2D Platformers

Horace | 17th Nov, 2020 | 8:47hrs | rating: 2.5/5

You’re a robot who makes friends, collects junk and ultimately saves the day.

GAMEPLAY: There’s a clever “the world spins when you walk over an edge” function, but other than that, the controls aren’t great, it’s quite buggy, and all non-platforming tasks feel quite pointless.
AUDIOVISUALLY: The pixel art is pretty good, but I just hate when sprites aren’t the same size and don’t align with each other. The music is mostly classical pieces and it honestly feels really cheap. The robot voice is alright, but the rest of the audio design is pretty bad.
STORY/PRESENTATION: This is a “what if platformers had extensive plot and dialog?” kind of thing, and it’s VERY heavy on cut-scenes. I initially found it charming, but the plot just goes all over the place, and it gets very tiring and feels “too long” as a result. Very ambitious though!

It’s an interesting game, but with a strong “home-made in the early 2000’s” vibe to it. I’d only recommend it if you love the idea of platformers built on plot.

Donkey Kong Country 2 | 20th Oct, 2020 | 2:30hrs | rating: 3.5/5

Diddy and Dixie go to save Donkey.

GAMEPLAY: I suppose the controls are the same as in the prequel, but there’s so much more variation this time around! It’s just a lot more fun.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Probably about the same as in DKC1, but more varied and interesting environments. Music is great.
STORY/PRESENTATION: It really feels like the “AAA” game of the generation. It’s quite light on story though, and the optional friends dialogs don’t interest me at all.
MULTIPLAYER: One player can be Diddy and the other Dixie, but you cannot play at the same time. It’s kind of pointless.

A lot of fun, but still quite short and light on content. There’s a bonus world if you collect all the hidden DK coins, and it feels like an essential part of the game, but it’s difficult and this time I’m skipping it.

Wario Land | 1st Oct, 2020 | 2:45hrs | rating: 2.5/5

Wario gets his own platforming adventure to find money.

GAMEPLAY: It controls okay for a Game Boy game, the jet powerup is fun, but overall it’s all quite slow and very simple. The only interesting part is finding the unique treasures that are scattered here and there.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Quite clean and timeless visuals, but the music is dull except for a few upbeat tracks.
STORY/PRESENTATION: It’s problematic that you don’t know what the goal is, until you see how your “castle” turns out at the very end. It does motivate you to go back and find all the treasure, but not enough for me this playthrough.

A handheld milestone back in 1994, but today there are hundreds of more interesting platformers out there.

Super Nostalgia World | 18th July, 2020 | 4:30hrs | rating: 3.5/5

A Mario Maker 2 super world (TGC-6K3-NCG) that was considered amazing on resetera.com, so I tried it out.

GAMEPLAY: It’s obviously the standard Mario controls, but the level design is professional and enjoyable. Some obstacles and power-ups I had never even encountered before, like the P-balloon which is a lot of fun.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Some nice visual details, and the nostalgic-looking bonus games are a nice touch!
STORY/PRESENTATION: No special story, but the worlds are well-made and coherent, and a pretty good difficulty increase, though still on the easier side.
MULTIPLAYER: Most levels work really well in co-op, so I strongly recommend playing it with a friend. Some of the later stressful levels are impossible with 2 though, so one player had better suicide so the other one can get through.

I’m counting this as its own game now, because that’s what it felt like. A little short perhaps, but very fun for those craving more 2D Mario.

Donkey Kong Country | 16th July, 2020 | 2:05hrs | rating: 2.5/5

Donkey and Diddy go to get their bananas back.

GAMEPLAY: The controls are snappy and fast, but there really isn’t much variation. It’s all about reacting and timing your presses as things come at you. Strange difficulty spikes too, in a game that’s mostly quite short and easy.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Not as jaw-droppingly amazing as it once was, but the visual design and atmosphere is still great, and the audio adds a lot too. Too many caves though, and most importantly, the characters are so big that it feels claustrophobic at times, as it’s so hard to see what’s coming up.
STORY/PRESENTATION: It’s a little bare-bones, with few levels and a lot of environmental repetition.
MULTIPLAYER: You cannot play at the same time, but you can take turns with one character each… No, it’s just not fun.

I never really liked this game much, and this playthrough confirmed it. The sequel is much much better!

