The prospect of a game “holding up”, so to speak, is always a bit frightening for me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve replayed a game from my childhood, diving back into classics like Super Mario World or Ocarina of Time while being gripped with fear that it would inevitably fall apart today.
Sometimes, though, not only does a game hold up, but it is still a genuinely great time. Platformers can be a bit tough in that regard, as the precision needed to make good controls in this genre is paramount to a game still feeling good to play.
These are not just good platformers that hold up today. I firmly believe that these games are still some of the absolute best you can find in the genre today. I would put any of them up against a contemporary, AAA platformer today with absolutely zero hesitation.
10 Donkey Kong Country
A Rare Treat
Donkey Kong is in a pretty good place these days. The recently released Donkey Kong Bananza was a massive success, and he is rumored to be getting his own spin-off movie. Back in the 1990s, however, was when DK managed to step out of Mario’s shadow. He wasn’t playing second banana anymore, if you will.
Donkey Kong Country is a game that I can always go back to. The art direction is still stupendous, the level design is perfect, and the music is absolutely phenomenal.
DKC has become one of the premiere platformer series in the industry, and it all started with this timeless SNES classic. It is still just as fabulous today as it was back in 1994.
9 Super Mario 64
The Gold Standard
There’s always something special about a new 3D Mario game. We’ve all been trying to recapture that same magical feeling we got playing Super Mario 64 back in the day. Having just replayed this game around a year ago, I feel confident in saying that feeling has not gone away. It probably never will.
In terms of huge, 3D platformers with large worlds to explore, Super Mario 64 is still one that I would stack up against any modern AAA release. It still feels lovely to play, and the world design is simply outstanding. Super Mario 64 is as close to a rite of passage in video games as you can find.
You need to play it. I don’t make the rules.
8 Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon
A Mystical Platforming Adventure
There are a lot of games I look back on and equate their quality with a good time in my life. If I were to contextualize a game like WCW Monday Nitro, which was one that I rented and played with my brother every weekend, I’d say it’s not a game that holds up at all.
Sometimes, though, games that have good memories attached to them are also just good video games. That’s especially true in the case of Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon. There is a seemingly unlimited well of charm and soul that Konami drew from to make this game. It has one of the most lively, energetic 3D worlds I’ve ever seen in a game.
A spiritual successor by Good-Feel called Bakeru was one of my favorite games of 2024, and it proved that there’s still some life left in the wacky ninja platformer genre.
7 Banjo-Kazooie
Guh-Huh!
Despite how obvious it is that a fourth Banjo-Kazooie game should exist, no one has taken the bait. It’s a real shame when you consider that this delightful game is still so much fun all these years later.
I’m not necessarily someone who hates Nuts & Bolts. In fact, I actually think it’s quite fun, but the original game on the N64 is still one of the best 3D platformers I’ve ever played.
The goofball charm is vintage Rare, and it has a personality that is so unique to the era. You can’t find many games like this today, as it’s a shining example of the collect-a-thon genre that still works today.
6 Heart Of Darkness
A Forgotten Genre
The PS1 had some pretty outstanding platformers, but none were as unique or compelling as Heart of Darkness. This incredible cinematic platformer is part of a genre that barely exists anymore, which is rather sad when you consider how untapped it is.
Heart of Darkness puts you in control of Andy, an adventurous young man on a mission to save his wayward dog. The animation, music and style are all absolutely breathtaking.
Cinematic platformers aren’t really a thing anymore, but if you want to play the peak of the genre, look no further than Heart of Darkness.
Games like Another World may have been more well known, but Heart of Darkness captures what’s truly possible with this genre. It really feels like a Disney animated movie come to life.
5 Glover
I Still Glove This Game
It can be hard to stand out on the N64 as a 3D platformer when games like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie exist, but Glover managed to find a way.
While a lot of platformers focus on getting a particular character to the goal, Glover is focused on the titular hero guiding a ball to the finish. It’s a unique set-up, and one that creates some pretty fun platforming scenarios.
Glover also has a great level of variety in its stages, ranging from snow to creepy woods, all the way to a pirate ship and a prehistoric jungle. It’s also incredibly easy to play today, being readily available on all sorts of modern hardware.
4 Conker’s Bad Fur Day
Bad Day For Conker, Great Day For Gamers
While I often lament what Twelve Tales, the original, friendlier, vision of Conkor’s Bad Fur Day, would have been like, the finished game remains a timeless classic.
It doesn’t take long to realize that this is a different type of Nintendo 64 game. It’s rude, offensive and far more mature than anything else on the machine.
You could tell that even though they were severely limited by the N64 hardware, the team at Rare managed to create a game that still looks amazing.
There’s a certain richness to the world and colors that are so beautiful. Conker’s animations are so lively, feeling more like a vintage cartoon than a retro 3D game.
No game before or since has felt like Conker. It’s a game in dire need of a sequel.
3 Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Gotta Go Fast
The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise was always fascinating to me in that it was built on the prospect of speed, but the older 2D games seemed more interested in stopping you when things got interesting.
Not so with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The name of the game in Sonic 2 is momentum. And lots of it.
Sonic 2 is a blistering, non-stop thrill ride. Your only goal is to go faster and faster, building up enough momentum to blast through each level at breakneck speed.
No game in the series, save for some of the GBA games or Mania, feels this good. This is a game you can very easily pop in today and have the time of your life.
2 Rayman 2: The Great Escape
One Of UbiSoft’s Greatest Ever
Sometimes, a UbiSoft game is really something to get excited about. Case in point, Rayman 2: The Great Escape.
As far as 3D platformers of this era go, Rayman 2 is easily one of the best you can find. It’s not talked about as often as Mario, but this absolute gem is one of the best of its generation.
It is such a massive step-up from the first Rayman, jumping from 2D to 3D. The first Rayman game is cute, but The Great Escape is an amazing upgrade.
1 Klonoa: Door To Phantomile
The Forgotten Platformer Mascot
Klonoa may not be as well-regarded these days as the likes of Mario or DK, but Door to Phantomile is still such a brilliant delight.
The level of joy and pure, unadulterated cuteness that just oozes from this game is impeccable. This adorable 2D platformer was a staple when I was a kid, and was one that I played countless times.
It still looks and plays like a dream. The controls are flawless, and movement feels slick.
It easily stands toe-to-toe with any modern 2D platformer in this style. Nothing about it feels aged or dated in any way, and it wouldn’t feel at all out of place alongside contemporary indie darlings.
- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
- Access Control Installation – key card, fob, biometric & cloud‑based door entry
- Business Security Systems – integrated alarms, surveillance & access control
- Structured Cabling Services – voice, data & fiber infrastructure for new or existing builds
- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
