IT'S FINALLY HERE! The top 101 is complete and I just want to thank everyone who participated in getting to this wild ride. But we're not done yet. Honorable Mentions will be posted early next week, and there are other stats and content being worked on as well. In the meantime, enjoy ResetEra's 101 Essential Platformers!
BAGES:
3rd Place Best Level Design
What
TheWildCard has to say:
"Represents the pinnacle of the 8-bit platforming era of pure platformers, and still one of the most joyful games you can play. Looks and sounds amazing for the hardware it is running on. Levels are plentiful but not too long, and there are enough powerups and secrets to comb through levels without detracting from the pure pleasure of movement."
What
WestEgg has to say:
"Super Mario Bros. 3 takes the concept of Super Mario Bros., takes the spirit of what it wants to do, and then just reinvents, recontextualizes, and reimagines it in a massively improved way. Mario has never felt better to move and control on a 2D plane. The levels are short and concise, offering a great variety of enemies, obstacles, and challenges that never feels overwhelming. It brought the World Map into the platforming mainstream, and managed to hide secrets not just all over its levels, but even in the maps themselves. [...] The game just feels too big to have been possible on the NES. I still don't understand how they did it. And it feels as good to play today as it did back when I was a kid. It's pure, genius craftsmanship in the art of game making."
What
Lulzwagon has to say:
"Pure platforming bliss distilled into a liquid that was then injected into every cartridge. Super Mario Bros 3. is everything I love about a 2D platformer. Not too many puzzles, not too many gimmicks, not too many underused mechanics introduced for faux-variety and short & sweet levels. I think 2D platformers are at their best when they are simply a test of reflexes, timing and wit. No game represents this purity more than SMB 3."
OST Highlights:
Overworld
Music: Above Ground BGM Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL45AF721D6D42EA80 Platform: NES
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Athletic
Music: Athletic BGM Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL45AF721D6D42EA80 Platform: NES
www.youtube.com
What
CJCW? has to say:
"About as close to perfection as a game can get. The platforming itself feels tight, with Mario moving exactly as you'd expect him to based on your inputs. The powerups, both new and old, change your approach to enemies and obstacles encountered; the cape in particular adds a new degree of freedom to the Mario formula, and is used pretty ingeniously when required to find the game's more tricky exits. [...] The music is incredible, not just in how good it is on its own, but also in its refusal to simply parrot old series tunes - Athletic, my personal favorite, fits the stages it's present in with its jaunty rhythm and its balance between feeling upbeat and manic. The sprite work is fantastic, about as good as it gets in a 16-bit game, presenting clear enemy designs, well-timed animations, and gorgeous scrolling backgrounds. All in all, Super Mario World is everything a fan of platforming games could ever want, and sits comfortably at the top of my list of the best the genre has to offer."
What
miserable Person has to say:
"Platforming perfection and one of the greatest games of all-time. Mario's romp through Dinosaur Land is rife with shortcuts, secrets, and teases of what's to come during an ever escalating quest to rescue Princess Peach. Mario feels perfect, his weightiness doesn't betray his ability to properly maneuver mid jump and real skill is needed to complete every level the game has to offer."
What
MondoMega has to say:
Super Mario World resonates with me more than any other 2D Mario title; the colorful aesthetic letting it stand out, Koji Kondo's compositions obviously be exceptional (personally, i'm a huge fan of them using a single leitmotif throughout the game; but i'm glad they only decided to go for it once), Mario's looser controls allowing for a ton of fun and surprisingly precise movement (kinda an oxymoron there, I know) and the inter-connected feeling of Dinosaur Land truly expanding upon the world map first introduced in SMB3. I don't have much more I can say; it's good.
OST Highlights:
Athletic
Music: Athletic Platform: SNES Reupload of GilvaSunner: https://www.youtube.com/user/GilvaSunner
www.youtube.com
Castle Theme
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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BADGES:
2nd Place Best Mechanics
What
Nisaba has to say:
"I consider this to be the most important platformer. At the time of it's release, I could not believe what I was playing. Years of 2D platforming foundation ingrained in me...to suddenly be shattered so easily by Nintendo once they introduced that third dimension. I still cannot believe they managed to get it so right on their first try, how? This game is a testament to the genius of Nintendo and a true masterstroke of platforming that really has defined the genre in 3D. I cannot picture any other platformer being as essential to play and experience at least once so you too can know of it's innovation and delightful range of gameplay mechanics."
What
DinoBlaster has to say:
"The bible of 3D platformers. Mario still controls like a dream and the music/sound effects remain timeless. After the first couple missions you can tackle the game in almost any order you want, and it's all magical. Exploring Peach's castle, jumping into paintings, grabbing Bowser by the tail, long-jumping and side-flipping anywhere I damn well please...I love this game."
What
Kolibri has to say:
"This is the most essential 3D platformer of all time, and my favourite platformer altogether. Well over 20 years later, this polygonal pioneer is still an absolute joy to play. People all over the world know the impact this game had on the industry, and everyone can appreciate just how hard Nintendo nailed this on their very first try. I did not place this game above the other 3D Mario games (which I all love), merely out of nostalgia.
Mario just controls that well in this old game. The unbelievable variety of moves Mario can pull of in this game are simply unmatched (although Odyssey comes close). [...] I love the freedom of level progression. I love Mario's moves. I love the 'levels within levels' like the Pyramid in Shifting Sand Land. I love the music. I love 'surfing' around on a Koopa Shell."
OST Highlights:
Dire, Dire Docks
Music: Dire, Dire Docks Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FA3FE759E7FEE2B Platform: Nintendo 64
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Slide
Music: Slide Composer: Koji Kondo Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8FA3FE759E7FEE2B Platform: Nintendo 64
www.youtube.com
