 |
This is the current !
Please help to improve it to match the quality of an Wikipedia computer and video game article. |
A screenshot of the original Donkey Kong.
Platform game, also called platformer, is a computer and video game genre characterized by the player having to climb up and down, or jump from and to, platforms and ledges, while fighting enemies and collecting objects required to fully complete the game. Often, the player has the ability to gain powers or weapons, called power-ups. Generally, platform games, due to their unrealistic nature, have cartoon-like graphics, and with the recent advent of cel-shaded animation may appear to be hand-drawn; in addition, platformers' characters are usually legendary or invented creatures (e.g. dragons and goblins).
Platform games originated in the early 1980s and made the transition to 3D in the mid-1990s. Sometime after the genre's inception, the term came to describe games where jumping on platforms, as opposed to shooting, was the main gameplay focus. However, many platform games feature projectile weapons, including the Mario and Castlevania franchises.
Platform games are one of the most well-known types of video game outside the gaming community, which could be the reason games based on movies, TV shows, and comic books tend to be of the platform variety.
History
A screenshot of the milestone Super Mario Bros.
The 2D era
Platform games appeared in the early 1980s, when video game consoles weren't yet powerful enough to render 3D games. They scrolled from left rightward, with the playable character viewed from a side angle. The protagonist climbed up and down ladders or jumped from platform to platform, often while combating foes and collecting power-ups. The first game of this kind is Donkey Kong, an arcade game created by Nintendo, released in 1981. Soon enough, level advancement changed from being mainly vertical to largely horizontal, Pitfall!, released by Activision for the Atari 2600 in 1982, considered by many to have started the trend.
Nintendo's Super Mario Bros., released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985, spawned a revolution not only in the platform game genre, but in the video game industry as a whole. It introduced players to huge and intricate worlds and set a precedent in gameplay and level design for other game developers to follow, and the game remained long unsurpassed by other productions (still considered by many to be the greatest platform game ever). Its popularity was unprecedented, and its record sales of 40.23 million copies worldwide is still unmatched. The game was for many the first experience of a platformer and solidified Mario's position as Nintendo's mascot.
The trend continued into the 16-bit era with the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo becoming home to numerous platformers, Super Mario World, Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim and Donkey Kong Country being among the best. Nintendo also met their first credible rival this era. The Sega Genesis with help from Sonic pulled ahead in sales in the early 90s. This lead was short lived, however, with the release of Donkey Kong Country and its revolutionary graphics that brought Nintendo's lead back for the rest of the era.
The 3D era
Super Mario Sunshine rekindles with the past in various platform levels.
Though Super Mario 64 released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996 was not the first 3D platform game, it redefined the genre and became the landmark game which set the rules for following titles of the type (such as the free camera and the central hub for access to levels).
Following successful series of 3D platform games in 90s include Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, both for the Sony PlayStation.
In 2002, Super Mario Sunshine, the second 3D Mario game, was released. Although not as revolutionary as its predecessor, it features difficult platform areas that were similar to some levels from Super Mario 64.
A notable use of characters in the sixth generation era is the characters being paired or grouped together, like in Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Sonic Heroes. The derivation of the platform genre can also be seen by the genre being mixed with action, tactical, and other genres: Blinx, Maximo, and Sly Cooper are good examples.
-
Chronology of significant platform games
A timeline of significant platform games.
- Donkey Kong (Nintendo, 1981) - First game featuring Mario (known as Jumpman at the time).
- Space Panic (Universal, 1980).
- Pitfall! (Activision, 1982) - First platformer that originated on a console.
- Miner 2049er (Big Five Software, 1982).
- Jumpman (Epyx, 1983).
- Manic Miner (Bug-Byte, 1983).
- Chuckie Egg (A'n'F, 1983).
- Monty on the Run (Gremlin Graphics, 1985) - ZX Spectrum & CBM 64 classic.
- Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985) - Perhaps most widely known platformer; best-selling game of all time.
- Mega Man (Rockman) (Capcom, 1987)
- Haunted Castle (Konami, 1988) - Predecessor of the Castlevania series.
- Captain Comic (Michael Denio, 1988) - Possibly first IBM PC platformer.
- Prince of Persia (Brøderbund, 1989).
- Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nintendo, 1990) - Highest grossing console game before Pokémon.
- Commander Keen (id Software, 1990) - First major IBM PC platformer.
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega, 1991) - First platformer widely considered to be a rival to Mario series.
- ToeJam and Earl (Sega, 1992) - First platformer where two playable characters played a significant role.
- Earthworm Jim (Shiny Entertainment, 1994).
- Donkey Kong Country (Rareware, 1994) - Featured revolutionary computer generated graphics.
- Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, 1996) - First truly 3-dimensional platform game.
- Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog, 1996). - The only other platformer widely considered to be a rival to Mario
- Spyro the Dragon (Insomniac, 1998)
- Banjo-Kazooie (Rare, 1998)
- Conker's Bad Fur Day (Rare, 2001) - First mature and satirical platformer
- Sonic Adventure (Sega, 1999) - First 3D Sonic game.
- Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (Naughty Dog, 2001) - First completely free-roaming game where there are no "levels"
- Super Mario Sunshine (Nintendo, 2002)
- Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (Sucker Punch, 2002)
- Ratchet & Clank (Insomniac, 2002) - First game to combine the two genres of platforming and third-person shooting
- Jak II (Naughty Dog, 2003) - First "dark" platformer after the some what "traditional" Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - (Ubisoft, 2003) - Successfully transfered Prince of Persia into the third dimension
- Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal (Insomniac, 2004) - First online platformer
- Psychonauts (Majesco, 2005).
See also
External link
|
This section is a . You can by