• Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
  • We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.

ReadyorNot

Member
Jan 6, 2018
1,389
Well, I just got me an Xbox Series X (first time Xbox console owner here!~) and I own a Nintendo Switch as well.

I'm someone who is a really big fan of platforming games. Nintendo series like Mario (2D or 3D), Donkey Kong or even Kirby is my jam. Has there been anything on Xbox from last gen and such with platformers that I have missed out on? I don't mind games that are challenging or easy going ones. I just would love to see some suggestions on where to start.
 

dlauv

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,513
Boy you're in luck. Just around the corner is a new 3D platformer from the creators of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, called Balan Wonderworld.

New Super Lucky's Tale is 120fps now. Rare Replay has a few 3D platformers.
 

Jaded Alyx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
35,377
Well, I just got me an Xbox Series X (first time Xbox console owner here!~) and I own a Nintendo Switch as well.

I'm someone who is a really big fan of platforming games. Nintendo series like Mario (2D or 3D), Donkey Kong or even Kirby is my jam. Has there been anything on Xbox from last gen and such with platformers that I have missed out on? I don't mind games that are challenging or easy going ones. I just would love to see some suggestions on where to start.
New Super Lucky's Tale.

And make sure it's NEW Super Luckys Tale.
 

III-V

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,827
Hollow Knight
Guacamelee
Levelhead
Ori and the blind forest
Ori and the will of the Wisps
 

DeoGame

Member
Dec 11, 2018
5,077
Well, I just got me an Xbox Series X (first time Xbox console owner here!~) and I own a Nintendo Switch as well.

I'm someone who is a really big fan of platforming games. Nintendo series like Mario (2D or 3D), Donkey Kong or even Kirby is my jam. Has there been anything on Xbox from last gen and such with platformers that I have missed out on? I don't mind games that are challenging or easy going ones. I just would love to see some suggestions on where to start.
Give Psychonauts a whirl and buy Rare Replay. New Super Lucky's Tale is supposedly quite good too and Josef Fares has a unique looking game called It Takes Two coming soon.

Please play the demo before buying Balan. Trust me.

Edit: Saw you are looking for 2D too. The Ori games are a must!!!! Rayman Legends too.
 

LegalEagleMike

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,454
If you are open to metroidvanias with significant platforming involved...the ori games are damn near masterpieces.
 

G_Shumi

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,159
Cleveland, OH
Boy you're in luck. Just around the corner is a new 3D platformer from the creators of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, called Balan Wonderworld.
tenor.gif


Pick up the Crash and Spyro games if you haven't played them. They're really good.
Sonic Generations is good too and plays in 4K! And Sonic Mania is the best 2D Sonic game ever. (But you can also buy the Genesis originals on Xbox, even Sonic 3 & Knuckles!)
And, of course, Rare Replay (like dlauv already mentioned) has lots of good games.
Ooh, try out Voodoo Vince too! It's a pretty standard platformer from the Original Xbox but it's good.
 

TheBored23

Member
Aug 10, 2018
961
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a lot of fun! It's got some fun ideas with remixing levels and the little overworld puzzles required to get to them.
 

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,362
Crash Bandicoot 4 is really good.

Or the Crash Trilogy if you didn't ever play that.

BC is full of great platformers too, so don't ignore that.
 

Grunty

Member
Oct 28, 2017
7,353
Gruntilda’s Lair
-Banjo-Kazooie
-Banjo-Tooie
-Conker's Bad Fur Day
-Conker Live & Reloaded
-Balan Wonderworld (out on March 26th)
-New Super Lucky's Tale
-Psychonauts
-Psychonauts 2 (out later this year)

There are more, but named only ones exclusive to Xbox that I can think of.

EDIT: Also, are you subscribed to game pass?
 
Last edited:

Babu93

Member
Feb 9, 2021
2,374
I'll also give a shout out to New Super Lucky's Tale. Played it over the holidays and it was a delight. Not much of a challenge, but super charming and an easy, breezy fun time. But yeah, just make sure it's NEW Super Lucky's Tale and not simply Super Lucky's Tale - it's a much improved version.

