While publishers and critics long felt the platformer genre was old news, 2017 saw its resurgence. This year marked the return of old favorite Crash Bandicoot, and saw the release of brand new installments in beloved franchises such as Mario and Sonic. Not only that, but brand new franchises threw their hat into the platformer ring (in some cases, literally) with "A Hat in Time" and "Cuphead."
To mark the return of and potential future of this genre, I thought I'd make a list of the Top 5 platformers of the year. An honorable mention goes to "Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy" which did a good job of reminding us why the orange marsupial made Naughty Dog a household name, though it lacked the refinement of its competitors to make the top 5.
5. 'Sonic Mania'
For years, Sonic's career fell on hard times. It seemed that for every decent title such as "Colors," there were many titles whose aim was to ruin any good will that this franchise still had. His abysmal Xbox 360 reboot and "Boom" spring to mind. "Sonic Mania," however, harkens back to the good old days of the series; taking the colorful worlds and physics of the Genesis classics and marrying them with modern elements such as an updated soundtrack, a framerate of 60 fps, and 4K resolution. The result is a wonderful love letter to the blue blur's glory days and quite possibly his greatest game in years.
4. 'Cuphead'
Evoking the look, humor, and sound of a Max Fleshier or Bob Clampett cartoon from the 30's and juxtaposing that with brutally difficult run and gun gameplay reminiscent of titles like "Metal Slug," "Cuphead" lulled me in with its whimsical visuals and killed me just as quickly -- and I loved every minute of it.
The attention to detail in recreating the feel of the old cartoons that it pays homage to is nothing short of amazing.
3. 'A Hat in Time'
"A Hat in Time" is the 3D platforming throwback that we've been waiting for. It's a game that knows what made this genre so great and it abandons the elements of that era in gaming that don't work in this day and age.
There's no clinging to outdated design choices simply out of tradition or cringe-worthy attempts at self deprecation like in "Yooka Laylee." Instead, the game offers a variety of locales and themes such as an Agatha Christie spoof level and quirky characters such as Mustache Girl and The Snatcher. All of this is enhanced by its razor sharp writing and an endearing protagonist.
2. 'Hollow Knight'
Mixing a unique art style that's as cute as it is grotesque with a classic "Metroidvania" style design, "Hollow Knight" tasks players with exploring a kingdom inhabited by bizarre bug and insect-like creatures. The feeling of exploration gave me nostalgic memories of "Symphony of the Night" and its minimalist storytelling reminded me of "Dark Souls."
1. 'Super Mario Odyssey'
After the success of "Mario Galaxy," the series was content to just play it safe. While the titles that followed still managed to garner good sales and reviews, they didn't really shake up the formula the way "64," "Sunshine," or "Galaxy" had. "Super Mario Odyssey" is the elevation of the series that I've wanted since "Galaxy." It uses the old "Mario 64" design as a jumping off point to explore new gameplay ideas and worlds.
Not only are there new acrobatic moves to help the mustached plumber get around, but there's a sentient hat on his head that allows him to "capture" other creatures and people and use their abilities, and of course, the game is filled to the brim with that old Nintendo charm and polish.
