But a 2d platformer is gaming heaven if done well. Consider two examples which even a non-gamer would probably have heard about. Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario are two prime platforming icons, and while I'm not a fan of the former, I hold Mario in very high regard when it comes to pure, fun platforming action. Platformers need good reflexes too, just in a different way. You mainly jump around, gain powerups which help you kill your enemies with fireballs or become invincible for a short period of time. This formula has been copied, rehashed and run into the ground over the years, but it has also led to some unbelievably charming and interesting games as well. The later entries into the Mario series, for example, have all refined this tried and tested form of gameplay, with weirder powerups (frog suits, racoon suits, flying suits etc) and even more varied tweaks. Yoshi's Island had Yoshi firing eggs while jumping around in front of a hand drawn crayon background. You could eat eggs too, and poop eggs as well to store as ammunition. You could transform into helicopters, moles and what not. But the basic premise remained: jumping is the name of the game. Thats the foundation over which a platformer rests. So, Metroid is not a platformer. Yes, you jump from platform to platform but it isn't as important as that in a game like Ristar. In Metroid, you shoot, and then talk. Ristar is another little gem of a game released for the Genesis, very late in its lifespan, where you're a star with no power except grabbing onto things and propelling yourself forward or hanging on or throwing. But this simple little talent can be tremendous fun: actually, since it does away with stuff like powerups and special moves, you rely solely on your hands and this makes the game mechanics a lot more easier to grasp yet tough to master.
Platformers were probably the top selling genre around the early 90s, and by the advent of the Playstation, they were not all that popular anymore. Super Mario 64 brought the 3d platformer to the forefront, and led to some legends in the genre: Banjo Kazooie for instance. A bear and a bird in the bear's backpack which flaps in midair to help the pair stay afloat for a while, and performs a wide array of moves which include pecking, jumping very high, a rolling attack, and even flying around vast levels chock full of things to collect, jigsaw puzzle pieces at that, which when pieced together, lead to the next level. I'm telling you, this game took over my life. I'm not ashamed, not in the least, to admit that I spent a month doing almost nothing in my spare time but flying around and jumping about with a bear and a bird and collecting jigsaw puzzle pieces while I was at it.
If I haven't convinced you to give your fps s a rest and try out a platformer by now, I don't know if I can ever. But please, try Runman out. This is a free game, just 22 mbs, and I can honestly say its the most fun I've ever had playing a game since...I dunno, Beyond Good and Evil and Banjo Kazooie. Its what Sonic should have been, like many websites are saying. It takes inspiration from Mario, Sonic and even Yoshi's Island to a certain extent (simple, colorful MSPaint backgrounds, everybody!) but stands apart as something very very unique. You cannot die. But this game is a lot more than moving from point a to point b ...its moving from point a to b without stopping. Trust me, it starts out easy, but gets terribly difficult to master later on, especially if you're hell bent on topping your best scores. You'll spend a lot of time figuring out how to perfect your run, and whats most important is, you'll have plenty of fun doing it. Runman is a game a casual gamer would love, but if you're serious about gaming, and if you cannot rest without having figured out every trick a game might be hiding from you, Runman is your game. Platforming simply doesn't get much better than this.http://www.whatareyouwait.info/
Runman link. These guys are geniuses.
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