Platformer
A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) 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.[1]
The genre started with the 1980 arcade video game
During their peak of popularity, platformers were estimated to comprise between a quarter and a third of all console games.[2] By 2006, the genre had experienced a decline in sales, representing a 2% market share as compared to 15% in 1998.[3] In spite of this, platformers are still being commercially released every year, including some which have sold millions of copies.
Concepts
A platformer requires the player to maneuver their character across platforms to reach a goal while confronting enemies and avoiding obstacles along the way. These games are either presented from the side view, using two-dimensional movement, or in 3D with the camera placed either behind the main character or in isometric perspective. Typical platforming gameplay tends to be very dynamic and challenges a player's reflexes, timing, and dexterity with controls.
The most common movement options in the genre are walking, running, jumping, attacking, and climbing. Jumping is central to the genre, though there are exceptions such as Nintendo's Popeye and Data East's BurgerTime, both from 1982. In some games, such as Donkey Kong, the trajectory of a jump is fixed, while in others it can be altered mid-air. Falling may cause damage or death. Many platformers contain environmental obstacles which kill the player's character upon contact, such as lava pits or bottomless chasms.[4] The player may be able to collect items and power-ups and give the main character new abilities for overcoming adversities.
Most games of this genre consist of multiple levels of increasing difficulty that may be interleaved by
A modern variant of the platform game, especially significant on mobile platforms, is the endless runner, where the main character is always moving forward and the player must dodge or jump to avoid falling or hitting obstacles.
Naming
Various names were used in the years following the release of the first established game in the genre,
Donkey Kong spawned other games with a mix of running, jumping, and vertical traversal, a novel genre that did not match the style of games that came before it, leaving journalists and writers to offer their own terms.[8] Computer and Video Games magazine, among others, referred to the genre as "Donkey Kong-type" or "Kong-style" games.[8][9] "Climbing games" was used in Steve Bloom's 1982 book Video Invaders and 1983 magazines Electronic Games (US)—which ran a cover feature called "The Player's Guide to Climbing Games"—and TV Gamer (UK).[10][11][12] Bloom defined "climbing games" as titles where the player "must climb from the bottom of the screen to the top while avoiding and/or destroying the obstacles and foes you invariably meet along the way." Under this definition, he listed Space Panic (1980), Donkey Kong, and despite the top down perspective, Frogger (1981) as climbing games.[10]
In a December 1982
Another term used in the late 1980s to 1990s was "character action games", in reference to games such as Super Mario Bros.,
Platform game became a common term for the genre by 1989, popularized by its usage in the United Kingdom press.
History
Single screen
The genre originated in the early 1980s. Levels in early platform games were confined to a single-screen, generally viewed in profile, and based on climbing between platforms rather than jumping.
The following year, Donkey Kong received a sequel,
Beginning in 1982, transitional games emerged with non-scrolling levels spanning multiple screens. David Crane's Pitfall! for the Atari 2600, with 256 horizontally connected screens, became one of the best-selling games on the system and was a breakthrough for the genre. Smurf: Rescue in Gargamel's Castle was released on the ColecoVision that same year, adding uneven terrain and scrolling pans between static screens. Manic Miner (1983) and its sequel Jet Set Willy (1984) continued this style of multi-screen levels on home computers. Wanted: Monty Mole won the first award for Best Platform game in 1984 from Crash magazine.[30] Later that same year, Epyx released Impossible Mission, and Parker Brothers released Montezuma's Revenge, which further expanded on the exploration aspect.
Scrolling
The first platformer to use scrolling graphics came years before the genre became popular.
