10 Most Revolutionary Platformers Everyone Needs To Play

The humble platformer genre has come a long way over the years.

Back in the day, it was all about Super Mario, with every new release delivering something fresh, new, and fun. There's more to the genre than just Nintendo and company, though. Sure, there's going to be several Nintendo games on our list of revolutionary platformers, but in reality, there's been a lot of advancements made by AAA and, especially as of late, indie studios as well.

That innovation is still going strong in the indie scene today, with so many new and unique titles delivering fresh gameplay twists that have us coming back for more. The truth is, we could really be here all day, so let's limit ourselves and present ten of the most revolutionary platformers everyone needs to play.

10 Donkey Kong

The One That Started It All

Without 1981's Donkey Kong, there arguably would be no platformer genre today.

It wasn't the first platformer, but like Wolfenstein 3D, this is the one that forever changed the world of gaming as the first "true" platformer. The introduction of jumping over obstacles, vertically climbing, and scaling each level, all while dealing with everything Donkey Kong threw our way, gave us a brand-new way to play video games.

The result was not only the introduction of a new genre of gaming, but also the birth of major names in the gaming industry: Donkey Kong and Mario, Nintendo, and Shigeru Miyamoto.

9 Super Mario Bros.

Let's A Go!

After the success of Donkey Kong in arcades, Nintendo decided to innovate the platforming experience for home consoles. The result was 1985's Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

The platforming gameplay established and popularized by Donkey Kong a few years prior has been brought to the world of 2D side-scrolling. Instead of heading up, you're making your way from left to right, dealing with even more obstacles and enemies. Thanks to the super precise controls, though,

Its success would help revive the gaming industry following the crash of 1983 by delivering one of the most iconic video games of all time. It sure helps, too, that the gameplay is timeless and has held up over 40 years later.

8 Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Gotta Go Fast!

What if Mario were lightning fast? Then he'd be Sonic the Hedgehog.

Sega's mascot had his own platformer series, debuting in 1991 for the Sega Genesis. It was a great alternative to Super Mario, but it wouldn't reach its full potential until a year later with Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

What makes Sonic 2 such a revolutionary platform is its level design and how it plays perfectly with the sense of speed and momentum Sonic builds. It feels like a roller coaster, working your way to the top of a hill before being unleashed.

7 Crash Bandicoot

Sony's Platformer

Okay, going fast was nice, but what about precise platforming in a 3D environment? No, we're not walking about an open 3D world just yet; Crash takes place in a linear 3D environment.

That's Crash Bandicoot, proving that the platformer genre can live beyond a 2D world.

Is it a little difficult? Sure, but I'd argue that's part of the allure here. Prior platformers mastered accessibility, but Crash Bandicoot's charm is its difficulty, along with far and away some of the most personality you'll ever see in a game. It's a formula that's proved iconic, whether you're playing the original games or the more recent Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

6 Super Mario 64

Wahoo!

It's only fitting that, for a franchise that has already changed the way we play games once, it would come around a decade later and do it once again.

Super Mario 64 brings the world of video games into a fully 3D environment. No limitations, no smoke and mirrors; Mario was free to explore the world around him, and does so with the impressive, precise controls we'd expect from a Nintendo platformer.

Armed with an impressive arsenal of moves, Mario has never controlled better than he did on the Nintendo 64. While there are certainly better 3D platformers out there (Banjo-Kazooie), none are as revolutionary as Super Mario 64.

5 Portal

An Innovative FPS Puzzle Platformer

One of the nice trends in modern gaming is a developer's ability to blend genres together.

There is no better example of this than 2007's Portal, which was nothing more than a free tie-in with The Orange Box alongside Half-Life 2 Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2. As it would turn out, Portal would end up stealing the show.

On the surface, it doesn't look like a platformer. In reality, it uses platforming puzzles to drive forward its FPS gameplay. The innovative hook of the portal mechanic only adds to the game's allure and charm.

4 Mirror's Edge

A One-Hit Wonder

Portal isn't the only platformer to offer players a first-person view. Mirror's Edge goes all in on that gimmick, delivering more traditional platforming gameplay from that first-person point of view.

It would have been incredibly easy to see the game stumble; platforming in Crash Bandicoot was hard enough, now you want to do this in first person? That wasn't the case, though. Mirror's Edge is a breath of fresh air.

Sadly, Mirror's Edge wasn't a major blockbuster hit upon release, with many struggling to comprehend the game's controls. Over time, however, it's rightfully become a cult classic thanks to how revolutionary it is. I wish we saw more developers take risks with the genre like this; the market feels more welcoming to this type of game.

3 Super Meat Boy

Prepare to Die. A Lot.

Super Meat Boy's gameplay doesn't seem all too innovative at first glance. It's an incredibly solid, notoriously difficult 2D platformer, but that's been done in the past before.

What makes Super Meat Boy such a revolutionary platformer, though, is specifically where it comes from: a smaller independent team.

Super Meat Boy is far from the first indie game. Still, it's one that broke through to the mainstream and proved that smaller developers were more than capable of delivering experiences on par with, or exceeding, those of established industry veterans.

2 Shovel Knight

More Than Just Nostalgia

With indie gems like Super Meat Boy and Fez paving the way, the floodgates were opened.

Indie developers are known for their creativity, and there's no better example of that than Shovel Knight.

It would have been easy to deliver a classic 2D platformer with old-school NES visuals and call it a day, but Yacht Club Games goes the extra mile. Not only does it look like a classic retro game, but it also plays like one, blending together old-school design with modern ideas. Best of all, Yacht Club kept innovating through a seemingly endless amount of incredible DLC releases.

1 Celeste

A Challenging, Emotional Platformer

When talking about the most revolutionary shooters, I mentioned that Mass Effect 2 was the result of years of innovation, design, and a strong narrative structure, all coming together into one package.

In the world of platformers, that's Celeste. The precise platforming that's been a foundation since the Super Mario Bros. days is here, combined with a steeper challenge we've come to expect from games like Super Meat Boy.

The one thing that gives Celeste an extra edge and makes it such a revolutionary platformer is how well it ties its storytelling into the actual gameplay. As you're climbing up the mountain, you're also climbing up your own metaphorical mountain as you're working to overcome struggles and anxiety. There's a reason why Celeste is one of the highest reviewed games of all time; it deserves to be played by every platformer fan.