Dead Cells | 11th July, 2020 | 2:45hrs | rating: 2/5

Roguelike platformer, where you go through a few levels and then have to start over from the very beginning when you die.

GAMEPLAY: I like the controls, especially after customizing the buttons Smash Bros style.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Beautiful pixel art, but the music is quite forgettable.
STORY/PRESENTATION: Is there a story? Barely, you respawn and have to go through a few procedurally-generated levels. I suppose forcing you to restart masks how short the game really is.

I played for 90 minutes and died against the king’s hand on my first try, which is basically the end. Then I had to redo everything again?! I can’t for the life of me understand the appeal of this; I’ve already played it!
I gave it one more go, but had lost all interest to kill more enemies and collect things, so I was underleveled and died again. I’ll just consider this finished, and this is the last time I try a roguelike.

Super Meat Boy | 10th July, 2020 | 5:30hrs | rating: 3.5/5

As a pack of meat, you navigate through one tough platforming challenge after another.

GAMEPLAY: Meat Boy is extremely floaty, and although I got used to it after a while, it’s far from a favorite. There’s also just not much variation. Some obstacles, like the anti-magnet and portals, help with that, but it’s not nearly enough.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Pretty ugly pixel graphics, mixed with “newgrounds” type of cutscenes. The rock music is competent but forgettable.
STORY/PRESENTATION: There are some cutscenes but I mostly skip them because I have no interest in them. This game is sometimes compared to Celeste, but in comparison, this one just feels immature and shallow.
MULTIPLAYER: There’s a competitive race mode, but unless you’re equally good, there’s just no point.

After having finished the main game in less than 2 hours, I was extremely underwhelmed. Interestingly enough, the “Cotton Alley” bonus chapter is where the game finally clicked with me and became enjoyable. I still skipped most of the Dark World levels since I felt they were mostly the same but more saw wheels, but I did go back to A+ the Light World levels and had a lot more fun than the first way around!

Gris | 30th May, 2020 | 3:00hrs | rating: 3/5

Run through beautiful artistic environments to bring color back to the world.

GAMEPLAY: Not as bad as I had heard people say. The controls are simple but feel good, and you gain a few new abilities along the way. Rarely ever challenging though.
AUDIOVISUALLY: One of the most artistically appealing games ever, both when it comes to the visuals and the audio. It’s simply beautiful.
STORY/PRESENTATION: I suppose it’s all a metaphor for fighting depression. Some cut-scenes really moved me on a subconscious level.

I just wish there had been more to the gameplay, because despite its beauty, I struggled to play more than 30 minutes at a time without getting restless.

Mega Man 11 | Mar 12, 2020 | 7:40hrs | rating: 3/5

Mega Man is back to face eight new robot bosses and their stages.

GAMEPLAY: It’s classic Mega Man and it’s still fun to play, but the new “double gear” system (which lets you slow down time or increase power for a short time) doesn’t really add much for me. I just prefer not using it. Equipping the right weapons is way more crucial to make things easier, because this is a challenging game!
AUDIOVISUALLY: Most levels look generic, but a couple of backgrounds stand out at least. The music does not work for me at all compared to the 8-bit tracks of the franchise. It’s a shame you can’t toggle from this lame dance-style music to ROCK if you so choose to. Would have been awesome!
STORY/PRESENTATION: They really need to try new things rather than “remaking” the first games’ structure every time. In this day and age, it’s too light on content, and it’s way too predictable. The useless sprinkled in dialog certainly doesn’t add anything.

It’s retro in a way that isn’t common anymore: You lose LIVES and you’re meant to replay the levels/game to improve and feel good about it. Some insta-kill traps/pits are annoying, but retrying bosses to find their weaknesses and patterns is still fun. Just stock up on lives from the store, and remember that the second playthrough is more fun! (If I didn’t have other stuff to play, I would have played it more than just twice!)

Kirby Super Star | Jan 16, 2020 | 4:26hrs | rating: 2/5

It’s a Kirby platformer, but divided into many bite-sized games/stories. One has you racing against Dedede, one has you collecting treasure on a huge map, one has the enemies live-commenting as you raid through Metaknight’s ship, and so on.

