Board 8 > *~~SephG ranks the classic 2D console platformers~~*

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'll add that if you do the Mega Man games and spend some time considering your favorite stage/boss tracks, then if you don't know them you ought to check out a band called The Megas. They turn Mega Man music into rock/metal songs. They've even started doing it with Castlevania music (I don't really know that series too well so I don't have as much appreciation for those).

Around Halloween they dropped a new EP with, among others, a reworking of Mega Man 4's Skull Man theme. Here's the Skull Man theme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30yJaTphRyE" data-time="

And here's the song they turned it into, "Cracked Skulls:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euvo1BOuW4k" data-time="
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Jakyl25 posted...

Resident Evil games?

Yes they have a plot but come on

You can't really leave those games for a week. Also I've beaten half of them already!

Mega Man games could be interesting... I'd rather get the collection on the Switch though.

I might give the 3D Mario games a go. Or the Kirby Anniversary Collection on the Wii.
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Jakyl25 posted...

So nothing too storyline intensive...

KINGDOM HEARTS

https://twitter.com/WoolieWoolz/status/1074365740881461249?s=20
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Of what's left it's easily DKC2>SMB3>YI

You could always do the sequel: New Super Mario Bros. series + DKC Returns & Tropical Freeze + Yoshi's Wooly World + Sonic Mania.

Not that I've played most of those games but I'd be curious for the ranking.
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great thread so far!
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#3 today
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So much I disagree with this list but the two biggest ones are:

1: Sonic 3 & Knuckles are two seperate games. I had to convince my parents that I had to spend my money on a fourth Sonic game instead of a different kind of game. And it's not like you miss more than like two fun zones if you just play Sonic 3 anyway. Also Sonic 2 is better in every way. :P

2: Yoshi's Island is the worst game of all time.
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Zylothewolf posted...

1: Sonic 3 & Knuckles are two seperate games. I had to convince my parents that I had to spend my money on a fourth Sonic game instead of a different kind of game. And it's not like you miss more than like two fun zones if you just play Sonic 3 anyway. Also Sonic 2 is better in every way. :P

Sega was pretty brilliant by basically charging $100 for one game! And the way the stages are set up, you absolutely do need to play the games locked-on for it to be cohesive.

2: Yoshi's Island is the worst game of all time.

My rebuttal in the next post:
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#3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
https://coubsecure-s.akamaihd.net/get/b82/p/coub/simple/cw_timeline_pic/2047f9ec869/c2f34affccc957b0fa4a6/med_1485675700_image.jpg

Yoshi's Island is the only game on this list that I had absolutely no prior experience playing. I somehow went through my entire life without ever touching this game, but of course had to purchase it as soon as I realized I was really going to get through every title in the series.

I can see why this game is so polarizing. The first time I played it, I noticed a few things that I knew would be love-or-hate. The overall style is obviously a departure from the previous Mario games. On the surface, it looks like it was intentionally designed for babies--the coloring book aesthetic, the goofy character models, the literal babies... Not to say Mario was ever "badass" or anything, but in an era when Sega's marketing strategy was to make Nintendo kids feel insecure about their maturity level, I can totally see how this game could only compound that feeling. The other major love-or-hate element is controlling Yoshi itself. Right from the get-go, you understand that this is not a Mario game--it's a Yoshi game. The platforming takes a back seat to the egg mechanics, and it actually functions more like an action platformer than anything else. There is a reason why there are tutorials for basically the first 25% of the game.

As a 30 year old with some better perspective, I can look at Yoshi's Island a bit more objectively. The cartoony "childish" aesthetic not only makes sense narratively, but this is very likely the best looking game on the Super Nintendo. The hand-drawn backgrounds are gorgeous, creative, and supremely varied. And despite shifting to a more uneven plane from the very flat grounds of Super Mario World that promote superbly slick handling, the game very rarely suffers from any pitfalls you'd expect from this kind of style. There are no false platforms or poor landing detection; and only in a few instances are some of the numerous graphic elements obfuscating to enemies or obstacles. It's honestly remarkable how they were able to pull this off. The fact that this is not a "Mario" game also did not bother me once I got used to the new controls for Yoshi. In fact, the floating jump becomes quite enjoyable to play after a while and began to remind me of Dixie Kong's glide. In other words, it was really fucking fun.

I could go on and on about what this game gets so right. If anyone remembers my recent playthrough topic, the music really floored me at first. While there probably should have been double or even triple the tracks, what is in the game is some of the best on the SNES and a welcome change from the chiptuney songs of the other Mario games. The boss battles, though incredibly easy, were super fun and creative and provided some of the best 2D visuals I've ever seen (Prince Froggy, Raphael the Raven, and Bowser were particularly amazing). And while I did not subject myself to 100%ing the game, the collectibles in Yoshi's Island were done so well and absolutely would encourage me to go back every now and then when I want to just feel how well the game plays again.

