Summary
TheMariogames are celebrated as titans in every genre they touch. With titles likeSuper Mario 64defining the future of 3D platformers, theNew Super Mario Bros.reinventing 2D platformers with fresh takes on the classic games, andSuper Mario Odysseybecoming a modern classic with its movement and exploration - the games are undoubtedly excellent. But for many fans, the wait for the next installment afterSuper Mario Bros. Wonderhas them looking for something new to jump to.
For those who need morecharming, cartoony gameplaywith tight controls and a focus on polished and playful presentation, this list featuressome of the best platformersthat take inspiration from Nintendo’s iconic Italian plumber.
Gamers who enjoyedNew Super Mario Bros.might enjoy the tight 2D platforming ofRogue Legacy.Legacyis upfront aboutits roguelike influencesbut captures that spirit perfectly. It allows players to take control of a new ancestor in each run and platform their way to the next boss for tense combat that is easy to learn and impossible to ever truly master.
Progress is made when the player dies and brings any collected gold back to buy permanent unlocks and upgrades. The castle is randomly generated, but the bosses are always confined to their areas, ensuring there is always a direct goal - this time, the hero should make it to the giant eye and kill it, etc. The game has a sense of humor, too, and never takes itself too seriously, with some characters seeing the world in black and white and making a run that is entirely played in monochrome. Or perhaps one’s character has a fear of chickens, and the precious health items become formidable foes.
Each and every aspect ofCelestehas been praised widely and justifiably. Madeleine climbs Celeste Mountain, which, she is told time and time again, will kill her by the people she meets on her ascent and by a dark presence that haunts her throughout. A beautiful take on anxiety and the concept of a lack of self-confidence, the gameplay is some of the most engaging platforming in generations.
Starting with the basics - jumping, climbing, and dashing - and evolving into a manic scurry across timed stages with flight and blocks to dash through,Celesteis a spiritual successor to games likeSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. It features simple mechanics that are stretched to their limits and poses challenge after challenge to players who are ready to face them. The speed of the game makes those ‘just one more try’ moments come constantly, and optional challenges, like remixed levels, addlongevity and replayabilityto an already exceptional game.
If the maddening speed ofSuper Mario Sunshineleft any wanting more, the 2D platformerPizza Towerpushes the insanity to previously inconceivable heights. Gamers play as an Italian man - already drawing similarities to another mustachioed hero - who must climb the Pizza Tower to save his restaurant. The dizzying speed is accompanied by a combo meter and a score counter that are always explosively visible and urge the player to push on faster in the same way as a high scoreboard inan arcade game would.
After finishing a stage, the music will get even more intense, and a timer will start to count down. The player then has to descend the level that they have just completed while on a maddening time limit. The platforming is perfectly precise with any kind of speed, making things slippy and difficult, but the star of the show is the punchy retro soundtrack that is catchy and bizarre all at once.
4Remnants Of Naezith
Mario Meets Webswinging
Some of the more challenging levels inSuper Mario Sunshinerelied on precise jumps and speedy platforming.Mario Odyssey’s Balloon World also used the speed and tricky task of hard-to-pull-off maneuvers to create something difficult but rewarding.Remnants of Naezithis areallyhard game, butthe grappling hookand swinging physics are perfect.
There isno cap on momentum, so exhilarating speeds are always tantalizingly reachable. Add in the speedrun feature, which can make the whole experience competitive, and this title becomes a worthwhile competitor to Balloon World and other platforming racing games. Thanks to the Steam community, there is also a selection of community-made levels that can extend the gameplay even further.
3BattleBlock Theater
A Co-Op Competition
The couch cooperative modes in theNew Super Mario Bros.games encourage competitive teamwork for friends who can gather around one screen.BattleBlock Theaterlets players use the same local co-op or online play butramps up the competitionup to eleven. Fans can collect new characters to play as or new gadgets and then go into levels where they will have to work together closely on puzzles, platforming, and timed sections.
The comedic story sees a shipload of friends captured and imprisoned by cats and forced into deadly stage plays. The puzzles that teams will encounter will test friendships, and the hilarious cartoon violence of throwing an explosive paper airplane at teammates can often derail a good attempt at a difficult level. With plenty to unlock, arena modes, genuinely challenging platforming, and enough game modes and collectibles to drown in,BattleBlock Theateris a definite descendant ofMario Bros.in many ways.
For fans ofSuper Mario Odyssey,A Hat In Timeactsas a collectathonin a 3D open sandbox with heaps of exploration and cutesy charm. Players take on the role of the Hat Kid, a spacefaring child in a magical top hat, who will jump, swing, and climb her way around tricky platforms to sew new hats for new magical abilities.
With five huge maps that feel familiar to those experienced withOdyssey’s Kingdoms, the cast of friendly locals will let fans settle into the over-the-top and adorable visuals quickly. Hat Kid will have to solve murders, platform precisely, and use her powers to succeed in this much-loved game.
Psychonautsis a 3D platformer with plenty of action that sees Razputin - a young psychic agent in training - at a camp for children like him. The story is surreal and unstable, with twists, turns, and big betrayals that lead to Razputin entering platforming segments inside the minds of plenty of different characters. This approach makes it much easier to grow to love these characters, as players can see what makes them tick.
The variety of levels, with winding Escheresque pavements on one level followed by a psychedelic disco world, gives an excuse for the level design to show off everything it can do. TheMariogames often play with mechanics until they reach their limits, and the same approach is taken inPsychonautswiththe psychic abilities. Telekinesis and levitation are given enough uses that players will constantly be surprised by the goofy animation and the results of their chaotic powers.
