|
Post by Xeogred on Jul 19, 2019 18:36:28 GMT -5
Saw hooplehead mention A Hat in Time, which I grabbed on a sale awhile back because of all the insane praise around it. What other good modern 3D platformers have you guys played or would recommend? It's tricky talking about those Crash and Spyro remasters too so it might be best talking about them here. I've already mentioned the Crash trilogy blew me away a year or two ago when I got around to it and it sold like gangbusters so I know I'm not alone, but I've yet to run into someone personally that praises them too. Spyro should be interesting and I want to get that collection next, I love the Ratchet & Clank series and know that Insomniac started with Spyro, so that's really promising. I was exposed to them from demo discs and friends growing up, but never got too deep into any of them. They all sound pretty good still and I've seen others with no nostalgia attached really enjoy the trilogy remasters.
Not exactly a pure platformer, but I discovered Marble It Up recently which looks like a nice answer for a new Super Monkey Ball styled game. There was also the XBLA Marble Blast Ultra (2006) which I had a lot of fun with too. I LOVE these games.
I've had Yooka-Laylee wishlisted for ages and still hesitate even when I see some big sales on it. I don't love Rare's N64 3D stuff and this being a love letter to those, while sounding more average on top of that... doesn't entice me a lot. Apparently the sequel is going for a Donkey Kong Country Returns 2.5D style and already interests me more, maybe they'll do well with that?
We can talk Super Mario Odyssey and some others here. I had a blast with Odyssey but I think I liked 3D World and the Galaxy games better personally. Those had way better post-end game content and were much more challenging. I think 3D World is pretty underrated and wish people realized it's amazing to play solo.
|
|
|
Post by hooplehead on Jul 19, 2019 19:57:42 GMT -5
Great topic! I definitely have to check out Marble It Up and Marble Blast Ultra. The two Super Monkey Ball games for the Gamecube are two of my favorites for that system, and it's a shame the sequels they've received are pretty bleh. I have to bring up the Rayman games that have come out more recently. Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends are both fantastic games that are also very different, which is pretty rare for platformers in the same series. Origins is an excellent more straight-forward platformer, while Legends is far more experimental, with some stages being music-driven, like an auto-runner, and others playing as a hybrid point-and-click adventure and a platformer. For Legends, you should definitely avoid it on anything but the Wii U or Switch, since the adventure-style levels were designed around touch controls, gyro, etc. in ways that are incredibly lazily implemented in the other ports. Anyone who loves pure platformers needs to check these out.
Sonic Mania also somehow managed to be the best Sonic ever. It was a perfect blend of the more sprawling levels you'd find in CD with the streamlined levels of 2. As good as 2, CD, and 3+K are, I'm kind of surprised by how far Mania is my favorite Sonic game.
I should probably bring up Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, which I think might be my favorite 2D platformer ever, but that would require an article of me going into why I think it's the next great leap in 2D level design after Super Mario Bros. 3 set the formula back in '89 that almost every game since has based riffed on. Which is weird, since DKC Returns fell short for me when compared to the original DKC trilogy (though it's still a damn good game). Tropical Freeze and Breath of the Wild actually played a pretty big part in ending my 5-year gaming hiatus.
Weirdly enough, I can't say I've enjoyed too many indie pure platformers, but maybe I haven't played the right ones. Someday I'll get around to playing Celeste, which I've heard so many good things about, I'm convinced it'll only disappoint.
As for 3D platformers, Mario is really the last man standing outside of A Hat in Time. I haven't played Yooka-Laylee, but it looks really rough, like it was rushed out 6 months too early. A Hat in Time harkens back to the best of those great PS2 platformers, but it absolutely does its own thing. Anyone who likes this genre should check it out, since it's supremely polished for an indie of this genre.