Irem's 1982 arcade game Moon Patrol combines jumping over obstacles and shooting attackers. A month later, Taito released Jungle King, a side-scrolling action game some platform elements: jumping between vines, jumping or running beneath bouncing boulders. It was quickly re-released as Jungle Hunt because of similarities to Tarzan.[35]
The 1982 Apple II game Track Attack includes a scrolling platform level where the character runs and leaps along the top of a moving train.[36] The character is little more than a
Based on the Saturday morning cartoon rather than the maze game, Namco's 1984 Pac-Land is a bidirectional, horizontally-scrolling, arcade video game with walking, running, jumping, springboards, power-ups, and a series of unique levels.[39] Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani described the game as "the pioneer of action games with horizontally running background."[40] According to Iwatani, Shigeru Miyamoto described Pac-Land as an influence on the development of Super Mario Bros..[41][42]
Nintendo's
Sega attempted to emulate this success with their Alex Kidd series, which started in 1986 on the Master System with Alex Kidd in Miracle World. It has horizontal and vertical scrolling levels, the ability to punch enemies and obstacles, and shops for the player to buy power-ups and vehicles.[43] Another Sega series that began that same year is Wonder Boy. The original Wonder Boy in 1986 was inspired more by Pac-Land than Super Mario Bros., with skateboarding segments that gave the game a greater sense of speed than other platformers at the time,[44] while its sequel, Wonder Boy in Monster Land added action-adventure and role-playing elements.[45] Wonder Boy in turn inspired games such as Adventure Island, Dynastic Hero, Popful Mail, and Shantae.[44]
One of the first platformers to scroll in all four directions freely and follow the on-screen character's movement is in a
In 1985, Enix released the action-adventure platformer Brain Breaker.[47]
The following year saw the release of Nintendo's
In 1987,
Scrolling platformers went portable in the late 1980s with games such as systems.
Second-generation side-scrollers
By the time the
In 1990, the Super Famicom was released in Japan, along with the eagerly anticipated Super Mario World. The following year, Nintendo released the console as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America, along with Super Mario World, while Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis.[55][56] Sonic showcased a new style of design made possible by a new generation of hardware: large stages that scrolled in all directions, curved hills, loops, and a physics system allowing players to rush through its levels with well-placed jumps and rolls. Sega characterized Sonic as a teenager with a rebellious personality to appeal to gamers who saw the previous generation of consoles as being for kids.[57] The character's speed showed off the hardware capabilities of the Genesis, which had a CPU clock speed approximately double that of the Super NES.
Sonic's perceived rebellious attitude became a model for game mascots. Other companies attempted to duplicate Sega's success with their own brightly colored anthropomorphisms with attitude.[58] These often were characterized by impatience, sarcasm, and frequent quips.
A second generation of platformers for computers appeared alongside the new wave of consoles. In the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s, the
The 1988
Decline of 2D
The abundance of platformers for 16-bit consoles continued late into the generation, with successful games such as
The difficulties of adapting platformer gameplay to three dimensions led some developers to compromise by pairing the visual flash of 3D with traditional 2D side scrolling gameplay. These games are often referred to as 2.5D.
Third dimension
The term 3D platformer usually refers to games with gameplay in three dimensions and polygonal 3D graphics. Games that have 3D gameplay but 2D graphics are usually included under the umbrella of isometric platformers, while those that have 3D graphics but gameplay on a 2D plane are called 2.5D, as they are a blend of 2D and 3D.
The first platformers to simulate a 3D perspective and moving camera emerged in the early-mid-1980s. An early example of this was
1986 saw the release of the sequel to forward-scrolling platformer Antarctic Adventure called
In early 1987,
The earliest example of a
In 1995,
Sega had tasked their American studio,
True 3D
In the 1990s, platforming games started to shift from pseudo-3D to "true 3D," which gave the player more control over the character and the camera. To render a 3D environment from any angle the user chose, the graphics hardware had to be sufficiently powerful, and the art and rendering model of the game had to be viewable from every angle. The improvement in graphics technology allowed publishers to make such games but introduced several new issues. For example, if the player could control the
In 1994, a small developer called Exact released a game for the
The following year, Exact released their follow-up to Geograph Seal. An early title for Sony's new
In 1996, Nintendo released
In most 2D platformers, the player finished a level by following a path to a certain point, but in Super Mario 64, the levels were open and had objectives. Completing objectives earned the player stars, and stars were used to unlock more levels. This approach allowed for more efficient use of large 3D areas and rewarded the player for exploration, but it meant less jumping and more
In order to make this free-roaming model work, developers had to program dynamic, intelligent cameras. A free camera made it harder for players to judge the height and distance of platforms, making
In the 1990s,
proved successful.Several developers who found success with 3D platformers began experimenting with titles that, despite their cartoon art style, were aimed at adults. Examples include
.In 1998, Sega produced a 3D Sonic game, Sonic Adventure, for its Dreamcast console. It used a hub structure like Super Mario 64, but its levels were more linear, fast-paced, and action-oriented.[89]
Into the 21st century
Nintendo launched its GameCube console without a platformer. However, it released Super Mario Sunshine in 2002, the second 3D Mario platformer.
