What is the absolute best 2D platformer you have ever played?

Just let me know your favorite pure platformer and why it's your favorite. The requirements for an acceptable answer is that the game must run on a scrolling 2D screen, horizontal or vertical, the majority of the game must be based on presice jumping and platforming, there must be clearly defined levels, and shooting a projectile weapon (a gun) cannot be the major attack maneuver for the main character. This means that games like Contra and Super Metroid are out, as well as never-ending, one-screen arcade games like Donkey Kong. Anything else, Kid Icarus to Mario, is in. I want to know your favorites because I am a 2D platformer enthusiast and I want to make sure I didn't miss any old-school gems. Here's my Top 5 in order from worst to best to get your brain working:

5) Wario Land: Shake It

4) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

3) Super Mario World

2) Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

For my top 5 itd be...

1) Donkey Kong Country 2

2) Donkey Kong Country

3) Super Mario Bros 2

4) Super Mario World

5) Super Mario Bros 3

I think Donkey Kong Country 2 is the best one.

Wario Land
Yoshi's Island
Super Mario Bros 3
New Super Mario Bros

Never been a huge platformer fan but I loved Flood on the Amiga and Flashback even though that's more of an action/adventure :D

is donkey kong country 1 better, worse, or as good as the second.

Never been a huge platformer fan but I loved Flood on the Amiga and Flashback even though that's more of an action/adventure :D

[QUOTE="Rainbow_Lion"]

Never been a huge platformer fan but I loved Flood on the Amiga and Flashback even though that's more of an action/adventure :D

littlebigdude44

Super Mario World. It has everything that a great platformer should have. Completing it 100% took awhile, but beating those special stages was worth it in the end.

Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. They are awesome.

For me it was either Super Mario World or Super Mario 3.

It's between Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country. I can't decide.

Donkey kong country 2, Super Mario world and Blackthorne , but i doubt many people here have played it

Super Mario World for me.

Donkey Kong Country no doubt. DKC 2 was great as well.

In terms of the 8-bit era I always thought Kirby's Adventure was awesome, and the music was some of the best ever. Just sad my little cotton candy friend was overshadowed by Mario :(

My favourote is Donkey Kong County 2, followed closely by Sonic 2.

Both improved on their predacessors is leaps and bounds, and were just incredibly fun to play.

Super Mario World, Super Mario Bros. 3 or Donkey Kong Country 2 and I also really like Bubsy.

im not sure how anyone can rank yoshi's island, but to everyone's own... lol

1) mario world

2) mario bros 3

3) donkey kong

1 super mario galaxy

2 smb3

3 smb1'

4 spyro 1

5 super paper mario

1. Super Mario Bros. 3
2. Super Mario Bros.
3. Super Mario World
4. Donkey Kong Country 2

Just let me know your favorite pure platformer and why it's your favorite. The requirements for an acceptable answer is that the game must run on a scrolling 2D screen, horizontal or vertical, the majority of the game must be based on presice jumping and platforming, there must be clearly defined levels, and shooting a projectile weapon (a gun) cannot be the major attack maneuver for the main character. This means that games like Contra and Super Metroid are out, as well as never-ending, one-screen arcade games like Donkey Kong. Anything else, Kid Icarus to Mario, is in. I want to know your favorites because I am a 2D platformer enthusiast and I want to make sure I didn't miss any old-school gems. Here's my Top 5 in order from worst to best to get your brain working:

5) Wario Land: Shake It

4) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

3) Super Mario World

2) Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

littlebigdude44

I love Donkey Kong Country, but to mix it up a little I'm going to say Super Return of the Jedi.

*Shakes fist at inability to choose my favorite Jak & Daxter game*

1. Jak & Daxter 1

2. Tomba

3.Spyro

4. SMB3

5. DKC 2

Yoshi's Island for the SNES. God, that was one amazing experience.

But DoReMi Fantasy for the SNES, and Rayman 3 for the GBA are two of the most underrated platforming gems are out there. I'm a huge 2d platforming enthusiast as well, and am also on the lookout for little known classics I might have missed. There's Bonk's Adventure for the NES...really kooky, that one, but very fun. Then there was Banana Prince, although I don't know if that can be called a platformer in the truest sense. Aero the Acrobat 2 was fun. One platformer I had tremendous fun playing as a kid was Jungle Book. Look for the Genesis version, NOT SNES!

