suggest some good PC platformers ?

[mohit9206]

ok so have been playing a lot of action games, fps games, racing games etc and want to try something different for a while to break the monotony.
one genre that really interests me are platformers. so i did a bit a bit of research on the internet and found some really cool old school platformers that am really interested in playing.
but there are so many of them that i cant decide which ones are the best for me to get.
i did come to know that the two most critically acclaimed platformers on the pc are PSYCHONAUTS and RAYMAN 2. how good are these two ?
so can you recommend me some of the very best platformers on the pc ? ( yup i only have a pc and have no access to any other console so no nintendo or playstation games).
my main priorities are the game above all should be very fun to play, should not be very difficult ,have a decent story if possible and have smooth and pleasing graphics.
3D platformers are what am mostly interested in but some really great 2D ones will also do.
also how about bugs bunny lost in time, donald duck quack attack, madagascar the game, billy hatcher and giant egg, jazz jackrabbit 2, gianna sisters, worms, pitfall lost expedition etc ?
so what platformers for pc have you played and recommend to me and others like me ? thanks a lot

 

[Rose and Thorn]

I haven't played enough platformers, I also plan to start trying them out and I will probably play Braid as my first real platformer. I love Terraria and it is kind of a platformer/minecraft mixture. No story, but really fun and smooth gameplay. Well it has more story than minecraft.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Psychonauts. Just Psychonauts. Very good platformer and on PC.

 

[thatonedude11]

Psychonauts is great. Get it now. Seriously, it is on sale for 75% off on steam right now, so pick it up. As for other PC platformers, the only ones I have really played are Mirror's edge and Super Meat Boy. Mirrors edge is quite a bit of fun, if a bit shot. Super Meat boy is hard as hell, but is really enjoyable (note: a gamepad is pretty much a must for this game). Those are my suggestions. Get Psychonauts.

 

[kyogen]

Mirror's Edge has a PC release--unusual but very fun first-person, parkour-style platforming

Trine 1&2--action-fantasy platformers, 2-D but really nice artwork

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy--all three are available at GOG.com, third-person, 3-D parkour platforming

Psychonauts is ok, but it isn't strictly a platformer. It involves several other genres as well; there's plenty of jumping, but it's supposed to be a bit of a grab-bag. It's not my favorite, but it was worth a playthrough.

 

[LookingGlass]

kyogen's suggestions are all very good games and Psychonauts is great until the meat circus.

I'd also recommend Limbo and Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (though this one can be a little difficult at times).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Viewtiful Joe and its many sequels. Beautiful 2D cel-shaded graphics and time-manipulation mechanisms well before Braid hit the PC. Arguably, VJ is more of a beat 'em up than a puzzle game, but the puzzle element is there alright. Also the Prince of Persia trilogy (Sands of Time, Warrior Within, Two Thrones) and Psychonauts.

 

[Weaver]

Rayman Origins and Sonic Generations were both pretty good, IMO.
If you want to break the 2D mold, I loved Mirror's Edge.

 

[mohit9206]

ok thanks guys. am currently downloading psychonauts from steam and will download rayman as well. i wanted to ask is it possible to play ps1 games on pc as there are some great platformers on ps1 that i really wanted to play like ape escape, spyro the dragon, etc.
will it be illegal to download ps1 games as they are no longer in production ? also how do i play them on my pc ?

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

ok thanks guys. am currently downloading psychonauts from steam and will download rayman as well. i wanted to ask is it possible to play ps1 games on pc as there are some great platformers on ps1 that i really wanted to play like ape escape, spyro the dragon, etc.
will it be illegal to download ps1 games as they are no longer in production ? also how do i play them on my pc ?

Ps1 emulator. Technically it its illegal, but likely no one will care about those kind of games being pirated anymore. There's no guarantee of how well those games function, mind you, since theyw were originally designedto be played on a gamepad.

 

[snave]

Super Meat Boy!

Great to hear you're starting with Psychonauts. Skip Rayman 2 and get Rayman Legends. Its an excellent recent title with all the gameplay of Rayman but with the difficulty scaled back to optional challenge modes. And its downright visually gorgeous. As great as Rayman 2 was compared to other 3D platformers, I still think it was a step back from the 2D appraoch. Few companies have really got 3D down pat, and most produce console exclusives (Marios, Banjo Kazooies, Crash Bandicoots, etc). If you do try Mirror's Edge (very much a platformer, many others on those earlier lists such as Braid and Terraria are just games with minor platforming elements) and like it, be aware that you're shit out of luck for finding similar games. Its basically one of a kind; the only good first-person platformer ever really made.

Worms is a great little multiplayer game, but it's not a platformer. Don't let the graphics deceive you. Platformer as a genre is basically built around obstacle navigation as the core mechanic. Plan a route, and jump your way to freedom. Most games show some elements, but few take it and roll with it as a core mechanic these days, as its a genre severely lacking space to innovate after 25 years of being the default go-to idea. By that logic however, Portal could actually be a borderline fit and a true show of innovation in the field.

Trine is an interesting example of a platformer with a twist. You'll find the puzzles get a bit indistinguishable later on, once you come up with a strategy or two that can overcome most problems (or unlock the flying platform, seriously). But if you stick with the girl as your main character, its pretty much a solid old-school platform title.

And skip Limbo. As far as gameplay goes, its pretty terrible. Some people love the aesthetic (I didn't as I felt it was predictable cliche), and for them, its a great little work. But, if you were to say, render the game in whimsical 16-bit style, I doubt it'd even have a Metacritic score above 5 to tell the truth.