GAMEPLAY: Each of the “mini-games” are controlled the same way, and I suppose it works, but personally I never cared for the Kirby gameplay. It’s always very easy, and I’m not motivated to try out the different abilities when I can just fly over the enemies anyway.
AUDIOVISUALLY: It’s clear that it came out late in the SNES’ life-span, as there are lots of detailed backgrounds and lots of effects. The music is quite catchy too.
STORY/PRESENTATION: I have to say I’m not a fan of the structure. Each “game” is too short to build up anything meaningful, so it feels more like a bunch of demos. The Metaknight story is pretty cool though.
MULTIPLAYER: A second player can at any point join in as an extra player, which is good for kids, but doesn’t add anything in the way of interactivity or depth. The versus mini-games are fun for 5 minutes.

I just can’t agree with the praise for this one. As with all Kirby games I guess, but this one is extra short and underwhelming.

Shovel Knight: King of Cards | Dec 30, 2019 | 6:19hrs | rating: 3/5

Play as the King Knight through a whole bunch of shorter side-scrolling levels and participate in the card game Joustus.

GAMEPLAY: The mechanics are fresh and clever, as you dash into enemies or walls to create a spin attack you can use on other enemies and objects. The card game is also initially fun, but it lost my interest pretty fast.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Honestly I hate these brownish pixel visuals. Most of it looks like mud. The music on the other hand is spectacular, some of the best in the medium!
STORY/PRESENTATION: There’s a lot of humoristic dialog, but it’s not something that interests me. You’ve got a world map with levels on them, and to be honest it just feels too formulaic, too “been there done that”.
MULTIPLAYER: Unfortunately you can’t play the adventure in co-op like you can in the original campaign, but there is a separate “Showdown” released, which is a Smash Bros light. We tried one round, but it just felt messy. Might as well play Smash.

The original Shovel Knight didn’t actually do much for me. It felt too safe, too retro, not surprising enough. I might prefer King of Cards in some ways, as the levels are shorter and it feels more focused, and especially the later levels are quite creative. The visuals and the sameness bring it down for me. Despite the nifty mechanics, it screams “old”.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair | Oct 16, 2019 | 14:07hrs | rating: 4/5

I didn’t play this Banjo-Kazooie imitation duo’s first game (though I’m sure I’d like it), but this 2D platformer is right up my alley.

GAMEPLAY: It’s like a less weighty Tropical Freeze, and I actually prefer it over Retro Studios’ DK games. It might feel a tiny bit wonky at times, but it’s mostly a joy to play. The mix of platforming levels and overworld puzzles makes for great variation.
AUDIOVISUALLY: The music is very cozy and atmospheric, and the visuals are nice enough. I got immersed in a way I haven’t in a long time!
STORY/PRESENTATION: I really like the idea of a difficult final level that you can access at any time, and make it easier by finishing more and more of the rest of the game. Many characters are charming and funny, but the actual story is maybe too basic, and the ending is too abrupt.

I haven’t played anything “Rare” in ages (they were my favorite developer back in the N64 days), so it might be nostalgia talking, but this was a special experience to me. I loved it despite a few flaws.

Celeste DLC: Farewell | Sep 24, 2019 | 12:01hrs | rating: 4/5

I hate DLC (finish the game before you release it, and put new stuff in a sequel!!), but Celeste is an all-time favorite, so I’m pretending that this is a separate game.

GAMEPLAY: Tight as always, and the new additions (mostly just the Jellyfish and the wavedash) are fun. My problem is that it’s way more puzzle-based than the main game. Rather than simply putting your platforming skills to the test, there’s now a ton of trial and error to figure out what to do, where to throw the jellyfish, where to bounce, and it often has to be very specific. I didn’t like it as much.
AUDIOVISUALLY: It probably has more visual flare going on than the main game, but the constant purple gets tiresome after 10 hours. The music didn’t grab me, but at least isn’t annoying despite having the same loops go on for half an hour each.
STORY/PRESENTATION: You kind of forget why you’re doing all these challenges, but there is a story.

The difficulty level continues where the main game ended, and it’s tough to get into when it’s been a year. It’s still fun and satisfying, but more tedious and it felt way too endless without any chapter breaks. Still oh, so satisfying when it’s over 9:38hrs later. The destination is nicer than the journey!

And then I had to replay it to see how it held up. Still a few frustrating parts, but much more fun! Finished in 2:23hrs. This game is special.

Super Mario World | Sep 20, 2019 | 3:45hrs | rating: 5/5

Although Yoshi’s Island certainly beats it in some areas (enemy creativity, length, challenge), I’ve realized just now that this one still beats it handily when it comes to pure fun!

