Retro Arena: Classic 16-bit era platformers

[Leon Retro]

Bonk's Adventure - 1989
Castle of Illusion - 1990
Super Mario World - 1990
Magical Hat Flying Turbo Adventure - 1990
Sonic the Hedgehog - 1991
Bonk's Revenge - 1991
QuackShot - 1991
Sonic 2 - 1992
Tiny Toon Adventures(SNES) - 1992
Mickey's Magical Quest - 1992
Aladdin(Mega Drive) - 1993
Bonk 3 - 1993
Plok - 1993
Ganbare Goemon 2 - 1993
Earthworm Jim - 1994
Dynamite Headdy - 1994
Sonic 3 - 1994
Mickey Mania - 1994
Donkey Kong Country - 1994
Sonic & Knuckles - 1994
Ristar - 1995
Yoshi's Island - 1995
Earthworm Jim 2 - 1995

Here we have a collection of classic 16-bit era platformers. Choose 3 that you like the most.

[Mayhem]

Super Mario World, next!

Oh, another two? Tiny Toons and Yoshi's Island then

[Asura]

Missing my favourite, Sonic 3 as well as probably my second, Rocket Knight Adventures. However, to pick one from the list, it would probably be Aladdin, on the Megadrive. I played countless hours of that game.

[Leon Retro]

Super Mario World, next!

I think it will be a firm favourite with many people. Definitely a great example of how timeless a 16-bit platformer can be.

Missing my favourite, Sonic 3

I didn't include Sonic 3, as people always seem to say Sonic & Knuckles is the better game and a more satisfying sequel to #2. But I've now added Sonic 3.

as well as probably my second, Rocket Knight Adventures. .

I always think of Rocket Knight as a straight action game, rather than a traditional platformer. I see it as an action arcade style game. Opinion does vary on what defines a 'platformer' though, so maybe I'm being too strict.

[wakka]

Sonic 2, for sure. I absolutely love that game. It's got such a smooth pace to it. I find it endlessly enjoyable. And the music is terrific.

Lots of great games on that list though.

[Leon Retro]

Sonic 2, for sure. I absolutely love that game. It's got such a smooth pace to it. I find it endlessly enjoyable. And the music is terrific.

Yeah, it's such a refined game that's a joy to play through. I'll never forget 'Sonic 2s Day' -- great marketing.

Lots of great games on that list though.

And lots of great memories. All of them are still worth playing.

[samanosuke]

We only really get to choose one if SMW and Sonic 2 are a given. In fact make that none if Yoshi’s Island or Sonic 3 take third place.

I’m throwing Aladdin in there (the MegaDrive/only version), but it could easily be one of the aforementioned. Or Castle of Illusion. Or Magical Flying Turbo Hat or whatever it’s called.

[Leon Retro]

We only really get to choose one if SMW and Sonic 2 are a given.

I would agree that it's likely that SMW and Sonic 2 would appear in a lot of people's selection, but they're definitely not a "given." They're very popular games, but not everyone appreciates them.

Or Magical Flying Turbo Hat or whatever it’s called.

Some people call it 'Magical Hat Flying Turbo Adventure' but the Japanese title is 'Magical Hat no Buttobi Turbo! Daibouken'

I've always referred to it as simply 'Magical Hat'.

As much as I'm really fond of it, there are a few games on the list that appeal to me quite a bit more. It's easily in my Top 30 Mega Drive games though.

[CMcK]

Sonic 2 - Technically impressive, great music and I'm still playing it to this day.

Tiny Toon Adventures - Strictly the MD version only though as the prettier SFC version has different mechanics and is pretty poor. The MD version has good level design and plenty of replay value. One of Konami's better MD efforts despite the lacklustre visuals.

Ristar - I didn't discover this gem until years after it came out but it's one of the finest of the era. The stretchy arm mechanics feel quite fresh after years of bouncing on heads. Well worth a look if you haven't played it.

[Leon Retro]

Strictly the MD version only though as the prettier SFC version has different mechanics and is pretty poor. The MD version has good level design and plenty of replay value. One of Konami's better MD efforts despite the lacklustre visuals.

