Games Like Ape Escape

Naughty Dog's refinement of the Crash Bandicoot formula — adding the slide, body slam, and super-powered spin makes Crash more capable, and 27 stages with expanded variety mark it as the series' most balanced entry.

The commercial peak of the Crash Bandicoot series — Warped's time-travel premise introduces motorbikes, planes, sea-doos, and baby T-rex riding across 30 time-period stages, making it the most varied entry in the trilogy.

Naughty Dog's technically dazzling PlayStation launch platformer introduced the world to the wacky orange marsupial and demonstrated that 3D platforming could be precise, challenging, and visually spectacular. The game that made Sony's console a genuine rival to Nintendo.

Insomniac's refinement of Spyro the Dragon — 30 levels with unique characters, expanded abilities (swimming, headbash, climbing), NPCs with voiced quests, and greater world variety than the original.

Insomniac Games' gem-collecting adventure placed players in the wings of a young purple dragon exploring vast, colorful worlds. Spyro the Dragon's open, exploratory design and warm personality made it an instant PlayStation classic and launched one of gaming's most beloved franchises.

Insomniac's PS1 trilogy finale — Year of the Dragon adds four playable friends (Sheila the Kangaroo, Sgt. Byrd, Bentley, Agent 9) with unique gameplay sections, 37 worlds, and 150 dragon eggs to rescue.

The Genesis Aladdin — animated by the actual Disney animators who worked on the film, featuring fluid hand-drawn sprites, a throwing mechanic, and the Disney quality that made it the definitive console version over the SNES edition.

Sega's original console mascot before Sonic arrived. Alex Kidd in Miracle World was built into the Sega Master System's ROM and became millions of players' first SMS experience — its janken boss battles, wide-ranging level designs, and power-up motorcycle made it the flagship showcase for Sega's 8-bit hardware.

The ActRaiser sequel that removed the city-building simulation to focus on pure action. The wing mechanics, divine magic system, and technically polished platforming make it an excellent action game in isolation — though the loss of the original's unique hybrid design disappointed players expecting ActRaiser's complete formula.

The ambitious Banjo-Kazooie sequel with nine interconnected worlds, a massively expanded moveset, multiplayer modes, and first-person shooter sections — bigger in every way than its predecessor.

The NES game that dared to remove the jump button. Bionic Commando replaced conventional platforming with a grappling hook mechanic that created one of the most unique action experiences of the era.

One of the NES's most ambitious action games, blending side-scrolling tank combat with top-down on-foot dungeon exploration. Blaster Master's SOPHIA III tank handles with remarkable precision, and the transition between vehicle and foot sections creates a seamlessly varied experience that was technically impressive for 1988.