GreenTeaHarbor1297
Capri
What are your top 5 favorite 3D platformers?
These are mine;
5. Spyro Year of the Dragon
We got this game for our PS2 (since it was backwards compatible with PS1 games) around 2004/05, I would've been about 7 at the time. We didn't even get a PS1 memory card to save the game, so every time I would play the game, I would be starting from the beginning. Despite this, I absolutely loved playing this game as a kid, I had so much fun with it, and despite not being able to save, I consistently got to the Evening Lake hubworld in each playthrough, and one time to Midnight Mountain. The levels in Sunrise Spring and Midday Gardens are especially nostalgic for me, my favorite as a kid being Icy Peak, since it was a snow level, and as a kid I loved snow levels. Unfortunately, eventually the laser for PS1 and CD-based PS2 games on our PS2 started having problems, and we had to sell the game eventually. I eventually bought it back with my own money as a teenager, and also got a PSOne so I could play it without problems again (we still have the same PS2 from my childhood, and the laser for PS1 and CD-based PS2 games is still faulty.
Though, while the original PS1 version is certainly nostalgic for me, my preferred way to play this game these days is on the Reignited Trilogy, which I own on Switch.
4. Banjo Tooie
To this day, I still remember my father taking me to Hollywood Video when I was 4 years old to rent this game, and I also still remember the VHS-like case this game came in, and how magical Jinjo Village felt when I played this game for the first time. The N64 was my first console, and Banjo Kazooie was one of the first games I ever played and the game felt very magical to my 3 and 4 year old self. One day though, our copy of Banjo Kazooie got lost (though it was found again), so we went to Hollywood Video to try to find it again, and well, they didn't have Banjo Kazooie in stock, but did have Banjo Tooie. To this day, even 22 years later, Jinjo Village still feels magical to me, and I especially love the theme music of the world. Beyond that though, most of the rest of the game is darker tone and less cheeful and whimsical than Banjo Kazooie is. But the reason I still like this game over Banjo Kazooie though is the Metroidvania-like feel of the game, the way the worlds are all interconnected, and how determining an order in which to tackle certain missions felt more creative and strategic. I also love the train, I thought most of the minigames were really fun, I liked the way the split-up pads were utilized, and the Atlantis section of Jolly Rogers Lagoon features a piece of music that I consider to be Grant Kirkhope's magnum opus...
Despite all the improvements the Xbox 360 version made, I still prefer to play the N64 (albeit emulated these days) version of the game, for one main reason - SUPERBANJO - In the Xbox 360 version, putting in cheats like that will prevent the game from saving progress.
3. Jak and Daxter The Precursor Legacy
Like with Spyro 3, this is one we also got around 2004/05, though unlike Spyro 3, this is one we were able to keep, since its a DVD-based PS2 game, and the DVD laser on my PS2 has always worked perfectly fine. I first played this game when an older friend brought it over, and I eventually asked my mom to buy it for us the next time we would go to GameStop. I played this game a lot when I was 7, and even back then this was my favorite collectathon platformer on the PS2, my favorite platformer on the console that was a lot like Banjo Kazooie. What I especially loved about this game were the different types of eco - I found each one very fascinating at that age. Also, the banter between Daxter and Samos was also a treat to watch. This game does bring back a lot of nostalgia for me, but one thing about it I didn't notice as much as a kid but definitely appreciate as an adult are the lack of load times, and the fact that the entire map is interconnected. My favorite level in the game is definitely Lost Precursor City, especially for the underwater aspect. Going underwater to get to the level felt really cool as a kid, and raising the chamber to the surface and coming back to the hub world through a back door of sorts was double cool, and it still feels cool today. Second favorite level is Forbidden Jungle, especially because of the blue eco vent switch, the redirecting of blue eco to the mayors house, and the fishing minigame. Very fun game, and definitely my favorite from the PS2 era, which is saying a lot as the PS2 had a trove of excellent games.
2. Super Mario Galaxy
I was 10 when I first played this masterpiece back in 2008 - My first time playing it was at a GameStop kiosk, and it was one of of my main reasons (besides Virtual Console) for wanting a Nintendo Wii at that age. My parents eventually picked up a Nintendo Wii for us that summer, and along with Wii Sports, this was the first game they got for the console. Eventually, after my parents and sisters were done trying out Wii Sports, they then let me play this game... And I was astonished. The atmosphere of this game especially, and the vibe of space and the beautiful music around me, the joy of collecting star bits with the Wii remote, the joy of turning into Bee Mario for the first time... I was mesmerized... Unfortunately though, our copy of this game eventually got lost, and when we eventually rebought it, we made the mistake of buying a defective copy... It wasn't until 13 years later, when I was 23, that I would relive this magic again... The 3D All Stars collection was the main reason I eventually got myself a Nintendo Switch after holding out for four years. I wanted the 3D All Stars collection solely for Mario Galaxy alone. So, I eventually did it, and bought myself a Switch and Super Mario 3D All Stars, and relived the magic of this game, and relive the magic I did. The atmosphere, the music, the joy of collecting starbits, the creative worlds and creative implementation of gravity mechanics, the hub world, and listening to Rosalina's story... This is not only my favorite Mario 3D platformer of all time, but may just be my favorite Mario game of all time, rivalled only by the original Paper Mario.