And I loved Odyssey. It felt like the game I always wanted since 64, though the way it handles Moons, level design, etc. is a pretty big departure as well. Despite the game having over 800 moons, I somehow ended up 100% completing it. I had no intention of completing it entirely, but I just couldn't stop playing it. I still find myself occasionally playing Luigi's Balloon World even. And yet, I feel need to let it simmer still to see where it falls in the spectrum of 3D Marios. That said, 3D World might be my favorite 3D Mario outside of 64. Either that or Galaxy 2.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Jul 19, 2019 20:34:27 GMT -5
What other good modern 3D platformers have you guys played or would recommend? I'm only going to recommend ones I've actually played, some of these only have platforming as part of their overall game design: Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (PC) [has isometric platforming] Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS) Sonic Colors (Wii) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power (PC) Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U) Most of those are available on other platforms besides just the ones I beat them on.
|
|
|
Post by Xeogred on Jul 19, 2019 20:38:44 GMT -5
Good to see another 3D World fan! I almost think that's the kind of perspective and template that could work well for a 3D Sonic actually. But oh well, I didn't even care for the Adventure games back in the day. I maybe said it elsewhere, while I liked Odyssey a lot, I thought Sonic Mania blew it out of the water (for 2017 release comparisons). I couldn't believe how good Sonic Mania was, it was like I had the dumbest grin on my face playing it from start to finish and was a kid again. But I guess that's the feeling of finally getting a good 2D Sonic game... 20 some years later! Totally delivered. Now I hope Sega let's them do a Mania 2 with ALL new stages, but yeah who knows. Sega gonna be Sega... It's funny I've never seen someone describe those Rayman games like that, but now it almost explains why... I played Legends on the Wii U and didn't really care for it. I finished it at least. Never realized Origins was that different, I thought Legends was like a "best of" version of it or something. I don't know if any version would be my jam though, the aesthetics, music, etc everything wasn't really doing it for me. I actually replayed Tropical Freeze earlier this year though, bought it again on the Switch and yeah that game is insane. DKC1 has always been my favorite of the series and I've now decided that TF is probably my second favorite. I had no issues with Returns on the Wii though, I know some people hate the waggle controls... but I don't recall it being an issue. I think that one had more standout music too (Metroid's Kenji Yamamoto did more on it I believe), the whole factory world was incredible. I'm glad TF gave you two hearts for those flying stages though, they were brutal in Returns. I love how tough both games are. I plan to check out the 3DS version of Returns whenever I want to replay it. I've got some nitpicks on DKC2 and DKC3, but yeah this whole series is top tier for me. I like Metroid more and I know Retro are busy on Prime 4 now, but I would love another DKC from them at some point. Bring back the Kremlins!
This level, 11/10.
|
|
|
Post by hooplehead on Jul 19, 2019 21:06:27 GMT -5
It's funny I've never seen someone describe those Rayman games like that, but now it almost explains why... I played Legends on the Wii U and didn't really care for it. I finished it at least. Never realized Origins was that different, I thought Legends was like a "best of" version of it or something. I don't know if any version would be my jam though, the aesthetics, music, etc everything wasn't really doing it for me. I actually replayed Tropical Freeze earlier this year though, bought it again on the Switch and yeah that game is insane. DKC1 has always been my favorite of the series and I've now decided that TF is probably my second favorite. I had no issues with Returns on the Wii though, I know some people hate the waggle controls... but I don't recall it being an issue. I think that one had more standout music too (Metroid's Kenji Yamamoto did more on it I believe), the whole factory world was incredible. I'm glad TF gave you two hearts for those flying stages though, they were brutal in Returns. I love how tough both games are. I plan to check out the 3DS version of Returns whenever I want to replay it. I've got some nitpicks on DKC2 and DKC3, but yeah this whole series is top tier for me. I like Metroid more and I know Retro are busy on Prime 4 now, but I would love another DKC from them at some point. Bring back the Kremlins! I’ve always been a pretty big Rayman fan, though I’ll admit the original gameplay-wise isn’t quite up to snuff when I played it again. Ooh, I’m going to have to strongly disagree on the music of Returns. I mean, David Wise came back for TF! And he himself thinks it’s his best work. There are just too many new tracks that have unseated DKC classics. I’ll have to take another look at Returns’ soundtrack, but it always felt too throwback heavy in my book. Also, I realize this probably belongs in the unpopular opinions thread, but after a replay of the whole DKC trilogy last year, I think the original is the weakest of the bunch for me. I found the level design to just be too basic, while the sequels felt far more developed in terms when it came to levels in both variety and in concept. But I’d rather stay on topic.
