2D Platformers are platform games that only take place on the X (left and right) and Y (up and down) axes.
The earliest 2D platformers took place on a single static screen at a time. The screen only changed when you entered a new area or level. Scrolling platformers allow the screen to move with the character, either horizontally, vertically, or both. The earliest 2D platformers were arcade games like Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., and Bubble Bobble. Super Mario Bros. became the standard for 2D platformers and helped popularize the platforming genre.
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert once famously opined that video games couldn't be art. Ebert later backtracked on this statement to a certain degree, but the cat had truly been set among the…
March 15, 2020 | 05:44 EDT
Radical Rabbit Stew combines fast-paced action with puzzle-solving and whack-a-mole rabbit gameplay. Altogether, this means that the tile is an easily-digestible pick-up-and-play package, including…
February 19, 2020 | 08:55 EST
Today, the title's publisher Sold Out has announced that the action-arcade title Radical Rabbit Stew is coming to the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4, PC, and the Xbox One July 16, 2020.…
February 19, 2020 | 09:00 EST
Shovel Knight: King of Cards Video Review Shovel Knight: King of Cards is the third expansion to the original Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope story. Like previous add-on campaigns, it turns a boss…
December 22, 2019 | 10:30 EST
Canadian Indie developer Big Blue Bubble has announced their upcoming game, Foregone, is coming to the Epic Game Store in February. Revealed during the Epic Games Store reel at last week's The Game…
December 18, 2019 | 03:30 EST
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the follow up to the highly appraised Ori and the Blind Forest. It’s a Metroidvania with a gorgeous visual aesthetic and a focus on storytelling through your…
December 13, 2019 | 12:23 EST
At long last, the seriously good looking Ori and the Will of the Wisps is coming to Xbox One, Steam, and Game Pass on March 11, 2020. A new trailer (which you can watch below) dropped at this year's…
December 12, 2019 | 10:27 EST
Polyroll is a 2D platformer designed like Sonic the Hedgehog with some Mario platforming elements. In it you play as a roly poly character who jumps, dashes, and uses powerups to progress through…
September 5, 2020 | 12:23 EDT
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
Widget Satchel is a cute 2D Metroidvania-lite (or "Ferretroidvania" according to developer Noble Robot). You are Sprocket, an adorable ferret who breaks out of his playpen aboard a space station. It…
November 21, 2019 | 08:04 EST
It's sometimes nice to see a piece of your childhood bought back in modern times. It's common enough these days with virtual consoles and numerous remasters or re-releases. Then again, it's sometimes…
November 8, 2019 | 02:00 EST
The of the most beloved Disney games of all time make a return for a new generation. With the Disney Classic Games, Play as Aladdin as he travels through the streets of Agrabah, the mysterious Cave…
October 27, 2019 | 12:56 EDT
Shovel Knight Dig takes us back to a world of shovelry, where platformers were simpler and chiptunes were in style. Take control of Shovel Knight once more in this new adventure, courtesy of the…
September 27, 2019 | 06:37 EDT
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 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
Any fans of retro gaming might be in for a treat, as it has been officially announced that both the Aladdin and The Lion Kind 16-bit games will be re-released in Fall of this year for Xbox One,…
October 27, 2019 | 01:00 EDT
As seen during the Kinda Funny Games E3 2019 Showcase, Big Blue Bubble had a new trailer to show for Foregone. A stylish combat-focused platformer, Foregone is heavily inspired by Dark Souls and…
June 10, 2019 | 09:27 EDT
The third game to be revealed at Microsoft's E3 conference is Ori and the Will of the Wisps. This sequel to the gorgeous 2015 platformer Ori and the Blind Forest, which won over 50 awards, is set to…
June 9, 2019 | 05:18 EDT
Super Meat Boy Forever, the endless runner sequel to the classic 2010 platformer, is facing a slight delay. Team Meat have stated that players should be able to play the game "not too far after."…
April 4, 2019 | 09:53 EDT
Shovel Knight creators Yacht Club Games have announced their second publishing venture. It's an 8-bit retro-styled platformer called Cyber Shadow and it's in development for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and…
March 28, 2019 | 09:00 EDT
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
Microsoft revealed Ori and the Will of the Wisps with a full-length trailer during their E3 2018 press conference on Sunday. The trailer concluded with a 2019 release window for the game. Check out…
June 10, 2018 | 05:15 EDT
Gareth Coker was on stage playing a solemn and haunting piano track as the sounds of nature gently faded in and the screen came to life showcasing Ori And The Will Of The Wisps. A massive frog-like…
June 11, 2017 | 07:32 EDT
One of the strangest trends in indie gaming over the past couple of years has been NES-styled platformers. Half banking on nostalgia and half banking on difficulty, most NES-inspired indies are…
December 18, 2014 | 01:00 EST
Very few games celebrate culture in the way that Never Alone does. There aren't many examples of games made to educate the player on the history and traditions of a rarely represented people. This…
November 27, 2014 | 11:00 EST
The Legend of Dark Witch is a game that combines the frustrating designs in MegaMan and combines it with the infuriating genre of bullet hell. Which, in my opinion, breaks the game in so many aspects…
October 29, 2014 | 01:00 EDT
When people toss around the term "indie game" these days it sometimes refers to really weird "games" that don't resemble the games that most people have come to love and enjoy playing. Fez, however,…
October 12, 2014 | 01:00 EDT
Azure Striker Gunvolt is the epitome of fun, in my books. This is definitely a must for any Mega Man fan, as it combines a lot of the core features of the Mega Man franchise while also bringing its…
September 16, 2014 | 09:00 EDT
Enjoy Rogue-like games such as Hammerwatch? Like platformer-Esque games like Rogue Legacy? Then Vertical Drop Heroes HD will fit right in. Vertical Drop Heroes HD - Gameplay Vertical Drop…
September 13, 2014 | 11:00 EDT
We gamers who enjoy a good retro action game are immensely spoiled in today's age, weirdly enough. Over the course of the last console generation, the rise of platforms such as the Xbox Live Arcade…
June 26, 2014 | 10:00 EDT
Deadlight was one of the May Games with Gold for the Xbox 360. It's a very frustrating game. That doesn’t mean it's not a good game. It just seems rough. Take a look below and see what I mean.…
May 30, 2014 | 09:00 EDT
SteamWorld Dig is a 2D Platformer that has been out for the PC and Nintendo 3DS for a few months now and has received ratings that definitely well deserved. Putting you in the shoes of Rusty, a robot…
March 25, 2014 | 10:00 EDT
For the number of times I cursed at the screen during my time playing Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, one would think that I couldn’t stand the thing, and only continued playing for my own…
March 3, 2014 | 10:30 EST
Long ago, back in 1989, Capcom released a much-beloved action arcade game known as Strider. It quickly gathered popularity and critical acclaim and still remains talked about today, which brings us…
February 24, 2014 | 09:00 EST