Poll: 3D Platformers, dead or dormant?

[Conza]

I've had some success on my first topic in the Off-Topic Forum, so I thought I'd try here too.

I am a huge fan of platformer games, specifically many from the Playstation 1 & 2, notably Crash Bandicoot 1-3 as my favourites, Spyro 1-3, Rachet and Clank series (mostly), Jak and Daxter series (somewhat). Of course Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64 were not half bad either, but they don't resonate with me as much as their Playstation competitors (my brother and I had both the PS1 and N64, so we were lucky in that sense).

Maybe I'm over reacting when I limit the choices to dead or dormant, which is why dormant has a /alive, as I believe people who think it is still around in any form will have similar arguments to people who think it will come back (if any).

I'll admit, I haven't played Super Mario Galaxy which might be brilliant, and there may be other great modern ones I haven't added here available, so please feel free to list them. I'd like nothing more than to be completely wrong in my hypothesis, and discover an entire assortment of platformers I didn't know existed yet, but I fear I'm right.

 

[Savagezion]

I would add Epic Mickey and Mario Galaxy as testaments to the "dormant" argument. Most people won't argue about Mario Galaxy but even if you don't like Epic Mickey you can't say you see no potential in the title I would say. I think there is still plenty of life in the old dog yet. All it will take to bring it to the spotlight again will be a few decent developers with a passion for the genre.

 

[shado_temple]

Ever play the sly cooper series? They recently made a nice collection of the (currently a) trilogy for the PS3, and they are some of my favorite platformers to date.

As for the subject at hand, I feel that the genre has simply evolved a bit from "platformer" to action-adventure. Take the game Infamous, for example; much of what is seen in it as an action game today could also be seen in the platformers of years gone by (albeit a bit more complex).

 

[Trolldor]

I've had some success on my first topic in the Off-Topic Forum, so I thought I'd try here too.

I am a huge fan of platformer games, specifically many from the Playstation 1 & 2, notably Crash Bandicoot 1-3 as my favourites, Spyro 1-3, Rachet and Clank series (mostly), Jak and Daxter series (somewhat). Of course Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64 were not half bad either, but they don't resonate with me as much as their Playstation competitors (my brother and I had both the PS1 and N64, so we were lucky in that sense).

Maybe I'm over reacting when I limit the choices to dead or dormant, which is why dormant has a /alive, as I believe people who think it is still around in any form will have similar arguments to people who think it will come back (if any).

I'll admit, I haven't played Super Mario Galaxy which might be brilliant, and there may be other great modern ones I haven't added here available, so please feel free to list them. I'd like nothing more than to be completely wrong in my hypothesis, and discover an entire assortment of platformers I didn't know existed yet, but I fear I'm right.

Dormant.

Take out the combat in Arkham Asylum and you have a puzzle-platformer.

 

[Conza]

Hmm, perhaps, but then would the Ratchet and Clank series be Platformer, or Action-Adventure? I always find Action-Adventure to mean 'well, we don't want to be overly ambiguous, but we also don't think it fits into any of the currently defined genres... I know!' and presto, another Action-Adventure game.

Also, thanks for the Sly Cooper suggestion I'll look into it, and since BM:AA has been mentioned, I'm drawn to point to R&C again, it had combat, so does this alone remove it from platforming and make it action-adventure? I'll note that Crash Bandicoot 3 added, in the smallest way perhaps, combat, by use of a bazooka that could be unlocked, it was still clearly a platformer.

 

[rabidmidget]

You could refer to Portal as a platformer

 

[darksakul]

3D Platformers: DEAD

To me they were dead from the start, simple task in 2d platforms like jumping, became complex ordeals in 3d platforms. Every 2D Platform game that covered to 3D was more a piece of software full of disappointment and anger than a game.