GAMEPLAY: Snappier than Mario Maker, and I have to say it feels super good. Mario’s got so many moves especially thanks to Yoshi and the cape. Only bad thing I have to say is that it’s often too tempting to just fly over entire levels. The game is too easy.
AUDIOVISUALLY: It’s really quite vanilla. Memorable and classic, but not impressive.
STORY/PRESENTATION: Story is the regular one, but the world building and map is unparalleled! Almost every level has one or two secret exits that take you to new levels and entire new worlds. I can’t think of a single other game in existence that rewards exploration like this one.
MULTIPLAYER: You can take turns to play, which is okay I guess, but I’ve never gotten into it. The NSMB series beats it in this department.

Maybe it’s nostalgia, but this is THE game for me. Perfect controls, tons of secrets and alternate paths, fun every time from the very first moment, and I don’t want to put away the controller until I’ve finished every level.

Yoshi’s Island | Sep 19, 2019 | 7:51hrs | rating: 4/5

I super loved this one back in the days, and although my first impression this time wasn’t great, it grew on me. Specifically the enemy design is amazing, as you never know what creature will show up next and what they will do. Even goombas have a surprising twist.

GAMEPLAY: Really tight and snappy, and there’s a good amount of challenge too. Bosses are wonderfully creative. The levels are mostly too maze-like for my tastes though, and I often feel like I just want to get done with them. Worst parts are the luck-based minigames that are just annoying.
AUDIOVISUALLY: The graphics don’t look “hand-drawn” the same way it used to, but there are still a lot of effects and detailed animation that are nice to look at. The music gets totally stuck in your brain.
STORY/PRESENTATION: I would have preferred a proper world map, but it’s a very coherent and unique presentation that still holds up.
MULTIPLAYER: You can play the minigames against a friend, but it’s not something that stays fun for more than a couple of minutes.

At first I just ran through the levels, thinking there’s no way I’ll collect all the red coins and flowers, but as I got deeper into the game, I got more and more invested in clearing the levels 100%. Had an itch to go back and unlock the extra levels in the end, but decided that seeing the end credits was enough this time.

Super Mario Maker 2 | Sep 18, 2019 | 150:00hrs | rating: 3/5

Mario Maker again, this time with slopes!

GAMEPLAY: It’s really great, and it’s addicting to work on your level and get everything just the way you like it.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Each style looks as it should, although I would have liked more game styles, and the possibility to mix them! Music is a bit limited, would have liked to choose from a long list.
STORY/PRESENTATION: There’s a “story mode” this time, but it’s quite boring and simple. I finished building the castle, but struggled to get through all the Nintendo-built levels.
MULTIPLAYER: The big disappointment of the year. Multiplayer was supposed to be the big new addition to the game, but it’s nearly worthless. Have to download the levels before playing local co-op, there’s no local VS at all, and there’s no online VS or co-op with friends. This honestly sucks!

Despite putting so many hours into it, I can’t help but being extremely disappointed. Like, how can an indie game like Duck Game have more in-depth multiplayer and a more detailed level editor than a Nintendo flagship game?!

Duck Game | May 24, 2019 | 35:00hrs | rating: 3.5/5

You’re ducks and you kill each other in a very fast-paced fashion. Think Smash Bros but simpler and faster.

GAMEPLAY: It controls like a traditional 2D platformer with a ton of guns to pick up and discard. One hit and you’re dead, and we move on to a new level within seconds. It feels snappy and good.
AUDIOVISUALLY: Very basic pixelart and the music gets tiresome quickly. Really nothing special.
STORY/PRESENTATION: There’s some unimportant background story, but no one cares.
MULTIPLAYER: There is a short single player mode where you clear challenges (it mostly serves as a tutorial, but is addictive if you go for gold/platinum), but playing with friends is the whole point, and it’s a ton of fun! The online mode is alright too, where you can decorate your “room” and choose among your unlocked hats/masks while waiting for players to join, and it makes it more personal and fun. Unfortunately you can only be one player per console, unless you’re the one hosting. Still better than Smash…

What I’ve spent way too much time on is the level editor. It’s incredibly robust, and it’s a great way to keep the game fresh for each new multiplayer session. The gameplay is simple, but we’ve kept coming back to it for weeks now, so it’s well worth the price.