Remember running around as Crash Bandicoot, collecting wumpa fruit and beating levels? Or playing as Spyro and freeing the dragons from their stone encasings? Even Croc: Legend Of The Gobbos consumed a ton of my time. And that was years ago, but it seems the traditional platformer trend is on the rise yet again and familiar gameplay styles are rising from the grave. Here's the three platformer games you need to keep an eye on for this year.
Skylar And Plux: Adventure On Clover Island
Skylar And Plux is a platformer built in the style of games like Ratchet and Clank and Crash Bandicoot, but with the color palette of No Man's Sky---very bright and vivid colors. It's got all of the aspects of a successful and nostalgic platformer, like cool weapons, some sort of collectible item in-game and a trusty sidekick. If there's any indication developers are going back to their roots to think of new and entertaining games, this is it. The game doesn't have an official release date, but has been slated for a release sometime this year. We hope to hear more about it at E3.
Yooka-Laylee
Ever since this game was announced on Kickstarter, people have completely lost their minds, pouring their money into the crowdfunded platformer, making it one of the most successfully-funded games on Kickstarter. This was probably when I first felt like platformers were really making a comeback. The overwhelming response to this platformer game probably made developers realize there's still a market for these kinds of games. And then along comes the Ratchet And Clank reboot, breaking sales records and all. Yooka-Laylee will play a lot like Banjo-Kazooie, but a whole new adventure.
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts has a really solid and dedicated following, so when Tim Schafer of Double Fine Productions announced they were working on the second game, the fanbase went nuts. It was crowdfunded in no time on Fig and the team has been quiet about it ever since. There have been little snippets of information, but seeing as the game is still probably in its early stages, we probably won't be hearing from it for awhile yet. But it's still something you need to keep your eye on if you're a dedicated fan of classic platformers.
And finally, there's one last thing I have to mention. Because the reboot of the Ratchet And Clank game did so well, I can almost guarantee you there will be more reboots. Even in the game, one of the NPC's joking says, "See you in the next reboot!"
So with that success in mind, where's our Crash Bandicoot? If there was ever a time for Crash Bandicoot to rise from the dead, it's now. If I can't get the Silent Hill game I've been waiting years for, can I at least have the second most sought after game in the gaming community?
For diehard fans of platformer games, the new golden age is just beginning.
