Video game fanatics will never lose their love of 2D platformers.
Screen scrollers are the bedrock on which the entire industry is now built, and whether they are slicing down foes in virtual reality or screeching around the track with the help of an all-singing all-dancing steering wheel controller, there will always be a place for the OG platformers in the hearts of gamers.
Here are some of the top platformers you need to get on your screen right now.
Cuphead
PS4, XBOX ONE, PC, SWITCH
Okay, so this game released way back in 2017, but it is a certified rockstar of the platformer scene and its face-melting visuals are something to behold. The distinguished hand-drawn animation art style has fans craving a sequel to the frenzied scroller action that saw two brothers (Cuphead and Mugman) battle their way through baddie-laden levels and creative boss fights to repay a hefty debt.
Foregone
PS4, XBOX ONE, PC, SWITCH
We go all gooey at the sight of a modern era game released in the pixelated style of those halcyon days of yore. And Foregone is as fast and fluid as it is block-like in its appearance. Hack and blast your way through enemies in a linear quest to save Calagan. Throw into the mix a compelling tale of conspiracy and regret (and that all-important legendary loot) and you have the recipe for hours of button-mashing fun.
Oddworld: Soulstorm
PS4, XBOX ONE, PC
The original Oddworld resides in the Video Game Hall of Fame, and this iteration picks up where Abe’s desperate escape from Rupture Farms concluded. Now his mission is to tear down the factory that would see he and his kind turned into chow. Expect the usual fast-paced challenges of the first game, with the kind of epic storytelling a protagonist with no voice masters oh so well.
Skul: The Hero Slayer
PS4, XBOX ONE, PC
Loved Castlevania? Grab a controller and take control of a pint-size, skeleton-only champion in this ace dungeon crawler. Team up with fellow monsters of the night to save the evil king (it’s all a bit inversed and we love it) who has been captured by a nefarious human army. The tiny bag of bones packs a real punch, and can level up with a pretty extensive talent tree and ability system, ensuring fresh combos at every pixelated turn.
Mega Man 11
PS4, XBOX ONE, PC, SWITCH
When a franchise has 11 plus iterations, you can probably bank on its having a dedicated fan base. And this one is a classic of the platformer genre, shooting to popularity for its lightning fast sequencing, testing levels and boss encounters and, don’t hate us, the bugs that can be exploited. The plot is as old as time: eight Robot Masters under the control of the evil Dr. Wily need vanquishing, and you are the man behind the Mega Man to do it.