In all, I am glad to say that Yoshi's Island actually lives up to the board 8 hype, which has a tendency to incorrectly single out a black sheep game and elevate it to "best ever" status (see: Crash Team Racing, et al). But Yoshi's Island is a truly unique experience that has never been replicated to my knowledge, and its sheer creativity and mechanical smoothness makes it one for the ages.
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Not good
11. Sonic the Hedgehog

Fine
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Great
9. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
8. Super Mario Bros.
7. Donkey Kong Country

Excellent
6. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
5. Super Mario World

Spectacular
4. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

All-timers
2.
1.
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I hope baby Mario haunts your dreams.
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Yoshi's Story > Yoshi's Island
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KingButz posted...

Yoshi's Story > Yoshi's Island

lol no
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Serious question for those who hate it: why?
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Good list so far besides the erroneous claim that SMB3 > SMW...!
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Serious question for those who hate it: why?

Some people get very upset that they are punished for getting hit.
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I hope Super Mario Bros 3 gets #1.

But yeah, either way it's an all-time game, so great list!
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WarThaNemesis2 posted...

Nelson_Mandela posted...

Serious question for those who hate it: why?

Some people get very upset that they are punished for getting hit.

Literally just the crying? I mean, it was annoying for sure. But unless you're 100%ing it, this was also the easiest game on a the list by a fairly decent amount.
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You say that as if the crying is a small thing. There's also the fact that the aiming mechanic isn't nearly as much fun as classic jump and stomp, or even classic grab and throw. I also disagree very much on it been the easiest game. It's not that I don't like challenging games but it's telling on our different perception of the game.

Speaking of 100%, it's probably the most painful game of the list to achieve that. It doesn't feel as natural as in the DKC games for example.

Also I don't hate the game, I just don't think it belongs with the top dogs.
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lordjers posted...

There's also the fact that the aiming mechanic isn't nearly as much fun as classic jump and stomp, or even classic grab and throw.

These are fair points and part of the reason why I understand the polarization. If you don't like the aiming, you won't like the game. Especially if you really want it to be of the jump-and-stomp variety.

But I really got used to the stopping and aiming, and I think it opened up a ton of depth to the game. Part of me wonders if it was just called "Yoshi's Island" and didn't have the Mario World branding attached to it if people would have received it better.
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I really don't understand people hating the crying. I cannot picture anyone but like a seven year-old desperate to show they aren't a baby by hating anything to do with babies getting so upset by it
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I love the skill cap of Yoshi's Island.

Being good at hovering and shooting and eating enemies at the same time is so rewarding. Yoshi jumps and falls at really fast rates compared to mario games too. Action platformer indeed.
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lordjers posted...

pjbasis posted...

lordjers posted...

New Super Mario Bros. games are up there too IMO.

I need to play these games again without a super jaded perspective.

Probably without powerups

If that somehow means they make the game easy I'd disagree and say SMW is easier than those.

Actually I can't play SMW with powerups anymore either. It is truly a joke once you know what to do with the cape.

But without the game is super good, and maybe I'll have a new appreciation for the New series too.
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So it's come down to Donkey Kong Country 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 for my "All-timers" tier. SMB3 and DKC2 are not just the two best platformers I have ever played, but 2 of the top 10 games of all time.

Before I write these up tomorrow, I want to say that this has been a very difficult decision and I've actually gone back and forth on it once since I thought about doing this topic. On one hand, DKC2 provides unrivaled emotion for its genre. Between the music, the atmosphere, and the co-op nature of the game, I am genuinely moved when I play it. It's something that few other games can do for me and is a staple characteristic of most of my top 10-15 games. And on the other hand, you have what I consider to be the the most mechanically perfect game ever made. Not the most mechanically perfect NES game, not the most mechanically perfect platformer. The most mechanically perfect game, full stop.

One thing these two games do share in common, however, is that mastering both of them can only be described as one thing: sublime. Between the emotional pull of being locked in to DKC2 and the purity of running through SMB3, both games are unlike any other skill-based, high intensity gaming experience I've ever had. Both are worthy GOATs--but I promise there will be only one.
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pjbasis posted...

lordjers posted...

pjbasis posted...

lordjers posted...

New Super Mario Bros. games are up there too IMO.

I need to play these games again without a super jaded perspective.

