Platformers

[Foggle]

Banjo-Kazooie is another great one. (But not Banjo-Tooie.)

Played it again (or attempted to...) recently, and I can't agree. Too many awful mini-games and a focus on incessant item collecting made me wonder why I ever even liked those games as a kid.

[Eddy]

Banjo-Kazooie is another great one. (But not Banjo-Tooie.)

Played it again (or attempted to...) recently, and I can't agree. Too many awful mini-games and a focus on incessant item collecting made me wonder why I ever even liked those games as a kid.

I don't know, I'd say that's an accurate description of Tooie but not so much Kazooie. I can't think of too many awful mini-games from the original, aside from the alligator one where you need to eat more fruit. Tooie, on the other hand, was FULL of minigames.

I also never quite understood the collect-a-thon complaints. I do with Tooie and DK64, as those two games have a ridiculous amount of shit to collect in levels that are waaay too big just for the sake of making them big, but I don't really see how Banjo-Kazooie is any worse than Super Mario 64 when it comes to stuff like this. I mean, Mario 64 has stars and coins and Banjo has jiggies and music notes. Mario 64 has the red coins, Banjo has the jinjos.

You're free to not dig the game, of course, but I don't know, I love it.

Tooie, though, can die in a fire. I've tried playing Tooie at least three times and I've been unable to see it through to the end.

[Foggle]

I don't think "mini-games" was the right phrasing, really. I mean "things other than platforming", like the flying bits and stuff. The first half of the game is cool, but Click Clock Woods aside I thought it went way downhill in the second half, and basically became Banjo-Tooie lite.

[Foggle]

Oh wait, Clanker's Cavern is awful, and that's in the first half. I just find the whole game to be extremely hit and miss in general.

[Eddy]

Fair enough, we can agree to disagree. I do agree that Clanker's Cavern is awful though (aside from the music). An entire level in a 3D platformer should not be made based around swimming.

And think we're all in agreement, though, that Bubsy 3D is a timeless platforming classic.

[Foggle]

And think we're all in agreement, though, that Bubsy 3D is a timeless platforming classic.

YES, IT IS THE BESTEST

[Eddy]

One 3D platformer I do find to be kind of underrated and forgotten about, though, is Bomberman Hero. I like it more than Bomberman 64, even if it doesn't play like your usual Bomberman game.

[Kiddington]

Kazooie = 
Tooie = 
Nuts & Bolts = 

That's two out of three that aren't looking so good (Nuts & Bolts, IMO, is okay on its own merits, but should've been its own standalone platformer, NOT a BK title). Really wish they'd finally get around to Threeie one of these days to balance things out.

[Foggle]

Microsoft will probably never let Rareware make another non-Kinect, non-shovelware title. And even if they did, I'm pretty sure most of the talented developers have already left the company.

[talonmalon333]

I might also add Spyro the Dragon in there. While its two direct sequels were a bit watered down, and all the games after them were just plain bad, the original Spyro was certainly something great.

[Avaitor]

Man, I remember finding all 3 Spyro games for #3 a piece at GoodWill not too long ago. I ended up passing on them for the simple reason that I just never hook up my PS1 any more (that might have also been the same day I found those SNES games, as well).

I regret not picking them up now.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Sure.

Ratchet & Clank, Going Commando, Up Your Arsenal
Jak & Daxter, Jak 2
Psychonauts
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Conker's Bad Fur Day

I would consider all of those to be better than Super Mario 64 (which is still an awesome game, btw).

These to start with.

Then, Maximo: Ghosts To Glory, Crash Bandicoot PS1 trilogy, Sly Cooper & The Thievius Racoonus (minigames aside, it's quite fun), Banjo Kazooie, and Rocket: Robot With Wheels are all pretty good 3D platformers.

Other than those I haven't enjoyed the genre as much as its 2D equivalent.

[Foggle]

http://www.siliconera.com/2013/05/04/conkers-bad-fur-day-fundraiser-seeks-funds-to-release-uncut-build/

Wow, the uncensored version of that cutscene is really disturbing; more so than most serious games. I don't like it.

[RacattackForce]

So, so excited for Rayman Legends.

[gunswordfist]

Here's some completely underrated platformers that I feel like plugging:


ESWAT: City Under Siege



It's a hard action platformer with a neat gimmick. It's fairly overlooked.

Eswat seemed too cheaply made for me to get into.