|
|
|
Post by hooplehead on Jul 19, 2019 21:15:49 GMT -5
Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U) Probably the only good sequel to Yoshi’s Island, if you ask me. Although I haven’t played through Crafted World, the demo made me think it could be better than this one. I also recommend Kirby’s Epic Yarn, which is from the same developer. I might like it more than Yoshi since the gameplay suits the aesthetic far more.
|
|
|
Post by Sarge on Jul 19, 2019 23:01:04 GMT -5
Ex : I've played a bit of Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, but haven't beaten it. Its prequel, Guardians of Light, was fantastic, though. Metroid: Samus Returns is splendid as well, and I highly recommend also playing the fan-made AM2R as a companion. Two very different takes on remaking the original game, and they both succeed in different ways. Also, yes to all the Super Mario 3D World and 3D Land love. Great games, those, and I'm surprised Nintendo hasn't ported over 3D World to the Switch yet. Suppose they're just waiting a bit longer; I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to happen when they have a big lull again. I still need to get back to Yoshi's Woolly World as well, I really liked what I played of it. hooplehead : Epic Yarn was a ton of fun. A lot of people argued that it's just not fun when you can't die, but I'd argue you need to play that game for score. Hanging on to all your stuff makes the game much, much harder. I honestly don't care for the DKC Returns games. I don't think they're bad, but I don't like the physics. They're a little too weighty compared to the older games, so it always feels like I take a death where I don't want to. I have the same issue with the New Super Mario Bros. games: they have a bit too much momentum, so it just doesn't feel as nice to control as SMB3 (or even SMW). Even with that, though, New SMB Wii is one of the best 2D Mario games out there. There are a ton of wonderful platformers in the indie space, and one I don't hesitate to recommend is Freedom Planet. It might not be for everyone, but I liked it better than the Sonic games. And I already mentioned The Messenger, which was one of my favorite games from last year. (Also, Shovel Knight. I figure everyone has played that one by now.) Xeogred : Do you have Twitch Prime? Yooka-Laylee is free on there right now. I can't even run it on my old laptop, though.
|
|
|
Post by Ex on Jul 20, 2019 1:12:56 GMT -5
I thought this thread was "Modern 3D Platformers"? Did Xeogred change it? I'll have to add modern 2D stuff that's good later then.
|
|
|
Post by hooplehead on Jul 20, 2019 5:14:38 GMT -5
I thought this thread was "Modern 3D Platformers"? Did Xeogred change it? I'll have to add modern 2D stuff that's good later then. Xeogred mentioned the upcoming Yooka-Laylee sequel, which is a 2D platformer in his original post, so I just assumed we were covering both.
|
|
|
Post by hooplehead on Jul 20, 2019 5:24:25 GMT -5
Sarge I’m always surprised by people who complain about Epic Yarn’s difficulty. You think a game that looks and sounds like that will be difficult? That said, getting the highest rank in score for each level can be pretty tricky. I’m starting to get the sense that you’re pretty particular on how movement works in a 2D platformer. Which is a shame in the case of Retro’s DKC games, since both of those games are fantastic when it comes to level design, Tropical Freeze especially. I will agree that NSMB games always feel a little too floaty and slide, but it’s nothing I can’t adjust to. As long as the movement is consistent and fits what it seems the devs are going for, I don’t mind adjusting. I tried the Freedom Planet demo, but it didn’t click for me. But it could be a case of a first level not starting off on the best foot.
|
|