Platforming is back my friends

OK so they were never dead, but since the N64 went away, we haven't had too much in the way of great platformers outside of GBA, save for perhaps Klonoa 2 and Maximo. But I'm excited as hell about the new E3 ones.

Blinx - I can't believe I'm saying this as I'm one of the biggest Mario whores around, but I almost want to try this more than Mario Sunshine. The time factor just looks and sound so goddamn interesting, truly a revolutionary idea. Plus Naoto Ohshima is behind it, so I can't wait for this one.

Mario Sunshine - Seems a lot like Mario 64 so far with a gimmicky backpack, but hell, like this one will be anything short of amazing. I've go my import version preordered.

Sly Cooper - This one looks amazing too, with Sucker Punch behind it, I've got high expectations. Love that cel-shading.

Not to mention the numerous others like Rayman 3, semi-platformers like Contra, and as adventure/platformers like Zelda coming out. E3 never fails to rekindle my love for gaming.

I agree that platformers are back in full force. Its not unlike the good old days.

Lets just hope that this "comeback" is not short-lived

Hit xbox.ign.com for a video of Psychonauts. That game looks killer too.

This is going to be one hell of a year in gaming.
- Kabuki

There are also several Traditional 2D Platformers coming out, like the new Kirby game for GBA, we all love Kirby right? As well as Mega Man 7, while no pictures have been shown yet Capcom kept the X games 2D on PS so I don't see why they would change that since Legends is the 3D Mega Man. Of course Klonoa 2(GBA) which is just gorgeous! This game is very pretty. Oh and one other, something called, uhhh hmmm let me think, oh yeah! Metroid Fusion!!!!

New Kirby sidescroller for GBA ?? YIPEEEEEEEEE !!!!!

Man, I go away for half a day and miss so much news...
- Kabuki

Mmmmm Kirby, lets hope its as good as the stellar Kirby Super Star!

http://www.gamesarefun.com/games/kirbygba/01.jpg

http://www.gamesarefun.com/games/kirbygba/04.jpg

http://www.gamesarefun.com/games/kirbygba/02.jpg

http://www.gamesarefun.com/games/kirbygba/03.jpg

The new Kirby looks great.

I downloaded a vid of it, and the parralax made me all warm and fuzzy inside :)

And don't forget Sarugetchu 2 (Ape Escape 2)!

I just hope my old school platforming skills are still there when all of these new games come out... :sweat:

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Originally posted by dorikyasu
I just hope my old school platforming skills are still there when all of these new games come out... :sweat:

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If you could hang with Maximo, I'm sure you'll be fine.

And if you haven't gotten Maximo yet, get out there and buy it!

Yeah Ape Escape 2 looks great, I loved the first one. It seems like more of the same, and thats fine with me. I love how the monkeys are all very differant looking. Differant costumes and such, heh I just love the picture of the Disco Ape with the afro. I hope it has some cool new mini games and vehicles as well, which I am sure it will. 3D platformers are great fun, if done well. Like Jak and Daxter in my opinion is not a great example, this game wears thing real fast. I was blown away at first, after I got real far and beat it, I wanted to punch my self in the face. Companys seemed like they were afraid to do Platformers for a while, they wanted to get out all the hardcore viloent games it seemed, which is fine. But video games are nothing in my opinion with out great Platformers.

Clash_Master, I found those Kirby pics at www.gamesarefun.com seconds before you posted them :) They look really good !!

The article at that website says that all things Kirby have been taken out of Tilt and Tumble 2... damn... I bet they'll replace him with Jiggypuff. Which, oddly, I wouldn't be upset about...

Closet Jigglypuff fan,
- Kabuki

Check this out for an Hands-On impression of Roll-O-Rama (formerly Kirby Tilt N' Tumble 2) http://www.planetgamecube.com/impres...profile&id=346

Sounds like it no longer has anything to do with any previous Nintendo franchise. You are just a ball I guess, it sounds really cool though. I really need to buy Tilt N' Tumble, my friend has it and I have played it once, and it was really cool.

