/vr/ - Retro Games

>>9221831
Mr. Gimmick is a really good one.

The peak of the 2d platformer is the umihara kawase games. The skill requirements are extremely high in later fields and even early on they are open to high levels of mastery to achieve the best times.

>>9221831
conquest of the crystal palace

Commander Keen. Lots of old PC games actually. Mario sort of shifted the genre towards emphasizing moving fast rather than precisely. Not an absolute rule for Mario, but sort of the big change it made to the genre.

>>9222086
I have enjoyed Commander Keen quite a bit from what I've played of it. Makes me wish we'd gotten that proposed 3D version instead of Quake.

>>9221871
Umihara is great, but I wouldn't say it's what OP's talking about. Umihara is extremely unique because it relies entirely in the hook element, so it's about mastering that and using the momentum accordingly in order to pull off really difficult jumps, but I think OP is asking for more traditional platformers. Umihara is a masterpiece but it's kind of its own niche, maybe captain commando and that one level from Magical Quest 1 are comparable because of the hook mechanic.
Speaking of Magical Quest, that's one of my suggestions for OP. Most of the Capcom licensed games from the 80s/90s on NES and SNES are good, solid platformers: Magical Quest series, Duck Tales, Chip & Dale, Aladdin.
Same with Konami and the Tiny Toon games, and Sega and its Mickey and Donald games (Quackshot is more like an adventure game, but it has a lot of solid platforming), the Game Gear Donald games are more straightforward platformers.

Wizards and warriors had a ton of vertical climbing maps. It looks like “jump king” at a glance but it had good jump control and was a surprisingly easy game.

>>9222958
I don't mind if a game has some specific movement mechanic it relies on. I just want a game that is heavily about the movement aspect instead of focusing a lot on fighting enemies or something similar while having relatively simplistic platforming requirements. So that game might be interesting.

>>9223092
Yeah definitely do play Umihara Kawase, it's very rewarding to get good at it. Just don't expect a typical platformer, it's not about running and jumping through pits and platforms, instead it's more about reaching different parts of a more open-ended map using the grappling hook and the momentum of the swing.

>>9221831
A couple that come to mind with some unusual features are Bionic Commando (can't jump, must fling yourself with extending arm) and Metal Storm (can flip gravity to walk on the bottom of platforms).
Sonic the Hedgehog is heavily based on movement.
But maybe Prince of Persia is really what you want. It's more focused on movement than anything else I can think of.

While not what traditionally constitutes platforming per se, Quake 3 facilitated a lot of movement-focused scenarios through the community. Not many actual games embraced this concept in first person back then.

>>9221831
Addams Family on the SNES.

It's very simple. Run and jump with a few minor powerups here and there. Collect money for one ups like mario with 100 coins. It's a step back in that regard, but it's very very good at it. Controls are tight, tons of enemies and it's HARD. The game is like a Metroidvania with no map. All the stages are connected and there is lots of secrets. The levels are huge, and one of my favorite things is each room of a level has a name for it on the screen. Nice touch. The graphics are really good as is the music, but the sound effects are annoying.

I really like it and think it's one of the most underrated platformers. It's a step up from the mario games in difficulty and non-linear and that makes up for the simpler gameplay for me.

>>9223092
haven't played the umi games myself but there is game like your description which also involves a grappling

>>9223347

Interesting. Never played that, but it instantly reminded me of Turok 1 on the N64. Now I've always been alone on saying that I LIKED the platforming in it, and I didn't find it that cumbersome or difficult. You just get used to looking down before you jump and the game gives you some leway, as in you can still jump even though you're no longer on the platform for a split second. It's how you make longer jumps, along with the diagnal trick. Lots of tricky jumping in 3D space, which at the time was really amazing. Imagine playing SM64 and then playing this a few months later like I did. It really stepped up the scale and difficulty, but it still controlled really well and being FPS there was no camera, it was your view with the revolutionary analog stick.