Other notable 3D platformers trickled out during this generation.
In 2008, Crackpot Entertainment released
The platformer remained a vital genre, but it never regained its old popularity. Part of the reason for the platformer's decline in the 2000s was a lack of innovation compared to other genres. Platformers were either aimed at younger players or designed to avoid the platform label.[93] In 1998, platformers had a 15% share of the market, and an even higher share in their prime. Four years later that figure had dropped to 2%.[3] Even the acclaimed Psychonauts saw modest sales at first, leading publisher Majesco Entertainment to withdraw from high-budget console games,[94] though its sales in Europe were respectable.[95]
Recent developments
In the seventh generation of consoles, despite the genre having a smaller presence in the gaming market, some platformers found success. In 2007
The popularity of 2D platformers rose in the 2010s. Nintendo revived the genre. New Super Mario Bros. was released in 2006 and sold 30 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling game for the Nintendo DS and the fourth best-selling non-bundled video game of all time.[99] Super Mario Galaxy eventually sold over eight million units,[99] while Super Paper Mario, Super Mario 64 DS, Sonic Rush, Yoshi's Island DS, Kirby Super Star Ultra, and Kirby: Squeak Squad also sold well.
After the success of New Super Mario Bros., there was a spate of 2D platformers. These ranged from revivals like
Besides Nintendo's games,
The year 2017 saw the release of several 3D platformers, leading the media to speculate about a revival of the genre.[citation needed] These included Yooka-Laylee and A Hat in Time, both crowdfunded on the website Kickstarter. Super Mario Odyssey, which returned the series to the open-ended gameplay of Super Mario 64, became one of the best-selling and best-reviewed games in the franchise's history. Super Lucky's Tale and an HD remaster of Voodoo Vince came out for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. Snake Pass was called a "puzzle-platformer without a jump button." The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy for PlayStation 4 sold over 2.5 million copies in three months,[101] despite some critics noting it was harder than the original games. The next few years saw more remakes of 3D platformers: Spyro Reignited Trilogy, SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (2020).
In the ninth generation of consoles, the platformer remains important. Astro Bot Rescue Mission (2018), a PlayStation VR game, was followed by Astro's Playroom (2020), which came pre-installed on every PlayStation 5. Sackboy: A Big Adventure (2020), developed by Sumo Digital, was a PlayStation 5 launch title. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (2020) was released to critical praise. Bowser's Fury (2021), a short campaign added to the Switch port of Super Mario 3D World, bridged the gap between the gameplay of 3D World and that of Odyssey. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021) was one of the first PlayStation 5-exclusive games made by Insomniac. On August 25, 2021, the Kickstarter-funded Psychonauts 2 was released to critical acclaim. Fall Guys (2020) amalgamates platforming elements into the battle royale genre, and was a critical and commercial success.
Subgenres
This list some definable platformers in the following types, but there are also many vaguely defined subgenres games that have not been listed. These game categories are the prototypes genre that recognized by different platform styles.
Puzzle-platformer
Puzzle-platformers are characterized by their use of a platformer structure to drive a game whose challenge is derived primarily from puzzles.[102]
Enix's 1983 release Door Door and Sega's 1985 release Doki Doki Penguin Land (for the SG-1000) are perhaps the first examples, though the genre is diverse, and classifications can vary.[103] Doki Doki Penguin Land allowed players to run and jump in typical platform fashion, but they could also destroy blocks, and were tasked with guiding an egg to the bottom of the level without letting it break.[103]
The Lost Vikings (1993) was a popular game in this genre. It has three characters players can switch between, each with different abilities. All three characters are needed to complete the level goals.[104]
This subgenre has a strong presence on handheld systems.