Also, Rare Replay is a no-brainer.
 

FrsDvl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,118
While Ori is more or less a metroidvania, it is by far one of the best 2D platformers the Xbox has to offer. The 2nd being better than the first, but both are outstanding.
 

SpankyDoodle

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,082
GET RARE REPLAY! It has Banjo 1 and 2, Jet Force Gemini, Conker, Kameo (more Zelda-esque), plus a ton of their super old games which I'm pretty sure had some platformers too
The Ori games
Yooka-Laylee 2 (apparently 1 is.. alright but not great, 2 is supposed to be exponentially better)
New! Super Lucky's Tale
ReCore is a mix of Zelda and platforming with different robot forms
Psychonauts
Sonic Mania though you might have that on Switch already

Boy you're in luck. Just around the corner is a new 3D platformer from the creators of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, called Balan Wonderworld.
Why would you do this, do you have it out for the OP? Or have you not played the demo/read the thread about it?

OP don't listen to people who suggest Balan, I have to assume they haven't played it yet because the demo is awful
 

Dega

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,331
A lot of the ones mentioned here are on Game Pass btw. Maybe all of them actually lol
 

CubeApple76

Member
Jan 20, 2021
6,677
Psychonauts, the sequel is launching into gamepass later this year, and as everyone has suggested the two Ori games are some of the best 2D platformers of this gen.
 

kubev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,533
California
This may seem like an odd recommendation to make for someone seeking platforming games, but I'd recommend Sunset Overdrive. It's technically a third-person shooter, but its game play really emphasizes traversal by forcing you to adapt to the various traversal mechanics in order to get collectibles, as well as to ensure that your attacks are as powerful as possible. There's actually a decent amount of platforming when you consider that bouncing off of various objects will help you to continue your style chain.

giphy.gif
 

meenseen84

Member
Feb 15, 2018
1,937
Minneapolis
Well, I just got me an Xbox Series X (first time Xbox console owner here!~) and I own a Nintendo Switch as well.

I'm someone who is a really big fan of platforming games. Nintendo series like Mario (2D or 3D), Donkey Kong or even Kirby is my jam. Has there been anything on Xbox from last gen and such with platformers that I have missed out on? I don't mind games that are challenging or easy going ones. I just would love to see some suggestions on where to start.

If you haven't tried Ori then play those. It doesn't click with everyone, but for those it does, it'll be in your greatest games of all time list. Play with good sound as the music is top of line.
 
OP
OP
ReadyorNot

ReadyorNot

Member
Jan 6, 2018
1,389
Thanks to everyone in here.

-Banjo-Kazooie
-Banjo-Tooie
-Balan Wonderworld (out on March 26th)
-New Super Lucky's Tale
-Psychonauts
-Psychonauts 2 (out later this year)

There are more, but named only ones exclusive to Xbox that I can think of.

EDIT: Also, are you subscribed to game pass?

Yep, just got a subscription to it today. I almost feel lost in seeing so many games to play on there.
 

brain_stew

Member
Oct 30, 2017
4,731
There's actually a decent selection included in Game Pass so might as well start there is you're just subscribed:

New Super Lucky's Tale
Crackdown 3
Both Oris
Yooka Laylee 2
Rare Replay
 

ThatNerdGUI

Prophet of Truth
Member
Mar 19, 2020
4,550
Terraria
Dead Cells
Celeste
Hollow Knight
Ori 1 & 2
New Super Lucy's Tale
Rare Replay
Unravel 1 & 2
Yooka-Laylee
Battletoads

All on Gamepass
 

secretanchitman

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,780
Chicago, IL
Sonic Mania
Yooka Laylee
Yooka Laylee and The Impossible Lair
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night
Castlevania Symphony of the Night
Crash Trilogy
Crash 4
Spyro Trilogy
Rare Replay

Try the Balan Wonderworld demo.......but you're warned. ;)
 

LiquidSolid

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,731
Why would you do this, do you have it out for the OP? Or have you not played the demo/read the thread about it?