Gentlemen I believe you overlooked another GBA Nintendo platforme, goes by the name of "Legend of Starfi" and it looks quite good. The original GBC version only came out in Japan but I've heard good things about it. *-neo

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Originally posted by Clash_Master
Check this out for an Hands-On impression of Roll-O-Rama (formerly Kirby Tilt N' Tumble 2) http://www.planetgamecube.com/impres...profile&id=346

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Cool man, thanks. It certainly does sound like a sleeper-hit :)
- Kabuki

I like how Nintendo keeps things fresh. And why is it that Nintendo seems to be the only company displaying lots of new stuff? I mean other companys have some stuff to show at E3, but Nintendo is just crammin all sorts of new stuff down our gaming throats.

Gah, all those ones you guys brought up are definitely noteworthy too, can't believe I didn't mention them. Good times.

I went throught this thread quick, but...did anyone mention the new Castlevania on GBA? Don't forget whatever Mario is being ported to GBA.

I love platformers.

With all of the Kirby talk, a question: how's Kirby 64? And what's the best Kirby game? One of the few platformer series I haven't really touched.

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Originally posted by Rob
I love platformers.

With all of the Kirby talk, a question: how's Kirby 64? And what's the best Kirby game? One of the few platformer series I haven't really touched.

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Kirby rules !! Definately one of my current fave Nintendo characters.

Kirby 1 on GameBoy is great, as is Tilt and Tumble and the NES Kirby.
I can't comment on Kirby 2 for the GameBoy, SNES Kirby, or N64 Kirby, as I have yet to pick those up. This summer, I will though.
- Kabuki

I've been to several Targets with Kirby 64 marked down to $20. Every Kirby I've played has been fun, though all of them tend to be easy (for kids) and the bosses tend to repeat a bit too much. I really like Kirby's Dreamland 3 for SNES, nice visual style and fun platformer through and through. *-neo

What I want to know is the exact point in time the term "platformer" got narrowed down to only include cutesy or cartoony mascot-ish type games. It used to refer to any game where you controlled a character that could jump, except fighting games and beat 'em ups. Mario, Sonic, Castlevania, Contra, etc- all platform games. As far as I'm concerned Tenchu is just as much as platform game as Banjo-Kazooie.

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Originally posted by neoalphazero
I've been to several Targets with Kirby 64 marked down to $20.

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I wish I got prices like that. Seems like a good deal, since I haven't seen it on-line lower than 40.

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Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
What I want to know is the exact point in time the term "platformer" got narrowed down to only include cutesy or cartoony mascot-ish type games. It used to refer to any game where you controlled a character that could jump, except fighting games and beat 'em ups. Mario, Sonic, Castlevania, Contra, etc- all platform games.

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It makes it less confusing to break the two types of games apart, because they play quite a bit differently. Maybe it's because I've heard it so often, but the "action game" label just makes sense.

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Originally posted by Rob
I love platformers.

With all of the Kirby talk, a question: how's Kirby 64? And what's the best Kirby game? One of the few platformer series I haven't really touched.

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Kirby's Adventure for the NES is probably the best overall. Kirby Super Star for SNES is great too, it has some nifty fighting game-inspired powerups. It probably has the most variety of any Kirby game, although it doesn't flow quite as well as Kirby's Adventure. Kirby 64 is good too, it has some of the most inventive powerups I've ever seen.

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Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
What I want to know is the exact point in time the term "platformer" got narrowed down to only include cutesy or cartoony mascot-ish type games. It used to refer to any game where you controlled a character that could jump, except fighting games and beat 'em ups. Mario, Sonic, Castlevania, Contra, etc- all platform games. As far as I'm concerned Tenchu is just as much as platform game as Banjo-Kazooie.

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I think "platformer" is often narrowed to cartoonish games because they often involve beating enemies by jumping on them. Myself, I use it for any game that involves lots of jumping.

For me, the term "platformer" describes any non-driving game that's predominantly an obstacle course. Super Mario Bros. is a platformer. Klonoa is a platformer. Crash is a platformer. Hell, even Ecco is a platformer in my eyes.

There are many many games that include platforming as part of the gameplay (One, DMC, Contra, MGS, Castlevania, Ghosts n Goblins) but since those games contain just as much combat, etc. as platforming, I use the term "action" for those.

It is indeed nice to see pure platforming making a comeback (Sly Cooper, Blinx, Psychonauts, Rayman 3, not to mention all the GBA titles).

What I'd love to see, though, is a pure platformer that isn't all cute and fuzzy. Gimme a dark, evil, twisted platformer without a trace of silliness and I'd be in heaven (too bad Evil Twin turned out so shoddy - it was close).