1. A Hat in Time
Unlike the other entries in this list, this game came out when I was already an adult - I was 19 when it was released, and 23 when I first got the game on Switch, and I first played it just over three years ago from when I'm making this thread. Because of this, there's no attachment of childhood nostalgia I have towards this game. That being said though, this game did make me feel like a kid again. My first time playing this did give me the magical sense of wonder and creativity that my first times playing the other entries on this list gave me. The playroom spaceship hubworld brought me back to my childhood years of playing in play places at McDonalds and Chuck E Cheese, and the whimsical music does give me the same whimsical vibes as the old RareWare games on N64. (It helps that Grant Kirkhope himself composed some of the songs in this game) But what makes me appreciate this game beyond that is just how creative a lot of the missions are, and how cool the characters are. I had myself a laugh when I first played the survival horror mission in Subcon Forest, I was not expecting that at all. The rivalry between DJ Grooves and the Conductor was also intriguing as well, especially with one or the other winning the award and becoming a boss battle at the end of the chapter. Also, Moustache Girl was intriguing as an ally turned enemy, the Empress was a great villain, the Walrus Captain was cool, and Snatcher's subtle banter with Hat Kid was fun to watch as well. As for Hat Kid herself, a perfect protagonist for a whimsical platformer game - A cutesy protagonist who doesn't let much bother her even when her own soul gets taken by Snatcher, yet also still cares about other people, and weirdly enough also having the strength of Superman and being able to lift an entire walrus over her head with ease. All the missions in the game were fun to play - Key exceptions being Ship Shape and Deep Sea, but even those I find worth playing as beating them feels so rewarding. However, I've still yet to talk about my favorite part of the game, which are the blue time rifts - The music, the atmosphere, the platforming - Just mesmerizing. This is my favorite 3D platformer of all time, and may just be my second favorite video game of all time, behind only Shenmue. Just a phenomenal experience, all around.
So that's my list. What about yours? Let me know in the comments down below.
These are mine;
5. Spyro Year of the Dragon
We got this game for our PS2 (since it was backwards compatible with PS1 games) around 2004/05, I would've been about 7 at the time. We didn't even get a PS1 memory card to save the game, so every time I would play the game, I would be starting from the beginning. Despite this, I absolutely loved playing this game as a kid, I had so much fun with it, and despite not being able to save, I consistently got to the Evening Lake hubworld in each playthrough, and one time to Midnight Mountain. The levels in Sunrise Spring and Midday Gardens are especially nostalgic for me, my favorite as a kid being Icy Peak, since it was a snow level, and as a kid I loved snow levels. Unfortunately, eventually the laser for PS1 and CD-based PS2 games on our PS2 started having problems, and we had to sell the game eventually. I eventually bought it back with my own money as a teenager, and also got a PSOne so I could play it without problems again (we still have the same PS2 from my childhood, and the laser for PS1 and CD-based PS2 games is still faulty.
Though, while the original PS1 version is certainly nostalgic for me, my preferred way to play this game these days is on the Reignited Trilogy, which I own on Switch.
4. Banjo Tooie
To this day, I still remember my father taking me to Hollywood Video when I was 4 years old to rent this game, and I also still remember the VHS-like case this game came in, and how magical Jinjo Village felt when I played this game for the first time. The N64 was my first console, and Banjo Kazooie was one of the first games I ever played and the game felt very magical to my 3 and 4 year old self. One day though, our copy of Banjo Kazooie got lost (though it was found again), so we went to Hollywood Video to try to find it again, and well, they didn't have Banjo Kazooie in stock, but did have Banjo Tooie. To this day, even 22 years later, Jinjo Village still feels magical to me, and I especially love the theme music of the world. Beyond that though, most of the rest of the game is darker tone and less cheeful and whimsical than Banjo Kazooie is. But the reason I still like this game over Banjo Kazooie though is the Metroidvania-like feel of the game, the way the worlds are all interconnected, and how determining an order in which to tackle certain missions felt more creative and strategic. I also love the train, I thought most of the minigames were really fun, I liked the way the split-up pads were utilized, and the Atlantis section of Jolly Rogers Lagoon features a piece of music that I consider to be Grant Kirkhope's magnum opus...
