A platformer is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels with uneven terrain and suspended platforms of varying height that require jumping and climbing to traverse. Other acrobatic maneuvers may factor into the gameplay, such as swinging from vines or grappling hooks, jumping off walls, gliding through the air, or bouncing from springboards or trampolines.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a 1995 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur, on a quest to reunite baby Mario with his brother Luigi, who has been kidnapped by Kamek. Yoshi runs and jumps to reach the end of the level while solving puzzles and collecting items with Mario's help.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is a 1986 platform game developed and published by Nintendo. A sequel to Super Mario Bros. (1985), it was originally released in Japan for the Family Computer Disk System as Super Mario Bros. 2 on June 3, 1986. Nintendo of America deemed it too difficult for its North American audience and instead released an alternative sequel, also titled Super Mario Bros. 2, in 1988. It was renamed The Lost Levels and first released internationally in the 1993 Super Nintendo Entertainment System compilation Super Mario All-Stars. It has been rereleased for Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a 1995 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released on 21 November 1995 in Japan, 4 December in North America, and 14 December in Europe. It is the second installment of the Donkey Kong Country series and the sequel to Donkey Kong Country (1994).
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a 2004 puzzle-platform game developed by Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. The game is the spiritual successor to Donkey Kong, which was released in 1994 for the Game Boy.
Klonoa is a platform video game series created by Namco in 1997. It stars Klonoa, an anthropomorphic creature who explores dream worlds. The series includes two main games: Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (1997) for the PlayStation and Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (2001) for the PlayStation 2. A remake of Door to Phantomile was released for the Wii in 2008, and remasters of both games were released in 2022. The series also includes a set of handheld games released between 1999 and 2002 for the WonderSwan and Game Boy Advance.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a 2002 platform video game developed by Krome Studios and published by Electronic Arts for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox systems. The game was remastered in HD for Microsoft Windows and was made available through Steam in 2016. A remastered version published by Krome Studios was also developed for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The Nintendo Switch version released in North America in March 2020, and in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand the following month. The PlayStation 4 version was released on 25 July 2020. The Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S version was released on 14 October 2020.
Contra is a video game series produced by Konami composed primarily of run and gun-style shooting games. The series debuted in February 1987 with the Japanese coin-operated arcade game of the same name, which has since spawned several sequels produced for various platforms.
WayForward Technologies, Inc. is an American independent video game developer and publisher based in Valencia, California. Founded in March 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super NES and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational software. In 1997, they relaunched their video games arm, placing the company as a contractor for publishers and working on a variety of licensed assets.
Shantae is a platform video game developed by WayForward and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Color in 2002. It is the first title in the Shantae series. The game follows the adventures of the eponymous half-genie Shantae, who must travel across Sequin Land, the setting of the series, to foil the domination plans of the evil lady pirate Risky Boots. During her quest, she learns various dances and acquires items which make her progressively stronger as well as unlocking new abilities and locations, leading her to ultimately face off against Risky in her hideout.
Super Mario 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 video game console. However, there have also been a number of Super Mario video games released on non-Nintendo gaming platforms. There are more than 20 games in the series.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3: Night of the Quinkan is a 2005 3D platforming game developed by Krome Studios and published by Activision for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox, along with a 2D side-scrolling version released for the Game Boy Advance by Fruit Ninja developer Halfbrick. It is the sequel to Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue and the third installment to the Ty the Tasmanian Tiger series. The game was later remastered in HD for Microsoft Windows and released on Steam in 2018. It is the only game in the series to be published by Activision rather than Electronic Arts and the only game to be rated E10+ by the ESRB.
Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko is a 1999 platformer video game and the third and final installment of the Gex video game series, which released in 1999 and 2000 for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Color. Its protagonist, Gex, is a wisecracking, pop culture enthusiast voiced by Danny John-Jules in the UK and European releases and comedian Dana Gould, reprising his role from former Gex games, for the American release. The gameplay is set in Gex's secret hideout, Mission Control a overworld, which is overseen by Gex's butler, Alfred the Turtle. Playboy model Marliece Andrada plays Gex's kidnapped companion, Agent Xtra, the only live-action character, who is featured in brief full-motion video sequences on the PlayStation version. The plot follows Gex's return to the Media Dimension to rescue Agent Xtra from Rez, Gex's arch-nemesis from the previous games.
Krome Studios Pty Ltd. is an Australian video game company. Its headquarters were in Brisbane and it previously had offices in Adelaide and Melbourne. Krome Studios is best known for their Ty the Tasmanian Tiger games and for their reboot of the Spyro the Dragon series. Krome has created games for the Xbox, GameCube, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Dreamcast, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Macintosh and PC. Krome has also developed for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Windows Phone 7 and iOS.
Turok is a series of first-person shooter video games based on the comic book character of the same name. It is set in a primitive world inhabited by dinosaurs and other creatures. The series was originally developed by Acclaim Studios Austin as Iguana Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment from 1997 until Acclaim's bankruptcy in September 2004. The series was then developed by Propaganda Games and published by Touchstone Games. The series generated more than $250 million in revenue by 2002.
Mario is a Japanese multimedia franchise created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for video game company Nintendo, which produces and publishes its installments. Starring the titular Italian plumber Mario, it is primarily a video game franchise but has extended to other forms of media, including television series, comic books, a 1993 feature film, a 2023 animated film, and theme park attractions. The series' first installment was 1983's Mario Bros. even though Mario made his first appearance in 1981's arcade game Donkey Kong and had already been featured in several games of the Donkey Kong and Game & Watch series. The Mario games have been developed by a wide variety of developers. Mario games have been released almost exclusively for Nintendo's various video game consoles and handhelds, from the third generation onward.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue is a 2004 3D platforming game developed by Krome Studios and published by EA Games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox systems, along with a 2D side-scrolling version of the game developed and released for the Game Boy Advance by Halfbrick. It is the sequel to Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and the second installment to the Ty the Tasmanian Tiger series.
Kao the Kangaroo is a series of platform video games developed and published by Polish studio Tate Multimedia.
Valfaris is a 2D action platforming game developed by Steel Mantis and published by Big Sugar. The game was released for Windows and Nintendo Switch on October 10, 2019, and later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November. Merge Games distributed the physical copies of the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions in November 2019. Amazon Luna version arrived in December 2020. The game's soundtrack was composed by former Celtic Frost guitarist Curt Victor Bryant.
