Top 10 Best Platformers Ever

Nintendo's 2007 Wii masterpiece reinvented 3D platforming with spherical gravity physics that turned every planetoid into a unique playground. Its orchestral soundtrack was the first in the franchise, and its level design creativity across 42 galaxies has never been equaled by any 3D platformer.

Matt Thorson's 2018 precision platformer used pixel-perfect dash mechanics and screen-by-screen challenges to tell a deeply personal story about anxiety and depression. Its 700+ handcrafted screens, B-sides, and C-sides offer hundreds of hours of mastery for those willing to die thousands of times.

Team Cherry's 2017 Metroidvania offered a sprawling interconnected underground kingdom with combat depth rivaling dedicated action games. Its hand-drawn art, haunting score, and 40+ bosses delivered more content for $15 than most AAA platformers manage at four times the price.

Retro Studios' 2014 Wii U platformer features the best 2D level design ever created, bar none. Its David Wise soundtrack, dynamic camera work, and a difficulty curve that separates casuals from masters made it the most criminally underplayed platformer of its generation due to the Wii U's failure.

Nintendo's 1988 NES masterpiece introduced the world map, the Tanooki suit, and eight themed worlds that each felt like a complete game. Its design philosophy of escalating complexity and rewarding secrets influenced every platformer that followed and arguably peaked a genre on 8-bit hardware.

Moon Studios' 2020 Metroidvania sequel delivered watercolor-beautiful environments, tearjerker storytelling, and movement mechanics so fluid that traversal alone justifies the purchase. Its combat overhaul addressed every criticism of the original, creating one of the most polished platformers ever released.

Ubisoft Montpellier's 2013 platformer featured hand-painted UbiArt Framework visuals and music levels that synchronized platforming to orchestrated covers of "Eye of the Tiger" and "Black Betty." It sold poorly despite universal critical acclaim, proving that even perfection cannot save a platformer in the modern market.

Capcom's 1988 NES classic was developed by a team working unpaid overtime because they believed in the project after the original's poor sales. Its eight Robot Masters, the Metal Blade weapon, and Wily Castle's iconic soundtrack defined action-platforming and saved a franchise from cancellation.

Team Meat's 2010 indie platformer proved that brutal difficulty could be addictive if respawns were instant and levels lasted seconds. Its 300+ levels, unlockable characters from other indie games, and Danny Baranowsky's soundtrack helped launch the modern indie game revolution alongside Braid and Limbo.

Nintendo's 2007 Wii masterpiece reinvented 3D platforming with spherical gravity physics that turned every planetoid into a unique playground. Its orchestral soundtrack was the first in the franchise, and its level design creativity across 42 galaxies has never been equaled by any 3D platformer.

Matt Thorson's 2018 precision platformer used pixel-perfect dash mechanics and screen-by-screen challenges to tell a deeply personal story about anxiety and depression. Its 700+ handcrafted screens, B-sides, and C-sides offer hundreds of hours of mastery for those willing to die thousands of times.

Team Cherry's 2017 Metroidvania offered a sprawling interconnected underground kingdom with combat depth rivaling dedicated action games. Its hand-drawn art, haunting score, and 40+ bosses delivered more content for $15 than most AAA platformers manage at four times the price.

Retro Studios' 2014 Wii U platformer features the best 2D level design ever created, bar none. Its David Wise soundtrack, dynamic camera work, and a difficulty curve that separates casuals from masters made it the most criminally underplayed platformer of its generation due to the Wii U's failure.

Nintendo's 1988 NES masterpiece introduced the world map, the Tanooki suit, and eight themed worlds that each felt like a complete game. Its design philosophy of escalating complexity and rewarding secrets influenced every platformer that followed and arguably peaked a genre on 8-bit hardware.

Moon Studios' 2020 Metroidvania sequel delivered watercolor-beautiful environments, tearjerker storytelling, and movement mechanics so fluid that traversal alone justifies the purchase. Its combat overhaul addressed every criticism of the original, creating one of the most polished platformers ever released.

Ubisoft Montpellier's 2013 platformer featured hand-painted UbiArt Framework visuals and music levels that synchronized platforming to orchestrated covers of "Eye of the Tiger" and "Black Betty." It sold poorly despite universal critical acclaim, proving that even perfection cannot save a platformer in the modern market.

Capcom's 1988 NES classic was developed by a team working unpaid overtime because they believed in the project after the original's poor sales. Its eight Robot Masters, the Metal Blade weapon, and Wily Castle's iconic soundtrack defined action-platforming and saved a franchise from cancellation.

Team Meat's 2010 indie platformer proved that brutal difficulty could be addictive if respawns were instant and levels lasted seconds. Its 300+ levels, unlockable characters from other indie games, and Danny Baranowsky's soundtrack helped launch the modern indie game revolution alongside Braid and Limbo.