 2D era of gaming, back when the big question was; “NintendoorSEGA”, and gamers were still arguing over how many “bits” their console had at the time.
Fast-forward to the 1990s, when consoles like the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 came around and platforming games made a big jump, quite literally, by bringing a whole new dimension to the beloved genre. And alongside that shift to 3D came a plethora of new, amazing titles for the genre, many of which have become iconic, and still hold up fantastically today.
What is considered a"Classic"3D Platformer?
This list will cover games originally released on thefifth-generation consoles,such as the Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation.
The release ofDonkey Kong 64in 1999 marked the series' first full 3D entry, showing just how far Nintendo’s beloved Gorilla character had come since his original arcade introduction back in the early 1980s. It’s never been more fun to play as the titular DK alongside his band of friends as they try to save their home island from the series’ main antagonist, King K. Rool.
This 3D platformer had quests and minigames along the journey, not to mention, of course, collecting bananas! What’s not to love about it? Although the game had made its jump to 3D, it still featured the same simple, tried-and-true gameplay concepts as its earlier 2D predecessors. It made the series’ 3D evolution a familiar yet fresh experience that still oozes with the same amount of charm it did back in 1999.
Platformers are a category of games often known for theirunique character designs, and with a title likeGex: Enter the Gecko, the game obviously fits the bill, complete with quips and obscure references that are extremely dated for today’s gamer.
Gex: Enter the Geckosees players taking on the role of the titular lizard character after being sucked into his TV, his goal being to defeat the series’ main villain, Rez, across many different levels, or “channels”. This may be the strangest concept mentioned yet, but that wouldn’t stop it from becoming a widely-loved title with fast and fun gameplay across both its PlayStation and Nintendo 64 releases and later entries in the series.
Spyro the Dragonwas Sony’s way of trying to bring younger audiences to the PlayStation in 1998, which its competing console, the Nintendo 64, was already doing well at. The idea obviously paid off, as it ended up becoming one of the console’s best-selling games, later expanding into afull series of its own.
The open-ended 3D platformer, featuring the titular purple dragon namedSpyro, saw players traveling to different realms of the dragon world, collecting gems, freeing fellow dragons, and ultimately defeating the game’s villain, Gnasty Gnorc. While obviously directed more toward younger players, its fun gameplay and charming atmosphere allowed it to become one of the PS1’s most iconic games, and a title that still certainly holds up to this day.
While many probably aren’t familiar with the small, Australian-native mammal, the nameCrash Bandicootwill surely ring a bell for most gamers. In fact, it would almost feel like a sort of “gaming sin”, not to mention the 1996 PS1 classic,Crash Bandicoot.
Following thetitular marsupial characterthrough many different levels in an attempt to rescue his girlfriend Tawna, and ultimately stop Doctor Neo Cortex’s plans of world domination. It was arguably the game that put the now-famous development studio, Naughty Dog, on the map for good. Even to this day, the originalCrash Bandicootis still widely praised, often being considered as one of the games that pioneered the platforming genre’s shift to 3D.
Going back to the Nintendo 64 and yet another one of itsmany unforgettable titles, withBanjo-Kazooiefrom 1998, featuring the eponymous bear and bird duo on a mission to save their homeland. Taking place in the fictional land of Spiral Mountain, the game sees Banjo and his friend Kazooie embarking on a quest to save Banjo’s younger sister, Tooty, from the evil witch Gruntilda.
While it may sound like the all-too-common “good vs. evil” story, the bright and colorful world, along with its whimsical charm, was where a title likeBanjo-Kazooiereally shone the most. The beloved game’s legacy still lives on today, being regarded as one of the mainstay N64 titles in both the 3D platforming and collect-a-thon genres.
In a genre known for having somecreative and downright strange concepts, Sony Entertainment’s very ownApe Escapefrom 1999 may just be a perfect example of such for the PS1.
Following best friends Spike and Jake on their mission of traveling through different periods of time to stop a rogue army of apes led by an evil monkey with enhanced intelligence named Specter.
Ape Escapewas designed for the PS1’s new dualshock controller, allowing for much easier and more precise movement when using the time net to capture the rogue apes in each level. It really is just as strange as it sounds, but the unique plot is both charming and hilarious, creating a simple, yet unforgettable platforming adventure that still holds its own in the current year.
Long before the days ofRainbow Six SiegeandFar Cry, Ubisoft’sMontpellier development studiowas the one behind theRaymanseries of platformers, withRayman 2: The Great Escapebeing regarded as one of its best releases.
The Great Escapebuilt upon its predecessor in its own unique ways, while still following the series' traditional mixture of platforming and fast, beat ‘em up combat. The game sees the main character,Rayman,on his quest to save Fairy Glade from an army of robot pirates. The sequel expanded the idea but kept it simple, offering a fresh take on its familiar design that still feels just as good today as it did over 25 years ago.
Super Mario 64was a revolution for the long-running franchise back when it launched in 1996, and it’d be nearly impossible to talk about the genre, or even Nintendo games as a whole, without mentioning one of theirmost influential titlesof all time.
Taking the iconic plumber character, and the series’cast of quirky charactersfrom their familiar 2D platformer roots, and bringing them into the new era in full 3D. Unsurprisingly, Princess Peach has been trapped by Bowser, and yet again, Mario has to risk life and limb to free the Princess by collecting stars strewn across many different worlds. The genre-defining title was often packaged with the Nintendo 64, so unsurprisingly, it quickly became its best-selling game. Not to mention being one of its highest-rated and widely-loved titles of all time, to this day still considered as such.