Probably without powerups

If that somehow means they make the game easy I'd disagree and say SMW is easier than those.

Actually I can't play SMW with powerups anymore either. It is truly a joke once you know what to do with the cape.

But without the game is super good, and maybe I'll have a new appreciation for the New series too.

NSMB games can be pretty challenging if you go for more stuff than just beating the game. Sure, you most probably won't ever get a Game Over, but I doubt you'd get all those blue coins, red coins, assorted hidden stuff and plainly just not die on your first tries.
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Hype
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yeah the original NSMB isn't too tough, but with NSMBW and onward they were willing to put some pretty hard levels in there, since they added that Super Guide mode for people who get stuck
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Hype

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#2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/370/615/e87.gif

I mentioned in the opening topic that there was only one game on this list that I have intense nostalgic feelings for. Donkey Kong Country 2 was that game. I grew up with an NES and then a Genesis; and back in my day, that was all you could have. You had to choose one console per generation, and it dictated the type of experience you would have and the kinds of games you'd grow up with. But the beautiful thing about that single-console paradigm is that it made going over to a friend's house with another system feel like you were going to another world. And that's how it was for me when I'd get off at my friend's bus stop and play DKC2 endlessly with him after school.

DKC2 is my favorite multiplayer game ever. Sure, it's a blast to play Mario Kart with three other friends or murder your buddies in GoldenEye, but there was nothing else like working with someone to beat a challenging game. One player may be better at certain stages, the other might have mastered Dixie's glide. But as a 7 year old, it takes that combination of skills and months of work to advance in a game like DKC2. And that's what some of my strongest memories are: working with a friend to conquer what we thought was the hardest game ever, day after day.

Going back to DKC2 more than 20 years later to finally beat the Lost World was an absolute trip. I played single-player this time, and the game forced me to hone my skills until I was able to grind my way through the levels with a methodical rhythm--unable to make a single mistake. Like I said before, the gameplay of DKC2, when you truly master it, is nothing short of sublime. Hitting the right enemy at the right angle and the right speed in order to clear a seemingly impossible platform is pure bliss. Rare hit its stride in the second game in the series, perfectly blending the styles of Diddy and Dixie into an experience that I think is impossible to replicate.

Praising the music and visuals of DKC2 has been done to death, so I won't bore you with a feeble attempt to describe why these elements are so perfect. I will simply say that the soundtrack alone can give me shivers, it can transport me back 20 years to sitting on the floor of my friend's living room, controller in hand, in our quest to defeat K. Rool. The ambiance in DKC2 is matched by only a few video games in history, and it is a testament to how the medium can be an art form even when there is a minimalist narrative.

Donkey Kong Country 2 is one of the greatest games ever created, and the magic of the game was still there for me after all these years. But in my attempt to be as objective as possible there is one platformer that ever so slightly surpasses it in greatness...
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#1. Super Mario Bros. 3
http://pa1.narvii.com/5705/cf169d79943cf4afc9be2a487801f8a4648dfe8e_00.gif

Super Mario Bros. 3 is the greatest platforming game ever created. A lot has been said in this topic about how the original Super Mario Bros. is the most influential game in the industry--and it is--but SMB3 deserves some credit for also revolutionizing how games are designed. While SMB laid the foundation for platformers, SMB3 added elements that would carry through across genres into nearly every game that came after it: an overworld map with level selecting elements, the ability to replay stages to uncover secrets/grind for power-ups, an inventory system, mid-bosses, true co-op... the list goes on and on.

SMB3 is the most mechanically sound game I have ever played. This is likely due to the limitations of the NES--after all, how much can you really do with two buttons? But Nintendo optimized every action and every piece of physics to utter perfection. It's the type of game that anyone can pick up and play through the first world and have fun either zooming through the levels or beating them casually; but it's also the kind of game that the most seasoned of gamers can find new challenges with, playing through the intensely difficult final two worlds until an absolutely epic climax of tanks, airships, and fortresses.

When I was struggling with choosing DKC2 or SMB3 for the #1 spot, I thought back to that final world. I was playing a game that was released the year I was born, and I was sweating and my heart was beating as I gripped the controller tightly and made my way through the last few stages. But something happened as I was on the final airship level. I found myself in a zen-like state of consciousness, my subconscious having memorized the multitude of obstacles I'd be dodging as I successfully maneuvered through without thinking. My anxiety faded. I relaxed. And I beat the game.

