From the forum issue 114 Platformers

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Chip Tune you really need to read posts more...

As for the feature we're planning it's an evolution of the platform genre, focusing on important innovative games that propelled the genre forward. As a result things like manic miner will not really feature (other than a quick name check. As good as it was, it was just a better version of Miner 2049er.

[markopoloman]

Miner 2049'er and Manic Miner are not really that similar though, are they? I like both but they play in a completely different style. Manic Miner (for the UK at least) opened the eyes of many and set off a trend for hundreds of clones. For a UK mag, I'd say it was way up there at the start of the evolutionary process

[Nemesis]

Miner 2049'er and Manic Miner are not really that similar though, are they? I like both but they play in a completely different style. Manic Miner (for the UK at least) opened the eyes of many and set off a trend for hundreds of clones. For a UK mag, I'd say it was way up there at the start of the evolutionary process

I felt Miner 2049'er & Bounty Bob Strikes Back were platformers infused with a large dollop of Pac-man, whereas Manic Miner was a slower paced effort but thoroughly British.

[markopoloman]

Yeah, that's a good way of putting it! Different styles..

[Bobinator]

I swear, I'm never going to get any of the love Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy get. At all. I've tried it, and all I ever saw were annoying messes with terrible jumping controls and entirely too many poor design decisions. It's like trying to play Donkey Kong, only you have absolutely no idea where to go, and you don't even get a hammer to use. Seriously, can somebody explain what I'm missing here? Maybe I'm missing something blindingly obvious, but I just don't know!

To be more positive, best platformers... hmm. On the 2D side, you've got stuff like Kirby's Adventure, Yoshi's Island, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. On the 3D end of things, I've always thought the Crash Bandicoot games have aged surprisingly well, especially with how well Naughty Dog used the hardware. Crash 3 is probably the best out of all of them, given all the secrets and variety in things you can do. For the more obscure stuff, I'd honestly put up the original Gex. Sure, the constant voice acting can get annoying, but it's one of the best games you'll find on the 3DO.

I'm also going to give a pre-emptive vote for Freedom Planet, even though it's not out yet. I just liked the demo that much.

[Kai]

One of the most criminally overlooked platformers is TWINWORLD - LAND OF VISION (Amiga). Beautiful scenario, wonderful music, lots of secrets. Marvellous!

Close second: PANDEMONIUM! on PSone. Stunning 3D graphics blended with perfect 2D gameplay!

[SpecChum81]

Great question and so many to choose from, but I'd probably plump for The New Zealand Story, Rick Dangerous, Auf Wiedersehen Monty and Super Mario Bros. 2!

[RetroMartin]

Avoiding the obvious choices I'll go with the almighty Rocket Knight Adventures, nice gimmick in the rocket pack, very cutesy and wonderfully animated on the Megadrive's hardware!

[joefish]

I swear, I'm never going to get any of the love Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy get. At all. I've tried it, and all I ever saw were annoying messes with terrible jumping controls and entirely too many poor design decisions. It's like trying to play Donkey Kong, only you have absolutely no idea where to go, and you don't even get a hammer to use. Seriously, can somebody explain what I'm missing here? Maybe I'm missing something blindingly obvious, but I just don't know!

That's because you've been brought up on games where you're spoon-fed what to do at every passing second.

Try Manic Miner again. It only has three controls - left, right, and jump (well, and turn the 'music' off) - how is that complicated? There's no inertia needing a run-up and no sliding off the end of a platform either. If you're moving when you press jump, you follow a predicatable path in an arc. When was the last time you jumped over a puddle and were able to change direction in mid-air?

Now the second thing is to work out where you need to go. The baddies follow set patterns so you can avoid them, not attack them. And the collision detection is absolutely pixel perfect, so you can't blame the game.

First screen, go right, under the first bush and jump up, jump onto the wall and keep going right and up, then jump back onto the conveyor, over the shrub and land on the wall. Wait for the monster to approach and jump over him, left and up. Then right, timing your jumps over the collapsing floor and under the stalactites to get the keys at the top. Once you have all the keys, go back to the floor above the brick wall and let yourself fall down. Jump over the monster again and go left to get back to where you started, then head right to the exit.

You have to learn each level by trial and error, and even once you've got it, then execute it perfectly if you're going to get through it all. 20 screens sounds like nothing nowadays, but every one of them was packed with challenges. In a scrolling 2D game like Mario or Sonic where you're led by the nose along a single route, the only challenge is if you can be bothered to replay it searching for every side-path and hidden extra. Some of those levels can be completed with your eyes closed - you just hold down right and periodically jab the jump button. These early platformers made you work hard to beat every level.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Yeah Manic Miner is a fantastic game and deserves all the credit it gets. It wasn't very innovative though, same with Jet Set Willy. I also think Manic Miner still looks great.

[kleinemaus]

Creatures 1 and 2 how could I forget those two classics (C64 of course).
Spelunker (A8) great game too.
Keystone Kapers (VCS), excellent game, used to play it for hours

[markopoloman]

Yeah Manic Miner is a fantastic game and deserves all the credit it gets. It wasn't very innovative though, same with Jet Set Willy. I also think Manic Miner still looks great.

So what else was out at the same time or before like Manic Miner? Miner 2049 was no where near the same style of game.....

[kleinemaus]

Yeah Manic Miner is a fantastic game and deserves all the credit it gets. It wasn't very innovative though, same with Jet Set Willy. I also think Manic Miner still looks great.

Hey Darren was gonna ask you (saying you're from Bournemouth), is Video Game Centre still going, used to go there from when he started selling his stuff through his parents (baby store?) shop. Big deal for him once he's got his own shop. Martin his name was? Used to spend many GBP100.00s in that shop. Top place for imports, used to see him advertised in early RG too.

On the same note, in the same street, quite a few buildings further used to be an Amiga rent-a-game shop, that was late 80s/early 90s, run by an old bloke wearing glasses. He used to sell C64 games pretty cheap too. Good thing was he used to sell loads of American C64 games, EA, SSI, Synapse, Origin, like for GBP 8 per game, cib. Twice or three times a week I'd show up there to buy some stuff.

[markopoloman]

Not sure what the 1st one is - but if you are talking shops in Bournemouth... was the 2nd one called Caltek? Was in the Winton area. OR if you were on about Poole... there was a shop like the second one in Lower Parkstone.

I'm trying to picture The Video Game Centre.... refresh my memory as to roughly where it was

[markopoloman]

I must have been addicted to Caltek! Used to spend hours and hours in there and never really bothered with any other shops. I suppose thats why I didn't get to the VGC. Having driven through Winton last week, I assume that it no longer exists Oh well.... Now, if only I could remember the name of the guy that ran Caltek?! Colin? hmmmmm