The 2D platformer genre is full of games that are instant classics. They offer a lot of interesting allure to players as the mechanics seem simple a lot of the time, but when done well, they hide a lot of interesting layers. Even while we are years into the future from the creation of the first 2D platformer, people are still as happy as ever to play a new 2D platformer so long as it presents something new.
10 Best Puzzle Platformers, Ranked
There was no puzzle picking the games for this list!
The platformers presented will be those that managed to add some of the most enjoyable gameplay to the 2D platformer genre. These games have a lot to give as they present unique challenges and ways for players to overcome them.
15Terraria
Metascore: 81
Terrariatook a lot of inspiration fromMinecraftbut created a world that was a large combination of games thrown into one. The game is altogether a 2D action-adventure, open-world sandbox/platformer, which is explained in its Fandom. It’s incredibly placed together, making this one of the best platformers available.
The different ways that players must perfect good movement options are large as players unlock many movement tools on their platforming journey. They must also learn how to have intelligent movement to avoid enemy attacks. Terraria is a beautiful platformer that has almost an endless amount of replay value in what it offers.
14Megaman Zero
Metascore: 82
Megaman Zero feels like a much more gritty version of the Megaman games. The story starts in medias res with an army of good guys easily wiped out by the enemies. One character who isn’t killed off instantly, Doctor Ciel, the main female protagonist, barely makes it to an area where she awakens Zero from his slumber. Zero wakes up and starts the game right away, mowing down enemies and showing off his power.
The gameplay feels difficult but impartial as the mechanics are tight and well-introduced. The game is an enjoyable tale that will keep players hooked. It works a lot like the original Megaman but with more exploration options available, darker-world designs, and the main protagonist wielding a plasma blade instead of a blaster.
Megaman Zero
13Broforce
Metascore: 83
Broforcefeels like the most updated version of run-and-gun madness. A lot of the large array of characters are based on different Heroes in action movies with unique weapons and abilities. There are references to Alien and many to the Terminator series. The game makes players start with a fairly regular premise, only for the story to get more and more insane as it goes on.
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The completely destroyable environments offer a variety of ways for players to beat levels. The gameplay had a lot to offer in its online mode, but the single-player is where it stood out the most.
12Sonic Mania
Metascore: 86
Sonic Mania brings in old areas while introducing some ones as well. Everything the game does leaves a more significant impact than what was first presented in the original games. The new areas and mechanics it brings in are large in scale and have a retro coat over them in terms of design andartistic style.
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The game has a lot of secrets to explore and pushes the need for new areas to be uncovered so players can discover the game’s true ending.
Sonic Mania
11Ori & The Blind Forest
Metascore: 88
Ori and the Blind Forestcontains a beautiful story that starts strong by creating anarrative that instantly capturesthe hearts of players. The game is a mesh of all the great things that Metroidvania-style games bring forth, but it is also undeniable that it has one of the most awe-inspiring soundtracks available in 2D platformers.
The graphics are on par with the soundtrack as the bioluminescent tones of the areas are enthralling. The game has a difficulty spike near the end, but that serves to allow players to test their platforming skills which should’ve increased as they progressed through the game.
Ori and The Blind Forest
10Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boyhas levels of increasing intensity and difficulty. This is part of what some people hate about this game, as the final areas can feel near impossible. The difficulty is also a lot of what players love about the game. The challenge, along with the levels, feels well-crafted and fair. All of them encourage players to learn near-perfect controls and timing.
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In video games, platformers are full of notable and iconic characters. Here are the best ones of the bunch.
Each of the worlds feels like it adds to the challenge and uses the two simple mechanics to create something that is utterly magnificent.
Super Meat Boy
9Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Metascore: 91
This is one of the least talked about games in theSuper MarioCatalog, but it deserves praise as it has some of the best-level designs in the 2D platformer genre. The Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island levels look as though they were drawn out with crayons, and each has special challenges for players to figure out.
Different transformations help Yoshi along his way and add peculiar challenges to this platforming experience, like when he turns into a mole. Yoshi’s Island is a game that is difficult to access as it came out a while ago, but one worth seeking out. This game would later be ported to theGame Boy Advancedunder the title of Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advanced 3.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Metascore: 93
Braid tells a fascinating story that is complicated but in a good way. Figuring out the meaning of what the game is trying to say is as intricate as the wonderfully crafted puzzles in the gameplay. The game uses rewinding time as one of the primary forms of its gameplay.
It’s a tricky game that can be very rewarding to those who like to be challenged in how they solve things and receive a story. It causes players to think about large concepts in life and relationship dynamics.
7Hollow Knight
Metascore: 90
Hollow Knightallows players to traverse through an underground world that has a large mythical story to unfold. Every part of the game feels as though it’s creating a larger world around the player. The game leaves a lot of the elements of exploration up to the players in how they choose to traverse the world. There will always be more than one accessible path open.
The game gives love to the people who helped in creating and supporting it, as the developers listened to their community and made sure to put a lot of time into interacting with them. They started small and were able to create a game that made an impact on the gaming world. What gives this a bump up on this list is the technology available at the time of its development was just not present for games like Braid and Super Mario Advanced 4, allowing it to deliver a more impactful experience in terms of visuals and sound.
Hollow Knight
6Rayman Legends
Rayman Origins revitalized theRaymanfranchise with one of the most fun side-scrolling 2D platforming games to come in a long time. It had funky visuals, plenty of toe-tapping music, rhythm challenges, bosses and so much more — andRayman Legendsimproved upon this formula in almost every possible way.
The game sees you progressing through many incredibly well-designed levels and unlocking more character skins than you could ever need in a game. The biggest drawback of the game is that its co-op mode is exclusively local, meaning players are unable to play locally with one another.
