Best Classic Platformer Games

Kirby's N64 adventure and the first Kirby game in 3D environments. The Crystal Shards introduced the ability to combine two copy abilities together — mixing Stone and Cutter creates a stone cutter blade, while Bomb plus Ice makes ice bombs — creating 35 unique power combinations that rewarded experimentation.

HAL Laboratory's 2004 GBA Kirby game with a unique open-world Metroidvania structure — instead of linear stages, the Amazing Mirror world is a single interconnected map of ten areas accessible in non-linear order, requiring Kirby to backtrack with new abilities to reach previously inaccessible sections. Features four-player simultaneous multiplayer via Game Boy Advance link cable with four Kirbys of different colors.

Mega Man 4 introduced the Mega Buster charge shot that became the series standard — alongside eight new Robot Masters, the villainous Dr. Cossack, and one of the NES's most polished action-platformer entries.

Capcom's 1997 PS1 Mega Man entry — Mega Man 8 features anime-quality cutscenes, eight Robot Masters including the fan-favorites Tengu Man and Frost Man, the Rush Super Adapter's return, and one of the franchise's most distinct visual presentations. Polarizing due to cutscene quality but admired for stage design and Mega Man legacy.

Nintendo's GBA launch title and Super Mario Bros. 2 remake — Super Mario Advance packages the enhanced Super Mario Bros. 2 USA with the arcade classic Mario Bros., adds voiced character exclamations, enlarged sprites for the GBA screen, and a Yoshi egg-based scoring system that extends the original's already substantial replay depth.

Westwood Studios' 1994 Genesis action-platformer based on the Disney film — The Lion King follows young Simba through the film's narrative in nine stages with claw attacks, roar abilities, and one of the generation's most technically impressive platformers. The wildebeest stampede stage and the Scar boss fight are defining Genesis platformer moments.

Konami's 1991 NES platformer based on the Warner Bros. animated series — Tiny Toon Adventures follows Buster Bunny and three selectable friends through six worlds rescuing Babs Bunny from Montana Max. Konami's characteristic platformer polish applied to the Looney Tunes-adjacent cast, with switchable character abilities and two-player alternating co-op.

Capcom's 1993 SNES action-platformer based on the Disney film — the SNES Aladdin is a completely different game from the acclaimed Genesis version, featuring Capcom's precise platformer design with a scimitar sword and apple-throwing combat, six stages following the film's narrative, and Capcom's signature control polish.

Blizzard Entertainment's 1994 SNES dark platformer — Blackthorne follows Kyle Vlaros, a prince returning to the planet Tuul after being raised on Earth, shooting his way through alien environments with a shotgun and environmental puzzle mechanics inspired by Prince of Persia's rotoscoped movement. An early Blizzard production with distinctive dark atmosphere.

The second GBA Castlevania — Harmony of Dissonance follows Juste Belmont through two parallel castle sub-dimensions simultaneously, with a furniture decoration system, boss rush mode, and spell book combinations adding depth.

The third DKC entry — Dixie Kong and Baby Kiddy adventure through the Northern Kremisphere with water-heavy stages, multiple overworld paths, and Rare's signature pre-rendered 3D graphics.

The anarchic sequel that matched and occasionally surpassed the original. Earthworm Jim 2 introduces a firing range level, invertebrate racing, and the rocket ship segments while maintaining the bizarre humour and fluid animation that made the first game a classic. More varied, more absurd, and equally entertaining.

Williams Electronics' 1982 arcade classic where a knight rides a flying ostrich and must joust against enemy buzzard-riders by striking them from above. One of the most inventive and satisfying arcade games of the golden age, featuring the rare simultaneous two-player cooperative (and competitive) mode.

HAL Laboratory's superb Game Boy sequel introduces the beloved animal friends Rick, Kine, and Coo — a hamster, fish, and owl — who transform Kirby's copy abilities into entirely new forms depending on which companion he rides. The game's clever mechanic depth and consistently inventive level design make it one of the most feature-rich platformers on Nintendo's portable hardware, rewarding thorough players who seek out the Rainbow Drops needed to unlock the true final boss.

The debut of one of Nintendo's most beloved characters, Kirby's Dream Land introduced the pink puffball's signature inhale mechanic and charming aesthetic in a breezy platformer designed to be accessible to all ages. Short but delightful, it launched an enduring franchise.

The GBA remake of Kirby's Adventure — updated graphics, new minigames, and four-player capability made this the definitive classic Kirby experience on portable hardware.

Capcom's 1990 NES platformer based on Winsor McCay's Little Nemo comic — Little Nemo travels through dreamlands using candy to befriend and control animals, gaining their unique abilities. A visually imaginative Capcom platformer with excellent animation, diverse transformation abilities, and dreamlike stage variety that makes it one of the underappreciated gems of the NES library.

The grand finale of the original NES series, Mega Man 6 introduces the Jet and Power Adapters that fuse Rush with Mega Man himself, enabling flight and super-strength in a game that ranks among the most mechanically refined entries on the platform. Capcom wrings every last drop of performance from the aging NES hardware, delivering tight controls, memorable robot masters, and a satisfying conclusion to one of the console's defining franchises.

David Crane's jungle adventure classic challenged players to guide Pitfall Harry through 255 screens of deadly hazards collecting treasures within twenty minutes. One of the first true action-platformers and one of the most acclaimed Atari 2600 games ever made.

Ubisoft's limbless platformer that demonstrated hand-drawn animation quality could survive the PS1 era. Rayman's precision platforming, vibrant worlds, and the titular hero's fist-throwing mechanics made it the PS1's best non-Nintendo platformer — and one of the few games of the era to rival the visual quality of 16-bit 2D.

Sega's late-era Genesis gem — Ristar grabs and headbutts enemies using his extendable arms across six colorful planets, delivering some of the best visuals and music the Genesis hardware ever produced in a sadly overlooked platformer.

Sonic's first fully realized 3D platformer and the Dreamcast's defining launch title brought six playable characters — each with distinct gameplay styles — a sprawling adventure hub world, and the Chao Garden life-simulation system into what became the most content-rich Sonic game ever released. Sonic Team's ambition occasionally outpaced the hardware's capabilities, but the sheer energy of the speed stages and the scope of the game's construction left an impression that defined what 3D Sonic could aspire to be.

Capcom's NES reimagining of their 1989 arcade game — NES Strider is a separate design from the arcade original, featuring Hiryu navigating a globe-spanning cyberpunk adventure with a Plasma Cypher sword, animal companions, and side-scrolling action through the Soviet Union, Amazonia, Antarctica, and the Grand Master's space fortress.

Sega's technical showpiece for the late Genesis era — a CGI-rendered protagonist fighting robot hordes with fluid animation that demonstrated the Genesis could compete visually with the incoming 32-bit generation.