The first generation of home video game consoles didn’t include any platformers. This was largely because the genre didn’t actually exist. The first game that’s widely accepted as the first platformer is Donkey Kong, which came out in 1981. Still, there’s another that preceded it, Space Panic, which laid the foundation for Donkey Kong to build upon. Space Panic was released in arcades in 1980, putting it in the right timeframe for the 1st generation. It featured platforms and ladders but no jumping mechanic, which is why some don’t consider it a proper platformer.
Platformers arrived on consoles in the 2nd generation, and there were a lot of them. While the Atari 2600 had a port of Donkey Kong, it pretty much sucked. The best game from the generation is easily Pitfall! The 1982 classic by Activision, designed by David Crane, features a 20-minute time limit for players to navigate horizontally connected screens to find treasure in the jungle. There are 32 treasures hidden across 255 screens, and plenty of obstacles to jump and swing over as you go. Pitfall! was a huge success and one of the most important early platformers, showing how the genre could be used for large-scale adventures.
3rd) Super Mario Bros. 3
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3rd Gen: Atari 7800 | Nintendo Entertainment System | Sega Master System
The era of platformer supremacy began in the third console generation, when the NES dominated the home video game market. The console launched with one of the best, Super Mario Bros., but the game that takes the top spot for the entire generation is the threequel: Super Mario Bros. 3. This is the game that was announced in a feature film, it added an entire world map to explore, and featured as much as could be packed onto a NES cartridge at the time. It’s easily the best platformer on the NES and the best the genre had to offer in its generation.
4th) Donkey Kong Country
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4th Gen: TurboGrafx-16 | Genesis | Neo Geo | Super Nintendo Entertainment System
As technology expanded into the 4th generation, bringing 16-bit graphics, platformers rose to the occasion. The generation featured Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Super Mario World, Metal Slug 3, and many others. Still, the game that tends to lead most lists due to its overwhelmingly high critical and player scores is Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo. Rare hit it out of the park with its pre-rendered graphics and excellent controls. The story, mechanics, and overall gameplay of Donkey Kong Country made it a standout among many great platformers, including some excellent ones released on the Sega Genesis.
5th) Super Mario 64
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5th Gen: 3DO | Jaguar | PlayStation | Nintendo 64
With the advent of 64-bit technology, platformers went from 2D to 3D with a bang, and the game that blew away the competition is Super Mario 64. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the first 3D platformer — not by a long shot — but Super Mario 64 managed to perfect the formula, thanks to its 360-degree camera system. This innovation has influenced games to this day and set Super Mario 64 apart from the competition, as few games have achieved the same feat. It also features a brilliant story and excellent gameplay, and it was an absolute blast to play when it was released in 1996.
6th) Rayman Revolution
Image courtesy of Ubi Soft
6th Gen: GameCube | Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | Xbox
The 6th console generation saw less focus on 2D platformers, with many more 3D platformers on systems like the GameCube and PlayStation 2. Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Psychonauts, and Super Mario Sunshine are notable examples, but Rayman Revolution on the PlayStation 2 takes the top spot. The game was released on other platforms in 1999 as Rayman 2: The Great Escape, but the PS2 port is superior, offering exceptional 3D gameplay, an immersive plot, and gorgeous graphics. It’s a brilliant game that everyone should play at least once in their life.
7th) Super Mario Galaxy
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7th Gen: PlayStation 3 | Wii | Xbox 360
While the 7th generation saw the end of Sega’s hardware development, it didn’t stop the company from making games. There were plenty of great ones, and both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 featured some excellent platformers. Still, the one that reigns supreme for the 7th generation is easily Super Mario Galaxy, which edged out its sequel by two-tenths of a point, so it was close. Super Mario Galaxy took the 3D platformer and blasted the format to smithereens, taking it into a fully 3D realm that hadn’t been explored previously, setting new benchmarks for other platformers to follow, and it easily dominated the competition.
8th) Super Mario Odyssey & Celeste
Image courtesy of Nintendo & Maddy Makes Games
8th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Wii U | Xbox One
When it came time to rank the 8th generation, two games came in at a tie: Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switchand Celeste on the PlayStation 4. While Celeste was also released on Switch and other platforms, the PS4 port was incredibly well done, and both games swept the competition in the 8th console generation. Super Mario Odyssey reinvented the platformer genre once more, using Mario to do so for the umpteenth time. At the same time, Celeste offered a brilliant story and excellent gameplay, absolutely astounding critics and players alike, proving that an indie title can match the merits of the biggest and best AAA games.
9th) Astro Bot
Image courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment
9th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X|S
In the 9th generation, the Nintendo Switch continued, while we got new versions of the PlayStation and Xbox. While plenty of great games came out on all three systems during this period, the platformer that dominated the competition was easily Astro Bot. The fifth game in the series was released on the PS5 in celebration of PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, and it features a plethora of callbacks and great content, brilliant level design, and some exceptional gameplay. Astro Bot won Game of the Year in 2024, alongside numerous other accolades, and was the clear winner of the 9th generation.
10th) Donkey Kong Bananza
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10th Gen: Nintendo Switch 2 | PlayStation 6 | Xbox Project Helix
As of writing, there isn’t a consensus on the 10th generation, though some have identified the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 as the generation’s first console. We’re going with that notion, and to that end, the best platformer released thus far is Donkey Kong Bananza. The game offers plenty of destructive fun for Donkey Kong to explore as players guide him through sandbox-like levels, where he can destroy almost everything, fight enemies, and uncover all sorts of hidden paths and items. It’s wildly entertaining, and while many platformers are playable on the Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza is the best that was developed specifically for the system.
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