Despite all the improvements the Xbox 360 version made, I still prefer to play the N64 (albeit emulated these days) version of the game, for one main reason - SUPERBANJO - In the Xbox 360 version, putting in cheats like that will prevent the game from saving progress.
3. Jak and Daxter The Precursor Legacy
Like with Spyro 3, this is one we also got around 2004/05, though unlike Spyro 3, this is one we were able to keep, since its a DVD-based PS2 game, and the DVD laser on my PS2 has always worked perfectly fine. I first played this game when an older friend brought it over, and I eventually asked my mom to buy it for us the next time we would go to GameStop. I played this game a lot when I was 7, and even back then this was my favorite collectathon platformer on the PS2, my favorite platformer on the console that was a lot like Banjo Kazooie. What I especially loved about this game were the different types of eco - I found each one very fascinating at that age. Also, the banter between Daxter and Samos was also a treat to watch. This game does bring back a lot of nostalgia for me, but one thing about it I didn't notice as much as a kid but definitely appreciate as an adult are the lack of load times, and the fact that the entire map is interconnected. My favorite level in the game is definitely Lost Precursor City, especially for the underwater aspect. Going underwater to get to the level felt really cool as a kid, and raising the chamber to the surface and coming back to the hub world through a back door of sorts was double cool, and it still feels cool today. Second favorite level is Forbidden Jungle, especially because of the blue eco vent switch, the redirecting of blue eco to the mayors house, and the fishing minigame. Very fun game, and definitely my favorite from the PS2 era, which is saying a lot as the PS2 had a trove of excellent games.
2. Super Mario Galaxy
I was 10 when I first played this masterpiece back in 2008 - My first time playing it was at a GameStop kiosk, and it was one of of my main reasons (besides Virtual Console) for wanting a Nintendo Wii at that age. My parents eventually picked up a Nintendo Wii for us that summer, and along with Wii Sports, this was the first game they got for the console. Eventually, after my parents and sisters were done trying out Wii Sports, they then let me play this game... And I was astonished. The atmosphere of this game especially, and the vibe of space and the beautiful music around me, the joy of collecting star bits with the Wii remote, the joy of turning into Bee Mario for the first time... I was mesmerized... Unfortunately though, our copy of this game eventually got lost, and when we eventually rebought it, we made the mistake of buying a defective copy... It wasn't until 13 years later, when I was 23, that I would relive this magic again... The 3D All Stars collection was the main reason I eventually got myself a Nintendo Switch after holding out for four years. I wanted the 3D All Stars collection solely for Mario Galaxy alone. So, I eventually did it, and bought myself a Switch and Super Mario 3D All Stars, and relived the magic of this game, and relive the magic I did. The atmosphere, the music, the joy of collecting starbits, the creative worlds and creative implementation of gravity mechanics, the hub world, and listening to Rosalina's story... This is not only my favorite Mario 3D platformer of all time, but may just be my favorite Mario game of all time, rivalled only by the original Paper Mario.
1. A Hat in Time
Unlike the other entries in this list, this game came out when I was already an adult - I was 19 when it was released, and 23 when I first got the game on Switch, and I first played it just over three years ago from when I'm making this thread. Because of this, there's no attachment of childhood nostalgia I have towards this game. That being said though, this game did make me feel like a kid again. My first time playing this did give me the magical sense of wonder and creativity that my first times playing the other entries on this list gave me. The playroom spaceship hubworld brought me back to my childhood years of playing in play places at McDonalds and Chuck E Cheese, and the whimsical music does give me the same whimsical vibes as the old RareWare games on N64. (It helps that Grant Kirkhope himself composed some of the songs in this game) But what makes me appreciate this game beyond that is just how creative a lot of the missions are, and how cool the characters are. I had myself a laugh when I first played the survival horror mission in Subcon Forest, I was not expecting that at all. The rivalry between DJ Grooves and the Conductor was also intriguing as well, especially with one or the other winning the award and becoming a boss battle at the end of the chapter. Also, Moustache Girl was intriguing as an ally turned enemy, the Empress was a great villain, the Walrus Captain was cool, and Snatcher's subtle banter with Hat Kid was fun to watch as well. As for Hat Kid herself, a perfect protagonist for a whimsical platformer game - A cutesy protagonist who doesn't let much bother her even when her own soul gets taken by Snatcher, yet also still cares about other people, and weirdly enough also having the strength of Superman and being able to lift an entire walrus over her head with ease. All the missions in the game were fun to play - Key exceptions being Ship Shape and Deep Sea, but even those I find worth playing as beating them feels so rewarding. However, I've still yet to talk about my favorite part of the game, which are the blue time rifts - The music, the atmosphere, the platforming - Just mesmerizing. This is my favorite 3D platformer of all time, and may just be my second favorite video game of all time, behind only Shenmue. Just a phenomenal experience, all around.
So that's my list. What about yours? Let me know in the comments down below.
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