I've always loved the SNES version -- the graphics, music and overall design are excellent. Haven't played the MD version, so I'll give it a go.

Ristar - I didn't discover this gem until years after it came out but it's one of the finest of the era. The stretchy arm mechanics feel quite fresh after years of bouncing on heads. Well worth a look if you haven't played it.

Yeah, it's such an MD gem. The amount of care and attention that went into the whole design is brilliant. Definitely stands up well to all the popular classics listed.

[_SD_]

Castle of Illusion is a beautiful game, although to this day I still prefer the Master System/GameGear version... same with Sonic.

Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure is one of the first Megadrive games I got again as it’s a brilliant platformer, so much colour and energy.

Quackshot is another MD game I had to get again as I have very fond memories of it, and it’s a quality game to boot. Same with all the Mickey Mouse games, much as I hate Disney their 16-Bit platformers were generally quite awesome.

I’m sure I remember the GBA version of Yoshi’s Island being somewhat less difficult than the original? Although crying Mario still makes me want to Hulk Smash stuff...

[Leon Retro]

Castle of Illusion is a beautiful game, although to this day I still prefer the Master System/GameGear version... same with Sonic.

The main thing I love about Castle of Illusion is the atmosphere -- Sega managed to capture the magic of early Disney. It's such an uplifting game to play through.

Magical Flying Hat Turbo Adventure is one of the first Megadrive games I got again as it’s a brilliant platformer, so much colour and energy.

It deserves more recognition as a really special MD game. The vibrant graphics are full of character and the music is really upbeat. Easily one of the best platformers for the system.

Quackshot is another MD game I had to get again as I have very fond memories of it, and it’s a quality game to boot.

Yeah, a quality game in all areas. Sega could have copied the Castle of Illusion formula, but they delivered something different and just as good.



What a great combo cart.

Although crying Mario still makes me want to Hulk Smash stuff...

I can see why the designer(s) included it, but the crying is far too annoying. Definitely a great game overall.

[Team Andromeda]

Mario IV

Quackshot

Castle Of Illusion

[Dogg Thang]

Back in the day, I would have put Dynamite Headdy right up there near the top, if not at the top. I had an incredible time playing through that game. It was quirky, challenging and always rewarding. Weirdly it’s one of those games I have gone back to over the years trying to recapture that feeling and I can’t. The game is clearly good but it just clicked perfectly for me when I played it originally and something has changed in me since.

Outside of that obviously Mario World is brilliant and there’s no disputing that but I always preferred Super Mario Bros 3 so I don’t quite have the same attachment to World that some have. Yoshi’s Island is gorgeous but I never liked the level design and found the egg throwing to be fiddly and in stark contrast to the perfect intuitive control of SMB3 or World.

And then we’re into the Sonics and, for me, they’re all great but the standout is Sonic 3. The level design in that one is really strong with just the right amount of gimmicks to keep it constantly interesting all the way through. The graphics and music are absolutely gorgeous. They really are so polished that they outshine most games of the era. Sonic and Knuckles builds on it, sure, but I find the S&K stages much more obviously repetitive. Like in Mushroom Kingdom you’re not just seeing the same loop but the same sequence of loops over and over and that really continues throughout the game. There was always the suggestion that they just weren’t finished to include in 3 but I don’t feel they’re quite finished in S&K either - it’s like they just used what they had and duplicated it until it made a level. It’s still a huge amount of fun of course but I feel 3 is the perfect package.

Castle of Illusion is lovely too, although I’m another who preferred its 8-bit counterpart. Mania should have been amazing because it’s such a wonderful idea but I feel it just didn’t play well. Other than that, nothing else jumps out except maybe Earthworm Jim for animation but certainly not gameplay.

[Asura]

Castle of Illusion is lovely too, although I’m another who preferred its 8-bit counterpart.

Yeah, I had that for the Game Gear, and it was a wonderful game. Ony of my favourite platformers.

Though I still don't understand the people who preferred the 8-bit Sonics to the 16-bit ones. Though the last time this came up, someone made a point that "they felt more like going on an adventure", which I can't help but feel is just due to the presence of a static map image on the loading screens.