Platform games focus on individual heroes with agile abilities. Players will have to demonstrate their gaming skills by having the character jump from place to place overcoming all sorts of handicaps.
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The Nominees:
SUPER MARIO GALAXY (Wii)
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
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Super Mario Galaxy lived up to all the hype and expectations. What makes this game different from all the others is the ground-breaking gameplay. It's not due to the Wii controls, like everyone may think. The concept of platforming has just been remarkably innovated, thanks to Super Mario Galaxy. Nintendo broke the mold one more time and gave birth to one of the smoothest and most fun to play platforming adventures out there. The game may be on the easy side, but the unique gameplay just flows like never before, making this a true work of art.
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RATCHET & CLANK FUTURE: TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION (PS3)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: SCEA (SONY)
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While many have compared Insomniac's first next-gen chapter in this reliable series to a playable Pixar movie, that high compliment doesn't quite cover it. Sure, the candy-colored worlds and inventive characters look tasty enough to eat, but we can't recall any Pixar protagonist packing such a sweet selection of ass-kicking gadgets and goodies; the deadly duo's inspired arsenal is the bad-guy-blastin' highlight of the game. Hell, we were even sold long before we cleared our first room of goons with the aptly named Tornado Launcher. And traversing amazingly detailed levels, filled with fantastic platforming and puzzling, and fighting screen-filling foes just adds several more layers of icing to this fun-filled cake.
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CONTRA 4 (DS)
Developer: WayForward
Publisher: Konami
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This old-school, side-scrolling sequel is the Contra we've been waiting for. Bullet-barrage-spitting spread guns, flying weapon power-ups, a seemingly endless parade of bad guys, bullet-dodging acrobatics, and a degree of hardcore difficulty the likes of which we haven't experienced since the NES's Ninja Gaiden. Toss in new playable characters, a slick Bionic Commando-like grappling hook, and gameplay that stretches two stories tall on the Nintendo DS's dual-screen display, and you've got the coolest, most thumb-punishing Contra to ever grace a gaming platform. Best of all, you can get dropped into the jungle with a buddy for Contra 4's addictive cooperative mode.
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CRASH OF THE TITANS (X360)
Developer: Radical Entertainment
Publisher: Sierra Entertainment
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If you have been wondering what the sly bandicoot has been doing for the last five years, Crash of the Titans will give you an update. With a new look, fresh gameplay mechanics, and a charm similar to that of platformers in the late nineties, Crash of the Titans was definitely one the better surprises of the year. With Ratchet, Mario, and Jak in control of the genre, a lot of people had already written Crash off. Primarily because he had only been starring in handheld shovelware and racing oriented spin-offs for most of last generation. This aside, Crash of the Titans will give some of you younger gamers a look back to what platforming used to be like, with little to no gimmicks whatsoever. It's unwise to say that all gimmicks are detrimental, but sometimes a little simplicity is all that is required for a solid game.
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KIRBY SQUEAK SQUAD (DS)
Developer: HAL America / Flagship
Publisher: Nintendo
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Kirby is cute. And many will admit that sometimes his cuteness is a little too much. But Kirby Squeak Squad scaled back the cute factor just enough, and traded it for some really solid platforming mechanics. The result is a very intelligent platformer that incorporates pretty much every element of intelligent platforming, puzzle solving, and just the right amount of cute. The game also featured a pretty unique combat system which relied on your ability to collect, retain, and use different power-ups to accomplish different tasks throughout each level. These power-ups could also be combined to create super-power-ups that did something else entirely. Kirby Squeak Squad is a total blast and forces players to think about situations and use just the right amount of strategy when utilizing power-ups. The result is a winning formula that comes in an adorable pink package.
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