Through independent game development, this genre has experienced a revival since 2014. Braid uses time manipulation for its puzzles, and And Yet It Moves uses frame of reference rotation.[107] In contrast to these side-scrollers, Narbacular Drop and its successor, Portal, are first-person games that use portals to solve puzzles in 3D. Since the release of Portal, there have been more puzzle-platformers which use a first-person camera, including Purity and Tag: The Power of Paint.[108] In 2014, Nintendo released Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker which uses compact level design and camera rotation in order to reach the goal and find secrets and collectibles. Despite lacking jump ability, Toad still navigates the environment via unique movement mechanics.
Run-and-gun platformer
The run-and-gun platform genre was popularised by Konami's Contra.[109] Among the most popular games in this style are Gunstar Heroes and Metal Slug.[110] Side-scrolling run-and-gun games marry platformers with shoot 'em ups, with less tricky platforming and more shooting. These games are sometimes called platform shooters. The genre has arcade roots, so these games are generally linear and difficult.
There are games which have a lot of shooting but do not fall in this subgenre.
Cinematic platformer
Cinematic platformers are a small but distinct subgenre, usually distinguished by their relative realism. These games focus on fluid, lifelike movements, without the unnatural physics found in nearly all other platformers.[111] To achieve this realism, many cinematic platformers, beginning with Prince of Persia, have employed rotoscoping techniques to animate their characters based on video footage of live actors performing the same stunts.[112] Jumping abilities are typically roughly within the confines of an athletic human's capacity. To expand vertical exploration, many cinematic platformers feature the ability to grab onto ledges, or make extensive use of elevator platforms.[111]
As these games tend to feature vulnerable characters who may die as the result of a single enemy attack or by falling a relatively short distance, they almost never have limited lives or continues. Challenge is derived from trial and error problem solving, forcing the player to find the right way to overcome a particular obstacle.[113]
Comical action game
Games in the genre are most commonly called "comical action games" (CAGs) in Japan..
Isometric platformer
Isometric platformers present a three-dimensional environment using two-dimensional graphics in
Before consoles were able to display true polygonal 3D graphics, the ¾ isometric perspective was used to move some popular 2D platformers into three-dimensional gameplay. Spot Goes To Hollywood was a sequel to the popular Cool Spot, and Sonic 3D Blast was Sonic's outing into the isometric subgenre.
Platform-adventure game
Many games fuse platformer fundamentals with elements of
Early examples of
Auto-runner games
Auto-runner games are platformers where the player-character is nearly always moving in one constant direction through the level, with less focus on tricky jumping but more on quick reflexes as obstacles appear on screen. The subcategory of endless runner games have levels that effectively go on forever, typically through procedural generation. Auto-runner games have found success on mobile platforms, because they are well-suited to the small set of controls these games require, often limited to a single screen tap for jumping.
Game designer Scott Rogers named side-scrolling shooters like Scramble (1981) and Moon Patrol (1982) and chase-style gameplay in platformers like Disney's Aladdin (1994 8-bit version) and Crash Bandicoot (1996) as forerunners of the genre.[140] B.C.'s Quest for Tires (1983) has elements of runner games,[141] keeping the jumping of Moon Patrol, but replacing the vehicle with a cartoon character.
In February 2003, Gamevil published Nom for mobile phones in Korea. The game's designer Sin Bong-gu, stated that he wanted to create a game that was only possible on mobile phones, therefore he made the player character walk up walls and ceilings, requiring players to turn around their mobile phones while playing. To compensate for this complication, he limited the game's controls to a single button and let the character run automatically and indefinitely, "like the people in modern society, who must always look forward and keep running".[142]
While the concept thus was long known in Korea, journalists credit Canabalt (2009) as "the title that single-handedly invented the smartphone-friendly single-button running genre" and spawned a wave of clones.[141][143] Fotonica (2011), a one-button endless runner viewed from the first person, that was described as a "hybrid of Canabalt's running, Mirror's Edge's perspective (and hands) and Rez's visual style".[144]
Temple Run (2011) and its successor Temple Run 2 were popular endless running games. The latter became the world's fastest-spreading mobile game in January 2013, with 50 million installations within thirteen days.[145]
See also
- List of platform game series
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