Games Like Super Mario Bros. (original)

The portable Mega Man X experience for Game Boy Color, adapting stages from the first two SNES Mega Man X games. Mega Man Xtreme's compact level selection, Zero as an unlockable playable character, and Challenge mode made it the best Mega Man portable experience available before the GBA era.

The most mechanically inventive Wario Land — Wario is completely invulnerable, and enemies transform him into states (zombie, invisible, tiny, flaming) that unlock new paths across the fully revisitable world.

The Game Boy sequel that established Wario as one of Nintendo's most inventive platformer protagonists. Wario Land 2's invulnerability mechanic — Wario can't die, but getting hurt transforms him in useful ways — and its multiple branching story paths through the same levels encouraged complete exploration and replay.

The Genesis Aladdin — animated by the actual Disney animators who worked on the film, featuring fluid hand-drawn sprites, a throwing mechanic, and the Disney quality that made it the definitive console version over the SNES edition.

Sega's original console mascot before Sonic arrived. Alex Kidd in Miracle World was built into the Sega Master System's ROM and became millions of players' first SMS experience — its janken boss battles, wide-ranging level designs, and power-up motorcycle made it the flagship showcase for Sega's 8-bit hardware.

The ActRaiser sequel that removed the city-building simulation to focus on pure action. The wing mechanics, divine magic system, and technically polished platforming make it an excellent action game in isolation — though the loss of the original's unique hybrid design disappointed players expecting ActRaiser's complete formula.

The first game to require the DualShock analog sticks — Ape Escape's 204-monkey catching adventure across 26 stages used every feature of Sony's then-new controller in creative ways.

Rare's charming 3D platformer masterpiece sent a bear and a bird through nine inventive worlds brimming with collectibles, clever puzzles, and an irresistible sense of fun. Banjo-Kazooie refined the collectathon formula with exceptional world design and remains one of the N64's finest games.

The ambitious Banjo-Kazooie sequel with nine interconnected worlds, a massively expanded moveset, multiplayer modes, and first-person shooter sections — bigger in every way than its predecessor.

The NES game that dared to remove the jump button. Bionic Commando replaced conventional platforming with a grappling hook mechanic that created one of the most unique action experiences of the era.

One of the NES's most ambitious action games, blending side-scrolling tank combat with top-down on-foot dungeon exploration. Blaster Master's SOPHIA III tank handles with remarkable precision, and the transition between vehicle and foot sections creates a seamlessly varied experience that was technically impressive for 1988.

The TurboGrafx-16's mascot platformer stars Bonk, a prehistoric caveman who attacks enemies using his enormous, weaponized head — spinning, diving, and biting his way through colorful prehistoric stages with the imaginative level design and responsive controls needed to compete with the platform giants of the era. Bonk's Adventure was Hudson and NEC's answer to Mario — polished, charming, and well-constructed enough on its own terms to justify the TurboGrafx-16 purchase for platformer fans.