If you want a host of free 2D titles, try trawling the depths of the indie scene. TIGsource should have a tonne of recommendations with links to relevant websites if you just have a poke through the archive. VVVVV is tonnes of fun, with some tough as nails optional challenges. And, if it turns out you like 2D exploration mechanics rather than the actual precision jumps that define the genre, games like Iji and Aquaria are brilliant. Knytt and An Untitled Story were two great free indie titles from a few plus years back. Runman Race Around the World was a whimsical MS Paint take on what made the original Sonic the Hedgehog games fun. Again, the price is nil for these three, so you've nothing but time to lose.

For tough-as-nails alternatives, Spelunky is a fun, free, platformer rogue-like (ie: procedurally generated levels). At the moment, I'm playing La Mulana, a non-procedurally generated game that actually reminds me of Spelunky. Probably not a great game to start on, but one that might appeal to some of the others offering advice on this thread.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

If you liked Psychonauts, you'd probably like Alice: Madness Returns and American McGee's Alice.

 

[shrekfan246]

Viewtiful Joe and its many sequels. Beautiful 2D cel-shaded graphics and time-manipulation mechanisms well before Braid hit the PC. Arguably, VJ is more of a beat 'em up than a puzzle game, but the puzzle element is there alright. Also the Prince of Persia trilogy (Sands of Time, Warrior Within, Two Thrones) and Psychonauts.

Yeah... Viewtiful Joe was never on the PC. And he's asking for platformers... I suppose he didn't specify whether he's got a Gamecube/PS2 or not, but still.

OT: Sonic Generations, Mirror's Edge, EDIT: and American McGee's Alice/Alice: Madness Returns get my biggest recommendations. I'm not really up on the Indie scene, but I know that metric fucktons of those games are platformers based around some gimmick or another, so trawl through any list of indie games and you're sure to find at least one or two that are pretty decent.

 

[Shinsei-J]

Braid
A puzzle platformer based on time travel mechanics.
Easily enjoyed, yet hard to master and if you like challenging collectables this is for you.

Cave Story
Metroidvania type game done well.
Just play it.

 

[mohit9206]

i did play mirror's edge and while the platforming was fun in the first couple of hours it became really repetitive and boring. not to mention the story was terrible. i also have alice in wonderland game based on the movie which came out in 2010. is it similar to alice madness returns and american mcgee's alice ?
also there are quite a few rayman games available which one should i play among rayman 1, rayman 2 great escape, rayman 3 hoodlum havoc,rayman origins and rayman raving rabbids.
also i downloaded jazz jackrabbit 2 . really great side scrolling 2D platformer straight from the snes era.

 

[mohit9206]

Viewtiful Joe and its many sequels. Beautiful 2D cel-shaded graphics and time-manipulation mechanisms well before Braid hit the PC. Arguably, VJ is more of a beat 'em up than a puzzle game, but the puzzle element is there alright. Also the Prince of Persia trilogy (Sands of Time, Warrior Within, Two Thrones) and Psychonauts.

Yeah... Viewtiful Joe was never on the PC. And he's asking for platformers... I suppose he didn't specify whether he's got a Gamecube/PS2 or not, but still.

actually i do have a ps2 but the thing is the games am looking for to play on my ps2 are available nowhere in my country to purchase i tried looking everywhere. and i dont want shipping costs from ordering from another country.
i wish i could play jak and daxter, ratchet and clank, ape escape 3,spyro the dragon, crash bandicoot etc on my ps2 so only pc for now

 

[snave]

Rayman is an incredibly polluted, disjointed IP. For such a small list of titles, the gameplay varies immensely.

Rayman: Incredibly difficult 2D platformer
Rayman 2 Great Escape: Linear 3D platformer
Rayman 3 Hoodlum Havoc: Linear 3D platformer, direct sequel to Great Escape
Rayman Origins: Pretty modern 2D platformer
Rayman Legends: Pretty upcoming 2D platformer, direct sequel to Origins

Rayman Raving Rabbids: A seperate game utterly unrelated with the Rayman IP tacked on

I'd recommend Origins. Its basically a reboot.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Viewtiful Joe and its many sequels. Beautiful 2D cel-shaded graphics and time-manipulation mechanisms well before Braid hit the PC. Arguably, VJ is more of a beat 'em up than a puzzle game, but the puzzle element is there alright. Also the Prince of Persia trilogy (Sands of Time, Warrior Within, Two Thrones) and Psychonauts.

Yeah... Viewtiful Joe was never on the PC. And he's asking for platformers... I suppose he didn't specify whether he's got a Gamecube/PS2 or not, but still.

OT: Sonic Generations, Mirror's Edge, EDIT: and American McGee's Alice/Alice: Madness Returns get my biggest recommendations. I'm not really up on the Indie scene, but I know that metric fucktons of those games are platformers based around some gimmick or another, so trawl through any list of indie games and you're sure to find at least one or two that are pretty decent.

I know it's not the ideal scenario, but Viewtiful Joe runs fine on an emulator. And it is a platformer? Not really an opinion, the game's tagged as one everywhere.

While I'm at it, I highly recommend the Oddworld series. There's four in all but only the first two are actual platformers. The first two are in 2D, the latter are in 3D; all are available on the PC. They're more or less oldies, but still good fun.