Best Action Platformer

Spelunky HD is a challenging roguelike action game built around intricate cave environments. It recreates the core gameplay of Derek Yu’s original Spelunky, known for its unpredictable procedural generation and punishing permanent death mechanic. The game offers deep strategic depth and replayabilit...

Super Mario All-Stars is a 1993 compilation for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It comprises remakes of four classic NES and Famicom games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. These remakes include enhanced graphics, altered p...

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a 2017 compilation developed and published by Yacht Club Games. It bundles several retro-style, 2D side-scrolling platforming campaigns featuring the titular Shovel Knight, including Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and King of Cards. The compil...

Mega Man X is a 1993 Super Nintendo platform game originating from the Mega Man series. Set one hundred years after the original, it features an android named X and his partner Zero battling Reploids, robots with human-like qualities. The narrative centers on X’s mission to thwart Sigma, a Maverick...

Gunstar Heroes is a 1993 Sega Genesis action platformer developed by Treasure. It’s notable for its intense run-and-gun gameplay and innovative weapon combining system, allowing players to create dynamic attack patterns. The game offers challenging level design and precise controls appealing to expe...

Mega Man 2 is a classic action platformer released by Capcom in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The game’s innovative level design and memorable boss battles established key elements of the Mega Man series. It remains popular with gamers who enjoy challenging gameplay, precise cont...

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest is a 1995 platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Developed by Rare and published by Nintendo, it serves as the second title in the Donkey Kong Country series following its predecessor released in 1994. The game was initially launched in J...

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a 1997 PlayStation platform game where players control Klonoa and Huepow to thwart an evil spirit’s attempt to corrupt the dream world of Phantomile. The game utilizes a 2.5D perspective, allowing for three-dimensional environments navigated via a two-dimensional path....

Hades is a critically acclaimed roguelike dungeon crawler where you play as Zagreus, the Prince of the Underworld, attempting to escape his father's realm. Its defining feature is its narrative integration with the roguelike loop; each death reveals more of the story and unlocks permanent upgrades....

Super Castlevania IV is a 1991 platform game created by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The title was subsequently released in various editions, most notably through the Super NES Classic Edition. It features gameplay centered around navigating castle levels and battling enemies.

Donkey Kong Country is a 1994 platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The gameplay involves navigating 40 side-scrolling levels to retrieve a stolen banana hoard from King K. Rool and his Kremling army, featuring cooperative or competitive multiplayer modes. Players utilize variou...

Rogue Legacy 2 is a challenging action platformer where players control successive generations of knights battling through a sprawling castle. The game’s notable feature is its hereditary system; each heir inherits traits and abilities from their predecessors, influencing gameplay and creating unpre...

Katana ZERO is a high-octane, neo-noir action platformer that perfectly encapsulates the 'high-tech, low-life' aesthetic. Players control a samurai with superhuman abilities navigating a drug-fueled dystopian city. The game features a unique time-manipulation mechanic where players must plan out the...

Wario Land 4 is a 2001 platform game for the Game Boy Advance developed by Nintendo R&D1. Players control Wario as he pursues four treasures to access a pyramid and rescue Princess Shokora from the Golden Diva. The game features acclaimed graphics and gameplay mechanics within its platforming struct...

Rayman Origins is a 2011 platform game developed by Ubisoft, marking the first main Rayman title since 2003. The story centers on Rayman, Globox, and Teensies battling Darktoons across the Glade of Dreams following an accidental unleashing of evil. It was released for multiple platforms including Pl...

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is an action platformer developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, released in Japan in 1991 and in North America in 1992. It is the third main installment in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, following Ghosts 'n Goblins and Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Pl...

Gimmick! is a 1992 platform game developed by Sunsoft for the Famicom/NES. The game centers on Yumetaro, a small green creature who pursues a girl transported to another dimension after her toys animate. Players control Yumetaro, utilizing his star-shooting ability to navigate levels and overcome ob...

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse is a 1989 platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Konami. The game was initially released in Japan on December 22, 1989, and later localized for North America in September 1990 and PAL regions in May 1992. It was published under Konami’s Palc...

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master was a 1993 hack and slash platform game developed by Sega for the Sega Genesis. It followed *The Revenge of Shinobi* as a direct sequel, receiving critical acclaim and being recognized as one of the best games on the system. The game’s development was handled...

Ninja Gaiden is a 1988 hack-and-slash platform game created by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was initially released in Japan in December 1988, with North American distribution following in March 1989 and European release in August 1991. The title has since been ported to various pl...

Astro’s Playroom is a platformer game exclusive to the PlayStation 5. Developed by Sony, it showcases the console's capabilities through its innovative controls and visual design. The game offers an engaging exploration experience suitable for players of all ages and serves as a fantastic introducti...

Donkey Kong, released in 1981, is an arcade platform game where the player controls Mario to navigate a New York City construction site. The objective involves rescuing Pauline from the control of the giant gorilla, Donkey Kong. This title marks both the beginning of the Donkey Kong series and Mario...

Turrican II: The Final Fight is a 1991 run-and-gun platformer by Factor 5, released on Amiga and later other platforms, widely celebrated for Chris Hülsbeck's dynamic musical score and large open levels.

Mega Man Zero is a 2002 Game Boy Advance game created by Inti Creates and published by Capcom. The title serves as the first entry in the Mega Man Zero series, expanding upon the Mega Man X franchise approximately one century later. It centers on Zero’s awakening to assist Ciel and her resistance ag...

Mega Man X4 is a 1997 action platformer developed in Japan for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. It features two playable characters, X with his arm cannon and Zero utilizing an energy blade. Known for its challenging level design and intense shooter gameplay, it appeals to fans of retro video games...

Strider is a 1989 arcade hack-and-slash platform game created by Capcom in collaboration with Moto Kikaku. The game centers on Strider Hiryu’s mission to overthrow the Grandmaster Meio and his tyrannical rule over a dystopian future Earth. It served as the video game debut of the character originall...

Mega Man 9 is a 2008 platform game created by Capcom and Inti Creates, marking the ninth installment in the original Mega Man series. Initially released digitally on WiiWare, PSN, and XBLA, it was the first mainline entry without a physical release. It later became part of the Mega Man Legacy Collec...

Castlevania is a classic action-adventure video game developed by Konami. Initially released for Japanese arcades and the Famicom Disk System in 1986, it gained international recognition through NES ports. The game’s notable difficulty and dark fantasy setting established its place as an iconic titl...

New Super Mario Bros., released in 2006 for Nintendo DS, is the inaugural game of its subseries. The title features Mario’s journey to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser's forces across eight worlds containing over eighty levels. It incorporates familiar power-ups like the Super Mushroom and Fire Flo...