Crash Bandicoot 2017
Why it still holds upShort levels and a crate count to finish still make every level something to replay until it is clean.
2010s platformers that still hold up
Jumping, which is far harder to get right than it looks
Games
Crash Bandicoot 2017
Why it still holds upShort levels and a crate count to finish still make every level something to replay until it is clean.
Mega Man 10 2010
Why it still holds upThe same stages still have a second way to play, with two heroes who handle differently.
LittleBigPlanet PS Vita 2012
Why it still holds upPushing scenery out from behind with the rear pad is still its own trick today.
Ms. Splosion Man 2011
Why it still holds upOne button and a lot of timing make each room a short test of reflexes.
Shantae: Risky's Revenge 2010
Why it still holds upEvery gated door is still a question of which animal to be, with transformations that open new areas.
Crash Bandicoot: Warped 2017
Why it still holds upChoosing the next level from a room of portals and racing your own times still makes every stage worth another run.
Guacamelee! 2 2018
Why it still holds upCombat and platforming share the same moves, so exploring and fighting still feel like one thing today.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker 2014
Why it still holds upEvery ledge is still a puzzle, since the characters cannot jump.
Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition 2013
Why it still holds upThe Mexican setting still gives the adventure a style of its own.
Shantae: Half-Genie Hero 2016
Why it still holds upStages that hold more each time you return with a new form still give a reason to replay them today.
Puppeteer 2013
Why it still holds upHeads with abilities of their own, and scissors that cut through the scenery, still keep each curtain varied today.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe 2014
Why it still holds upEvery enemy is still worth swallowing, since copy abilities change how Kirby moves.
Salt and Sanctuary 2016
Why it still holds upWith so many ways to build a character, a second run can feel new now.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse 2014
Why it still holds upEach new item still opens up parts of the map you could not reach before.
Blaster Master Zero II 2019
Why it still holds upSwitching between tank and on foot levels still keeps each planet from repeating itself.
Blasphemous 2019
Why it still holds upEvery enemy is still a pattern to learn and a parry to time.
La-Mulana 2011
Why it still holds upThe pits still punish a guess and reward the one who reads the walls first.
The Swapper 2013
Why it still holds upQuestions about identity and consciousness run through the story, and they are still worth meeting.
VVVVVV 2010
Why it still holds upThe flip is still the one verb, with four hundred rooms built on it.
Katana Zero 2019
Why it still holds upBecause one hit decides every room, each room is still a short puzzle to plan and then carry out.
Rayman Fiesta Run 2013
Why it still holds upA game drawn like the big ones and steered with one thumb still fits a phone today.
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty 2014
Why it still holds upWith the ending decided by how many are saved, every one of them is still worth finding today.
Unravel 2016
Why it still holds upThe thread is still both the hero's tool and his limit, the same piece of string.
Trine Enchanted Edition 2014
Why it still holds upThe online play still brings the first Trine's puzzles to the second's engine, with a friend on another continent.
The Messenger 2018
Why it still holds upEach enemy is still a stepping stone, thanks to a jump that renews when you hit something in the air.
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus 2013
Why it still holds upA short adventure with gravity to play with still suits one or two evenings today.
Guacamelee! 2013
Why it still holds upIts color and humor still make it a lively platformer to pick up today.
Owlboy 2016
Why it still holds upThe friends Otus carries shape both fights and puzzles, which still keeps each room varied today.
Ratchet & Clank 2016
Why it still holds upQwark's version of events is still what frames the game today.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time 2013
Why it still holds upA heist crew that travels through time still offers plenty of variety.
Freedom Planet 2014
Why it still holds upThe fighting still makes a platformer that stops to hit things, with three ways of running.
Rayman Jungle Run 2012
Mega Man 11 2018
Why it still holds upStages learned until they can be run cleanly, with time slowed when you need it, still make it a Mega Man worth learning today.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2018
Why it still holds upQuick runs with a party to swap still make a short game easy to return to today.
New Super Mario Bros. U 2012
Why it still holds upBoost Mode still lets a fifth player build the floor today.
Gato Roboto 2019
Why it still holds upIt still plays well for the switch between the armed suit and the fragile cat, each reaching places the other cannot.
Ultimate Chicken Horse 2016
Why it still holds upEvery piece you lay is still a bet on your own legs today.
Touhou Luna Nights 2019
Why it still holds upIt is fairly short, and time control comes into fights and puzzles alike, so each room is still something to work out today.
Unravel Two 2018
Why it still holds upPlayed today, it still works as well alone as with a friend beside you.
TowerFall Ascension 2013
Why it still holds upAn arena fight that fits on one couch still asks for friends beside you.
Iconoclasts 2018
Why it still holds upEven now, tools that serve as both weapon and key make each new item change how you fight and move.
Risk of Rain 2013
Why it still holds upA ticking clock still turns every stage into a decision about greed.
Axiom Verge 2015
Why it still holds upDozens of weapons and a beam that rewrites glitches still give the exploring plenty to find today.
SpeedRunners 2016
Why it still holds upShort rounds still make a game for friends easy to start.
Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince 2019
Why it still holds upThree heroes whose tools combine in several ways to reach the same goal still make its puzzles worth solving today.
BattleBlock Theater 2013
Why it still holds upBlocks that collapse, stick or bounce still make each level a short problem, which suits sharing with a friend.
Sonic Generations 2011
Why it still holds upTwo ways of running through the same zone still make each act a different game.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light 2010
Why it still holds upA short campaign made for two, with tombs and traps close at hand, still suits a pair today.