2D Platformer Genre Game Previews

Sargon kicks a boss off his horse in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Final Preview - Is This Anime?

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the most excited I’ve been for a Ubisoft game in a long while. Pitched as a modern take on the franchise, it blends the old sidescrollers with the Sands of Time…

December 13, 2023 | 12:00 EST

The player character approaches a dog in Animal Well
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Animal Well Preview - It's Feeling Magical

One thing to know about PAX demo stations is that these games are (usually) all running on some sort of PC configuration. What stood out to me when approaching the Animal Well booth at PAX West, then…

September 5, 2023 | 10:30 EDT

Mario in elephant form running to collect coins.
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Super Mario Bros. Wonder Preview - Mario is Getting Weird With It

One of the few 10/10 reviewed games on TechRaptor is Super Mario Odyssey, the last mainline Mario game, which released about six years ago (and the last 2D Mario a decade ago). After just a brief…

September 3, 2023 | 10:00 EDT

Pepper Grinder header
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Pepper Grinder Preview - It's Drillin' Time

I don't know how Devolver does it, but the publisher is an expert when it comes to scooping up simple but absurdly fun indie titles. As it so happens, one of Devolver's latest published titles,…

August 24, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

prince of persia the lost crown key art
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Preview

I had the opportunity to play Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown at a Ubisoft event as part of Summer Game Fest.  It’s been over a decade since we last saw an entry in the Prince of Persia franchise,…

June 13, 2023 | 10:00 EDT

disney illusion island key art
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Disney Illusion Island Preview

While at Summer Game Fest I had the chance to try out Disney Illusion Island, the new cooperative platformer from Dlala games. Starring Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy, it’s a wholesome trip down…

June 12, 2023 | 11:30 EDT

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy flying through the air in Sonic Superstars.
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Sonic Superstars Preview

There's a certain thrill that comes from classic 2D Sonic games when you're in the groove. Spin dashing up a ramp, going through loops, effortlessly bouncing between springboards -- Sonic is at his…

June 11, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

Key art of Trinity Fusion with all three player characters in a void-like backdrop
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PAX East 2023: Trinity Fusion Preview

Trinity Fusion is an upcoming rogue-lite action platformer from Angry Mob Games that I was able to play at PAX East 2023. After a 45-minute session, I felt the hooks of the genre’s live-die-repeat…

April 5, 2023 | 11:00 EDT

shovel knight dig
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Shovel Knight Dig is a Stimulating, Spelunking Adventure

Shovel Knight Dig is the product of a very special combination of developers. On one end is Yacht Club Games, responsible for creating the IP that is Shovel Knight, a bona fide indie hero. On the…

September 4, 2022 | 11:30 EDT

eiyuden chronicle rising
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Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising Feels Like a Long Fetch Quest

Every so often, you'll come across a Kickstarter game that swiftly meets its funding goal and hits stretch goals like nothing -- as was the case with the upcoming Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.…

March 21, 2022 | 09:00 EDT

mina the hollower
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Mina the Hollower Feels Like It's Straight From the Cartridge

I was too young to experience the NES era of gaming -- a time that Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight sought to emulate. I could still appreciate the developer's dedication to creating an authentic, old…

February 11, 2022 | 12:19 EST

Nina standing next to the game's title
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30XX is Faster, Sharper, and Getting Better

30XX has hit Steam Early Access and it is a delight. Even in its very early state, it is a marked improvement over its predecessor 20XX in just about every single way. Not only does it push its…

March 15, 2021 | 11:00 EDT

LUNARK demo crystal
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Get a Running Start on Lunark

Billing itself as a "2D cinematic platformer in the vein of 80s and 90s classics," Lunark is an upcoming sci-fi platformer with full controller support. Developed and published by Canari Games, this…

February 3, 2021 | 10:00 EST

Olija - Key Art
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Olija Is An Epic Storybook Adventure

Bleak-core should probably be its own genre at this point. Games that go out of their way to create a world that seems to embody depression, decay, and in many cases, utter failure. I don't know who'…

December 28, 2020 | 01:00 EST

30XX Preview Preview Image
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Run, Slash, Die, and Repeat In 30XX

I haven't played 20XX. To be quite honest it's never even come across my radar before, but seeing 30XX in action at the Guerrilla Collective this week immediately piqued my interest. As a fan of fast…

June 18, 2020 | 11:00 EDT

Polyroll world 1 screenshot
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Polyroll Will Scratch Your Sonic Itch

If you like 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games but wouldn’t mind the super speed being toned down in favor of more platforming, Polyroll will offer you an engaging time. It’s a sidescrolling platformer…

December 29, 2019 | 12:00 EST

cyber shadow
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Cyber Shadow is 8-Bit Perfection

Cyber Shadow is the first game being published by Shovel Knight maker Yacht Club Games. It's being developed entirely by one person, with some advice offered by Yacht Club Games, which makes the game…

September 9, 2019 | 01:30 EDT

shovel knight dig logo
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Shovel Knight Dig is Frantic, Challenging, and Charming

Shovel Knight Dig is a lot of things in one and to avoid mixing up some word salad, let's just say it's super fun. You know the one thing Shovel Knight didn't do a ton of in Shovel Knight? Dig. There…

September 9, 2019 | 01:00 EDT

super meat boy forever logo
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Super Meat Boy Forever Continues The Impossible But Achievable Feel

Super Meat Boy Forever is the sequel to Super Meat Boy, and it started out being developed as a mobile game. Really, the idea for the game began immediately after the release for the first, when the…

September 11, 2018 | 12:00 EDT