The Goemon games, they have their share of adventure elements and fighting enemies, but the sidescroller levels are pretty high quality platforming action.
The castles from Goemon's Great Adventure are incredible. Just pure platforming action, great challenge and pacing.

this stage filtered me in Umihara, didn't had that much fun with this game

I'm sure you have already heard of it but if not, you should play Celeste. It's a 2D platformer with a dash mechanic.

>>9221863
>Mr ice level the game
Jumping on stars is a total gamble as well.

>>9224549
Not retro. But I do admit I love games with strong trans characters.

>>9222958
I wouldn't call Umihara a platformer, it's more of a puzzle game. Your brain is tested more than your mechanical skill.

>>9224681
I have seen multiple people say this and I have no idea why. Is it because it has an unorthodox control scheme? Is it because the stages are small and blocky? Is it because you have one move with a huge number of different applications? Some combination of the above? There’s nothing puzzle-like about it at all. Stages can be completed in countless ways.

And no, mechanical skill is obviously a huge part of the game. You need to aim your hook, constantly adjust your position relative to the hook for maximum velocity, and time your swing releases. If you're trying to scale walls or cross gaps, you need to be quick about releasing and regrabbing as well. There are also doors like 15 -> 40 and 42 -> 43 with fairly hard execution requirements where knowing what you’re supposed to do is only the start.

>>9224625
Even if they're shit? I really, really liked Celeste because it was a good game, and because it was good, I was able to better understand the sorrows and pain of its protagonist. I felt that good, honest communication, in good faith, took place. In my humble opinion, you shouldn't love games just because they feature trans characters. If anything, because then all you're getting is very shitty representation and you should demand developers do better. In my estimation, it is correct to believe trans characters deserve better understanding in society at large, but you won't get that with shitty games. Nobody normal enjoys political pandering and agenda pushing just for the sake of it. However, show me a good game, and I'll be there every time, no matter who the protagonist is.

>>9221871
>>9222958
>>9223095
>>9224462
>>9224681
Went to try out Umihara and it turns out I've already played it a small bit before. I think I only tried it out before though so only got past the first 1 or 2 levels. I just played it now up to level 7 with the octopuses and that's pretty annoying. Great game though and while not exactly what I was looking for, it's pretty close in that it puts so much emphasis on the movement and traversing the level.

What's with the UI being in the middle of the screen though? I thought it was an emulation error but every screenshot of the game I see has it like that.

And while not retro, are any of the sequels worth playing?

>>9226030
>are any of the sequels worth playing?
Shun and Sayonara are both fantastic. Haven't bothered with Fresh since it looks like a genuine sellout.

Hermie Hopperhead is very obviously taking inspiration from Super Mario World in regards to aesthetics, level design and movement, but with a little monster raising gimmick to make it more forgiving. If you really like SMW, you could give it a try, OP.

>>9221831
Duke nukem 1 and 2. It has the classic key hunt and all.

>>9221871
The shitty physics kills all the fun that one would have.

I love platformers

>>9230328
it's great after you get better at it
sometimes I play it for a few minutes just to do a few tricks on the first level

>>9226552
Agreed that Umihara Kawase Fresh is just fresh dogshit. SFC, Shun, and Sayonara are all solid platformers that are consistently fun and challenging the whole way through, Fresh is just... Nicalis trying to print money while riding on the coattails of Cave Story for the billionth time.

Did you know you can spin jump saws? It's not my gameplay but that's why this game is awesome

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hC32pDsB7E

btw Super Meat Boy is a great modern-ish (came out in like 2010 I think) platformer with a retro mouthfeel and blisteringly hard platforming.

>>9221831
I feel like that describes Skullmonkeys for the most part. There are enemies, but fighting them is never really that important.

>>9223119
>But maybe Prince of Persia is really what you want.
Blackthorne might be worth a try too. It's similar to PoP but there's some shooting.

Mischief Makers. Combat is pretty strong for bosses, but most stages are either pure platforming or puzzles involving platforming.