OP don't listen to people who suggest Balan, I have to assume they haven't played it yet because the demo is awful
Also, crediting Ohmori and Naka as "the creators of the original Sonic" is disingenuous. Two members of a seven person team is not "the creators", especially when you're missing the designer of that game.
 

Yabberwocky

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,259
Though they're also available on Switch, both Ori games and Hollow Knight are a must if OP hasn't played them already.
 

Scottoest

Member
Feb 4, 2020
11,353
How is every single recommendation not including Ori? lol.

Ori 2 is one of the best platformers I've ever played, if you don't mind the difficulty. It's also so beautiful it's almost disgusting, haha.
 
Jul 18, 2018
502
North Carolina
I'm in a similar situation. Got a series x in December to complement my switch after skipping the Xbox One. Actually, many of the great platformers made it to switch where I already played them because there very good there too (Cuphead, Ori, Ori 2, bloodstained, hollow knight, sonic mania)

so I don't have any additional recommendations other than trying game pass.
 

Nabbit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,422
Platforming is my favorite genre. Both Ori games are masterpieces. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is wonderful and feels like the true DKC 6. Both Rayman games are sublime and I particularly love Origins. Legends includes many of the Origins games but the versions in the original are better to me. Hue is a really good puzzle platformer. Monster Boy is a recent excellent Metroidvania. New Super Lucky's Tale is a very fun 3D platformer. Celeste is a wonder of platforming with tough as nails yet forgiving challenge. Splasher is a superb Rayman-like game from one of the designers of those games. Think Splatoon meets Rayman. Snake Pass is a brilliant twist on 3D platforming with a steep yet incredibly satisfying learning curve.

The Gardens Between is a puzzle game with a platforming structure, sorta, and it's a satisfying, fun and inventive experience. Kyub is a puzzler with some nimble platforming skills required, pretty darn hard game but it's super rewarding to beat a level. Yoku's Island Express is a genius Metroidvania centered around platforming by way of pinballing. Everything in the Shovel Knight platforming package (Treasure Trove) is a pseudo retro delight with enormously satisfying and enjoyably brilliant level design. Well, I haven't played the Plague Knight campaign, but King of Cards and Specter of Torment are even better than the original Shovel Knight.

If you want something incredibly offbeat, a Metroidvania centered on charm and sidequests and world-building and not really combat or platforming, just Super Paper Mario-esque creative hilarity, check out Wuppo.

Hope you enjoy your Xbox very much. I got XB1 cheaply a few years ago just to play Ori and it was completely worth it.
 
Oct 25, 2017
3,357
Canada
ReCore is secretly one of the best feeling platformers out there--don't miss out!

The Banjo ports in Rare Replay are by far the best way to play those games.

Both Ori games are incredible.

Sonic Generations runs at 4K on Series X, so check that out too.

And while not strictly platformers, Sunset Overdrive and Crackdown 3 will both scratch that itch.

I'd even say both versions of Super Lucky's Tale are worth checking out. "New" is improved in a lot of ways, but there are actually a lot of different level designs between the two once you're further in. In some cases I preferred the original.
 

W.S.

Honest Work
Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,136
1st party: Rare Replay, Ori 1 & 2, Sunset Overdrive, Recore, & Crackdown 3.
3rd party: Poi and Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island are definitely hidden gems, they both have really fun and genuinely great platforming.

Also Splasher, Hayfever, Candleman, Giana Sisters Twisted Dreams Director's Cut, Sir Lovealot, & Jumpjet Rex are really great platforming experiences as well. I would recommend more but I don't want to overwhelm you with titles, btw the links are to the trailers of these games if you want to see how they play.

Hope you find them helpful.
 
Last edited: