Weirdly, the original PlayStation isn't remembered for its platform games.
The system was so heavily marketed as a "cool" lifestyle accessory - with Sony encouraging people to take it to nightclubs with them, and raise glasses of Southern Comfort and Coke ("So-Co") in its honour, and likening it to a tattooed frenum - that it is largely forgotten that it also played host to a number of properly decent platformers.
History is in the process of being rewritten, however, with the recent remaster of the Crash Bandicoot games, and the upcoming reimagining of the system's premiere platform hero, Spyro. But if we dive deeper into the PS1's platform game pool, what other treats might we find feeding on its bottom?
Here are ten such games which deserve a re-evaluation.
The system was so heavily marketed as a "cool" lifestyle accessory - with Sony encouraging people to take it to nightclubs with them, and raise glasses of Southern Comfort and Coke ("So-Co") in its honour, and likening it to a tattooed frenum - that it is largely forgotten that it also played host to a number of properly decent platformers.
History is in the process of being rewritten, however, with the recent remaster of the Crash Bandicoot games, and the upcoming reimagining of the system's premiere platform hero, Spyro. But if we dive deeper into the PS1's platform game pool, what other treats might we find feeding on its bottom?
Here are ten such games which deserve a re-evaluation.
THE ADVENTURES OF LOMAX
The Adventures of Lomax might just be the most Psygnosis-y game ever released by legendary Liverpool-based studio Psygnosis. A shamelessly 2D platformer in the most traditional sense, it starred a lemming from the company's Lemmings series, putting him in a fantasy world that had the sort of lush visuals more commonly associated with Psygnosis's Shadow of the Beast franchise.
Reviews at the time we mixed, with most critics and punters viewing the 2D side-scroller as a genre that was long past its prime. Every single one of those people is now exposed as a "consumate dunce".
You see, while Lomax might not have been the most original game ever, it leveraged the meaty muscles of the PlayStation to offer an experience that was far, far more lush than anything we got in the previous generation.
Everybody remembers the limbless wonder that is Rayman, but Lomax was every bit as pretty.
Reviews at the time we mixed, with most critics and punters viewing the 2D side-scroller as a genre that was long past its prime. Every single one of those people is now exposed as a "consumate dunce".
You see, while Lomax might not have been the most original game ever, it leveraged the meaty muscles of the PlayStation to offer an experience that was far, far more lush than anything we got in the previous generation.
Everybody remembers the limbless wonder that is Rayman, but Lomax was every bit as pretty.
KLONOA: DOOR TO PHANTOMILE
A genuine lost classic, Klonoa and its sequel managed to avoid criticisms of being old-hat by placing its 2D platforming in a 2.5D environment. It meant that the character's adventure took place on a subtly 3D, curving plane. I could waste more of my precious time and energy explaining what that means, but you can probably work it out.
It sold well, but its cutesy visuals meant that it stood out as an aberration on a system more commonly associated with grim and gritty "grown-up" adventures, or games with soundtracks by cool dude clubbermen like The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Lou Bega, Len, and The New Radicals.
In short: cool kids thought it was a stupid game for stupid babies.
Ha ha. Joke's on you now: you got old, and one day you're gonna die!
It sold well, but its cutesy visuals meant that it stood out as an aberration on a system more commonly associated with grim and gritty "grown-up" adventures, or games with soundtracks by cool dude clubbermen like The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Lou Bega, Len, and The New Radicals.
In short: cool kids thought it was a stupid game for stupid babies.
Ha ha. Joke's on you now: you got old, and one day you're gonna die!
PANDEMONIUM
Another pseudo-3D title, Pandemonium wasn't the best-looking PlayStation titles - the two main characters (an irritating jester and a bland magician girl) were deeply unappealing - but the twisty-turny levels really felt like they bridged the gap between 2D and 3D platformers.
Indeed, despite the human protagonists, it often played more like a Sonic The Hedgehog game than anything else - some levels almost being structured like oversized pinball tables or rollercoasters, and into-the-screen tunnel bits.
The main thing it lacked was the unspecified "attitude" displayed by Sega's spiny mascot. Though now I think about it, when they say Sonic is "The Hedgehog with Attitude", perhaps they're referring to Attitude, the UK's leading gay lifestyle magazine.
Indeed, despite the human protagonists, it often played more like a Sonic The Hedgehog game than anything else - some levels almost being structured like oversized pinball tables or rollercoasters, and into-the-screen tunnel bits.
The main thing it lacked was the unspecified "attitude" displayed by Sega's spiny mascot. Though now I think about it, when they say Sonic is "The Hedgehog with Attitude", perhaps they're referring to Attitude, the UK's leading gay lifestyle magazine.
HEART OF DARKNESS
Though defiantly cartoony, Heart of Darkness was essentially a forgotten third instalment in Eric Chahi's Another World Series.
The slower pace, the flip-screens, the shadow-y enemies - even the colour palette - were all deeply reminiscent of the ground-breaking cinematic platformer. Chahi has since admitted that he found the development challenging, having had to adjust from being a solo developer to supervising a team.
It's a shame that he doesn't make more games, because I'd always loved him when the Fonz's younger cousin Happy Days.
Nevertheless, while Heart of Darkness is frequently frustrating - as were Another World and Flashback - it's a ruddy gorgeous game. Apart from the cut-scenes, which are typically horribly, in a primordial soup of CGI sort of a way.
The slower pace, the flip-screens, the shadow-y enemies - even the colour palette - were all deeply reminiscent of the ground-breaking cinematic platformer. Chahi has since admitted that he found the development challenging, having had to adjust from being a solo developer to supervising a team.
It's a shame that he doesn't make more games, because I'd always loved him when the Fonz's younger cousin Happy Days.
Nevertheless, while Heart of Darkness is frequently frustrating - as were Another World and Flashback - it's a ruddy gorgeous game. Apart from the cut-scenes, which are typically horribly, in a primordial soup of CGI sort of a way.
PAC-MAN WORLD
In short: this is what happens when you mix Pac-Man with Super Mario 64. And yet, surprisingly, it was far better than the cheap-and-cheerful bandwagon-jumper you might've expected.
That said, the benefit of hindsight suggests it actually played more like Super Mario 3D World than the epoch-defining 64, but it managed to have a few neat twists of its own - such as sort-of-on-rails bits where Pac-Man would just take off on a pill-chomping frenzy. We've all had a few weekends like that right, cool kids?
To modern eyes Pac Man World may not appear to be particularly revolutionary, but it ws a solid stab at making Pac-Man relevant again, demonstrating that the character had enough original ideas to ensure he wasn't just smearing his wrinkled, jaundiced, jowls across the success of more recent successes.
That said, the benefit of hindsight suggests it actually played more like Super Mario 3D World than the epoch-defining 64, but it managed to have a few neat twists of its own - such as sort-of-on-rails bits where Pac-Man would just take off on a pill-chomping frenzy. We've all had a few weekends like that right, cool kids?
To modern eyes Pac Man World may not appear to be particularly revolutionary, but it ws a solid stab at making Pac-Man relevant again, demonstrating that the character had enough original ideas to ensure he wasn't just smearing his wrinkled, jaundiced, jowls across the success of more recent successes.
SKULLMONKEYS
A uniquely creepy "claymation" side-scroller, Skullmonkeys' aesthetic really deserved a less-derivative game. Nonetheless, it had a sufficiently original look that I'd be interested to see a new game which used "claymation" - or, at least, a simulation of it - for its visuals.
We've had the sublime Cuphead paying homage to the hand-drawn animation of the past... now how about a game that appears to be stop-motion? I dunno. Maybe that's a rubbish idea. Who cares?
Ding ding! Check, please!
We've had the sublime Cuphead paying homage to the hand-drawn animation of the past... now how about a game that appears to be stop-motion? I dunno. Maybe that's a rubbish idea. Who cares?
Ding ding! Check, please!
JUMPING FLASH
Given it was a PlayStation launch title - having started out as a tech demo intended to show of the console's 3D capabilities - Jumping Flash was better than it should've been.
Oddly, it succeeded straight out of the gate, so it's a surprise that first-person perspective platforming is an idea that has rarely been built upon. While it might have aged visually, Jumping Flash still stands up today, almost.
Mirror's Edge has done first-person platforming in a very different way - and there are elements of it in Titanfall 2 and the recent Doom reboot - but none have succeeded in inducing the same sort of stomach-contorting vertigo.
...There are a lot of these aren't there? This list is feeling a bit long. Maybe I should've done just five? Oh well. Committed now.
Oddly, it succeeded straight out of the gate, so it's a surprise that first-person perspective platforming is an idea that has rarely been built upon. While it might have aged visually, Jumping Flash still stands up today, almost.
Mirror's Edge has done first-person platforming in a very different way - and there are elements of it in Titanfall 2 and the recent Doom reboot - but none have succeeded in inducing the same sort of stomach-contorting vertigo.
...There are a lot of these aren't there? This list is feeling a bit long. Maybe I should've done just five? Oh well. Committed now.
TOMBA!
Though looking like a traditional side-scroller, Tomba!'s real innovation was by introducing elements of RPG. The levels were often more involved and mission-based than most platforms, its cartoonish visuals disguising a "Metroidvania"-like experience, with depth not typically associated with a game that looked like this.
How many more of these are there? I'm getting bored now. There are only so many ways to say "This is an old platform game that I'd like to see a new version of".
How many more of these are there? I'm getting bored now. There are only so many ways to say "This is an old platform game that I'd like to see a new version of".
APE ESCAPE
This is probably the most high-profile game on the list, given the number of sequels, spin-offs, and guest appearances by the titular simians, Ape Escape really, really deserves a brand new instalment.
Aside form anything else, it did something original with the genre - making it about capturing living apes rather than the usual coin-grabbling. Also: it boasted a handful of mini games. And it was funny.
We're almost at the end now. You can stop here if you want, but there is an interesting fact coming up. It's a fact about Nintendo. You like those don't you?
Aside form anything else, it did something original with the genre - making it about capturing living apes rather than the usual coin-grabbling. Also: it boasted a handful of mini games. And it was funny.
We're almost at the end now. You can stop here if you want, but there is an interesting fact coming up. It's a fact about Nintendo. You like those don't you?
CROC: LEGEND OF THE GOBBOS
Undoubtedly as bland as platform game characters get - a crocodile wearing a rucksack - Croc nevertheless found himself in a better game than he really deserved.
Here's that interesting fact I advised you of: Croc originally started life as a prototype for a game starring Yoshi - developer Argonaut had a relationship with Nintendo through its development of the Super FX chip. Given this, it's little surprise that it played in a similar fashion to Mario 64, but its origins make it significant enough to encourage a revamp.
Or not. It doesn't really matter to be honest. Do what you like.
Here's that interesting fact I advised you of: Croc originally started life as a prototype for a game starring Yoshi - developer Argonaut had a relationship with Nintendo through its development of the Super FX chip. Given this, it's little surprise that it played in a similar fashion to Mario 64, but its origins make it significant enough to encourage a revamp.
Or not. It doesn't really matter to be honest. Do what you like.
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