Mickey Mania for the SNES, and Castle of Illusion are must play games for any platforming fan. Lion King and Alladin for the Genesis, as well as Mickey's Magical Adventure 1 for the Snes. I remember loving Darkwing Duck for the NES too.

I'm surprised no one mentioned Plok for the SNES!

Come to think of it, a pure platformer is seriously hard to come by these days. I know exactly what you mean. People call Super Metroid and Castlevania platformers...thats just wrong.

Check out Felix the Cat on the NES for some old school platforming goodness too!

I guess Super Mario Bros 3.

[QUOTE="littlebigdude44"]

Just let me know your favorite pure platformer and why it's your favorite. The requirements for an acceptable answer is that the game must run on a scrolling 2D screen, horizontal or vertical, the majority of the game must be based on presice jumping and platforming, there must be clearly defined levels, and shooting a projectile weapon (a gun) cannot be the major attack maneuver for the main character. This means that games like Contra and Super Metroid are out, as well as never-ending, one-screen arcade games like Donkey Kong. Anything else, Kid Icarus to Mario, is in. I want to know your favorites because I am a 2D platformer enthusiast and I want to make sure I didn't miss any old-school gems. Here's my Top 5 in order from worst to best to get your brain working:

5) Wario Land: Shake It

4) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

3) Super Mario World

2) Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

spielvorbei

sounds like you have pretty good tastes to me. lol

well if I had to choose it would be Sonic CD and Mario Land 2:6 Golden Coinsfor me.

other notable ones include Sonic 1, Rayman (the original one), and Megaman X

Sonic the hedgehog 2.

Hmm...

5. Super Mario Bros

4. Sonic 2

3. Sonic 3

2. Super Mario World

1. Donkey Kong Country 2

It's between Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country. I can't decide.

SSlater413

For sure. I think we can just leave it at that. They were both amazing; Super Mario World being the first game played on the SNES and remaining one of the best, and the the Christmas DK Country rolled out was amazing. I remember being subscribed to Nintendo Power and them sending me "a making of" VHS for Donkey Kong Country and being so pumped for it. "All the layers of snow snow," and "32-bit graphics on the SNES for the first time" etc. Such a sweet game.

1. Sonic 2

2.Super Mario World

3.Rayman(The Original)

Donkey kong 1,2 and 3 are always a good place to start.

Castlevania: Bloodlines

Super Mario Bros. 1-2

High Seas Havoc

Sonic The Hedgehog 1-3

Sonic 1,2,3 & Knuckles And Super Mario Bros. :D

Easy Super Metroid

Honorable mention goes out to Donkey Kong Country 2 and Sonic 3 when its combined with Sonic & Knuckles

Easy Super Metroid

Honorable mention goes out to Donkey Kong Country 2 and Sonic 3 when its combined with Sonic & Knuckles

dark_orb

DKC 1 and 2

Sonic 1 and 2

Super Mario Bros

you really can't beat Super Mario World, or Yoshi's Island. both superb at the time and still joys to play now. Also, Hat's off to Sonic the hedghog. His Mega drive games are defo among my all time favorates.

So, top 5 in no particular order are : -

Super Mario World

Yoshi's Island

Sonic The Hedghog 2 (i personally prefer 2 to the original, but only slightly)

Flashback (though, going with the OP's description, not sure ifI can include it? for those that don't know,It's a superb platform game in the vein of prince of persia, but with a far more sci-fi and complex story, some compared it to Total Recall at the time, though i think this completely undersells it. The graphics, animation and story were superb for the time.a real revelation of a platformer.)

Rocket Knight Adventures on the MegaDrive. An often forgotten game that features one of the best most action packed platforming adventures I've ever played. And I'm also happy that Konami have decided that they're gonna re-boot the Rocket Knight very soon. :D

Super Mario Bros. 3. Absolutely NO doubt whatsoever. Beautiful, great game.

1. Super Mario Bros.
2. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles
3. Super Mario World
4. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
5. Super Metroid (U could call it a platformer)

Honorable Mentions: Donkey Kong Country, Megaman 3, Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Land, Vectorman 2, Kid Chameleon, Sonic CD and Super Mario Bros. 3.

I would say Super Mario World. I played DKC and wasnt impressed with it. Also Super Metroid is not a platformer, its an action/adventure.