That is something the best of gaming can offer. Through a combination of gameplay and atmosphere, it can take you to another state of mind. Whether it transports you back to the house where you had the best days of a long-forgotten friendship, or whether it allows you to forget the concerns of the world and of life for a brief few moments--it's a feeling I can't get from anything else. And Donkey Kong Country 2 and Super Mario Bros. 3 will always be there sitting on my shelf, waiting for me the next time I need them.
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Not good
11. Sonic the Hedgehog

Fine
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Great
9. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
8. Super Mario Bros.
7. Donkey Kong Country

Excellent
6. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
5. Super Mario World

Spectacular
4. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

All-timers
2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
1. Super Mario Bros. 3
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Correct choice between those 2, IMO
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Thanks for reading, friends. Feel free to post your own ranking to compare!
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bumpo
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I would do

11. Sonic the Hedgehog
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
9. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
8. Donkey Kong Country
7. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
6. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
5. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
4. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
3. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Super Mario Bros.
1. Super Mario World

I would stick SMB2 JP right below World. I really really enjoy challenging platformers, though.
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Greta topic!

You should do modern 2d platformers adapted from classic series sometime too! NSMB series, Rayman Origins/Legends, certain Sonic games, Tropical Freeze etc.
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Suprak the Stud posted...

You should do modern 2d platformers adapted from classic series sometime too! NSMB series, Rayman Origins/Legends, certain Sonic games, Tropical Freeze etc.

I feel like I am in the mood for these, but I truly disliked DKCR and I'm afraid to start a series off that way.
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1. Super Mario World
2. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
3. Super Mario Bros.
4. Donkey Kong Country
5. Super Mario Bros. 3
6. Super Mario Bros. 2 (US)
7. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
8. Sonic the Hedgehog
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
10. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Never played Sonic 3.
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11. Sonic the Hedgehog
10. Donkey Kong Country 3
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
8. Super Mario Bros 2
7. Donkey Kong Country
6. Super Mario Bros
5. Sonic 3 & Knuckles
4. Super Mario World
3. Donkey Kong Country 2
2. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
1. Super Mario Bros 3
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Nice
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And:

Don't remember DK3 well enough to properly rank.

10) Sonic the Hedgehog
9) Sonic 2
8) SMB2
7) Sonic 3&K
6) SMB
5) DKC
4) SMW
3) Yoshi's Island
2) DKC2
1) SMB3

Would be mine!
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I haven't really played much of S3&K at all and haven't completed Sonic 1+2 or DKC3 (and it's been quite a while since I've played some of these), but this is my best guess of my ranking:

10. Sonic the Hedgehog
9. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
8. Donkey Kong Country 3
7. Super Mario Bros
6. Super Mario Bros 2
5. Donkey Kong Country
4. Super Mario Bros 3
3. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
2. Donkey Kong Country 2
1. Super Mario World
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So much SMW love
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Your list ended up pretty close to where I would have mine! I might drop Super Mario World a couple spots on mine, and put Yoshi's Island in the number 2 spot, but there's nothing majorly different. Seeing all the things you enjoyed with these games was really pleasing to read about.
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what a wonderful, positive topic to read through. your appreciation of history really shines in these writeups!

i'm by far most attached to sonic as a character among these icons, and S3&K is by far the best of the sonic games (as you rightfully noted), so that probably ranks #1, and sonic 1 is my "growing up" game, so it's incredibly hard to disentangle that from how i'd objectively view the game

and fwiw, only beaten sonic 1, s3&k, SMB3, and DKC2 of this list. four amazing games though!
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Thanks for the feedback!

I feel like the positivity is totally warranted, since these games truly do represent a golden age of platforming. I'd be hard pressed to think of any other group of series by era that would have 10/12 fall into the "great" category.
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There's probably a group of classic SNES and PS1 rpgs that fits that bill.
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Thanks for the feedback!

I feel like the positivity is totally warranted, since these games truly do represent a golden age of platforming. I'd be hard pressed to think of any other group of series by era that would have 10/12 fall into the "great" category.

Well this is just like how Classic Rock stations distort the quality of the past

Youre intentionally discarding the worst ones
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I think Golden Age can refer to a time of not only quality but also quantity.

Platformers were THE in-genre of the late 80s to mid 90s. Lots of bad ones, but also lots of decent to good ones that people still don't really remember too much.
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Jakyl25 posted...

Nelson_Mandela posted...

Thanks for the feedback!

I feel like the positivity is totally warranted, since these games truly do represent a golden age of platforming. I'd be hard pressed to think of any other group of series by era that would have 10/12 fall into the "great" category.

Well this is just like how Classic Rock stations distort the quality of the past

Youre intentionally discarding the worst ones

Well ya. But still, it's hard to think of 10 elite games in any generational bucket like this. If you can (outside of golden age square), then please do name them!
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