Best Classic Platformer Games

The original Mega Man introduced the Blue Bomber, the weapon-copying mechanic, and the non-linear boss selection system that defined one of gaming's most beloved action-platformer series.

A standalone Game Gear ninja action adventure in the Shinobi tradition. The portable Shinobi showcased what the Game Gear's hardware could deliver with responsive shuriken attacks, grappling hooks, and well-designed stealth-and-action stages. A demanding but fair challenge for fans of the arcade originals.

Capcom's underrated Disney NES platformer — Darkwing Duck uses his gas gun with multiple ammunition types, swings on his cape, and battles five of the series' iconic villains across stages based on the cartoon.

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.

One of the hardest NES games ever made — Arthur must rescue Princess Guinevere through six brutally difficult levels, and then do it all again on a second, harder loop to reach the true ending.

The Blue Bomber's first portable outing takes bosses from Mega Man 1 and 2 and combines them into a challenging handheld adventure. A faithful if punishing translation of the NES series that holds its own as a standalone Mega Man experience.

The portable Mega Man X experience for Game Boy Color, adapting stages from the first two SNES Mega Man X games. Mega Man Xtreme's compact level selection, Zero as an unlockable playable character, and Challenge mode made it the best Mega Man portable experience available before the GBA era.

Samus travels to SR388 to exterminate the Metroid species — a game-changing narrative that introduced the Baby Metroid and directly set up Super Metroid's story.

Treasure's side-scrolling N64 platformer built an entire game around a single core mechanic — protagonist Marina Liteyears grabs, shakes, and throws enemies and environmental objects to solve puzzles and navigate levels — then introduced a new application of that mechanic in nearly every stage. Mischief Makers embodies the mechanic-per-level design philosophy that defines vintage Treasure craftsmanship, and its willingness to be a 2D game on a 3D console made it a genuine outlier in the N64 library.

The 8-bit Sonic developed separately from the Genesis version by Yuzo Koshiro's Ancient studio. This isn't a port — it features entirely different level layouts, a maze structure, and its own score by Koshiro that many fans consider the best music in the 8-bit Sonic games. A complete standalone experience.

BlueSky Software's sequel to their visually stunning mascot shooter sends the pre-rendered CGI robot hero into a post-apocalyptic bug-infested landscape with a wider arsenal of insect-themed morphing power-ups replacing the original's simpler weapon system. Vectorman 2 delivers the same smooth animation and satisfying run-and-gun gameplay that made the original a late-generation Genesis showcase, remaining a technically impressive send-off for Sega's underrated action hero.

Capcom's 2001 PS1 action-platformer developed rapidly after Mega Man X5 — Mega Man X6 continues with Zero's apparent death, introduces Nightmare enemies that make stages harder dynamically, adds the Zero-like playable Gate and Nightmare bosses, and represents the final Mega Man X game developed entirely for 32-bit hardware.

A visually charming N64 platformer that polarized audiences upon release but has earned renewed appreciation. Yoshi's Story's storybook aesthetic, pastel environments, and happiness-meter mechanic create a uniquely soothing experience. Finding all 30 melons across six worlds is a surprisingly deep secondary objective.

Pit's mythological adventure on the NES — a vertical scroller turned side-scroller with RPG progression mechanics, fierce difficulty, and a devoted cult following.

The final NES Ninja Gaiden — Ryu investigates the ancient ship of doom while framed for Irene's murder in the darkest Ninja Gaiden narrative, also infamous for being the series' most punishing entry.

Sonic inside a pinball machine — Sega Technical Institute's concept game sends Sonic through four pinball-themed zones collecting Chaos Emeralds and bouncing off bumpers in one of the most creative Sonic spinoffs.

The first TMNT console game that sold millions despite its infamously difficult underwater dam level. The NES TMNT lets players switch between all four turtles — each with different reach and speed — across six areas of New York City, establishing the franchise as a major video game property.

The radical departure that remains the most divisive Zelda game ever made. Zelda II abandoned the top-down adventure formula for side-scrolling action-RPG gameplay, town exploration, experience points, and brutal combat that punished mistakes mercilessly.

The original Game Boy Castlevania — Christopher Belmont's debut pits the whip-wielding vampire hunter against Dracula across four stages on Nintendo's handheld, establishing the franchise on portable hardware despite notably sluggish gameplay.

The controversial Castlevania sequel that introduced open-world exploration, day/night cycles, and RPG mechanics — a divisive game that proved ahead of its time.

Nintendo's vertical platformer starring Popo and Nana — climb icy mountain peaks by hammering through floors, avoiding condors and abominable snowmen, in one of the NES's earliest two-player simultaneous games.