The 20 best platform games, from Super Mario Odyssey to Sonic the Hedgehog

A countdown of the best platformers of all time

Thursday 06 February 2020 17:46 GMT

Super Mario Odyssey - Game Trailer - Nintendo E3 2017

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Platformers – video games in which players must jump, climb and traverse obstacles to reach their goal – have been at the very forefront of the gaming world for decades.

While platform games started out in 2D, with maps stretching from left to right, the invention of 3D gaming on the PlayStation and N64 revolutionised what platformers could do.

From timeless Nintendo classics like Donkey Kong and the Mario franchise, to more modern independent gems such as Limbo, the genre has always found new ways to keep itself feeling fresh.

See below for a list of the 20 best platformers from down the years, ranked.

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Thank you for registering

The 20 best platform games, from Super Mario Odyssey to Sonic the Hedgehog

A countdown of the best platformers of all time

Thank you for registering