To me Mario 64 is not a Mario game, just some 3d polygon impostor who happen to wore a Mario costume had to rescue some blond bimbo n(who was not Princess Peach Toadstool) from a bad turtle dragon hybrid (who defiantly not Bowser) and not a Super Mario bros game. (since when Mario could drown in water ). I also hated anything that had Sonic the Hedgehog in it after Sonic and Knuckles with the exception of Sonic 4

To me Crash Bandicoot and similar titles are not platformers, just 3D action adventure games with a jump mechanic. Jumping in 3D space should be just a in game mechanic rather than something you try to gauge distance in a non-existing space.

Ever notice New Super Mario bros (both the DS and WII game) and Sonic 4 are 2D games made with 3D characters in 2D perspective rather than a 3D platformer monstrosity

 

[default]

Well platforming has kinda slipped off the radar a little. It's all about the shooters now, which is a damn shame. I love me some platformer, especially if it has some sword-fighting involved

I just got the new Prince of Persia (my first PoP game) and I'm having so much fun with it! It's so fluid and fun! It makes Mario feel like a clumsy piece of lead with legs.

I think that people just can't think of ways to innovate platforming, so it's kind of fallen. But think of games like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, there are so many ways to make it interesting! If I had my own studio, ohhhh the games I could make

 

[Conza]

Darksakul, I couldn't disagree more. Despite your opinions on Crash Bandicoot and Super Mario 64, they are both widely accepted as Platformers, and I think you'd also be alone in saying Super Mario 64 isn't a Mario game, so, I can't really take those comments on board, personally.

I also have to say, a remake is just that, it's not a new game, so I can't count the 3D remakes of 2D platformers as modern platformers.

Good call on Prine of Persia by the way, a clear oversight on my part Digi7.

 

[darksakul]

Darksakul, I couldn't disagree more. Despite your opinions on Crash Bandicoot and Super Mario 64, they are both widely accepted as Platformers, and I think you'd also be alone in saying Super Mario 64 isn't a Mario game, so, I can't really take those comments on board, personally.

I also have to say, a remake is just that, it's not a new game, so I can't count the 3D remakes of 2D platformers as modern platformers.

Its my personal review of the game, Mario 64 was such a departure from what makes Mario Well Mario, that in my mind Mario 64 was just Nintendo branded garbage instead of a classic like most of the Mario games are.

Any Ways my big issue in 3D platfromers is trying to gauge distance of a jump. In 3D space where you have such little reference for depth or distance that making a jump is alot more difficult than it should be. And I the kind of person why enjoys Vs Super Mario (Arcade version), Super Mario The Lost Levels (Super Mario 2 in Japan) and the SMB hack Dream Marry because they add an another degree of difficulty. And I doubt there many Sonic games after the Sonic 3 add on Sonic and Knuckles people think aren't terrible.

 

[Conza]

Well fair enough Darksakul. I liked to believe Super Mario 64 was an evolution, for Mario into the 3D world, and ignoring Super Mario Sunshine, most of the 3D world Mario stuff seemed to be pretty good from what I played.

Completely agree regarding Sonic by the way, had one of the games on Gamecube, I think the one where they introduced Shadow, and it wasn't bad, but the main part of the game was a bit numb. Didn't get to be as flowing as the original side-scrolling Sonic games.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Ever play the sly cooper series? They recently made a nice collection of the (currently a) trilogy for the PS3, and they are some of my favorite platformers to date.

The first Sly game is by far my favorite. The game feels like a 2D platformer in 3D; just the way the levels are designed to how you can only get hit once (unless you get a few pickups that let you take an extra hit or two), how enemies only take one or two hits to kill, and how you are encouraged to collect all the clue bottles in the level then you get to open the safe, which I just loved doing. The magic of the first game is just not in the sequels because they are open world platformers, and it's just not the same.

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To the TC, have you played Mirror's Edge? To me, Mirror's Edge is the best current gen 3D platformer I've played, the level design is top notch and you can really get in a rhythm going through a level. Note: I don't have a Wii, so I haven't played the Mario Galaxy games.