diffusionx
Gold Member
BFBB was great... but a remake of a PS2 game. The sequel they made was fucking terrible.
Are we in a second golden age of 3D platformers?
- Thread starter RetroGamingUK
- Start date
BlueManifest
Member
Nintendo has changed or something in the last 8 years and has started making all their games extremely easy
Even with extra post credits things you can do
Last edited:
Yeah its designing for the lowest common denominator. It sucks. I doubt there will ever be another mario or zelda game that tops some of thier older titles.
Dumbed down puzzles, 100s of hollow collectables, and lack of a demand to use a characters entire moveset.
Last edited:
electricmastro
Member
Interesting how Astro Bot is getting more votes despite Mario being more established.
GymWolf
Member
Spot on.
Knack 2 has harder platforming and that one is basically a 3d cartoony brawler.
KungFucius
King Snowflake
Its 7 years newer so not that surprising and the post release support is bonkers. I think I like Astrobot better than Banaza, but Bananza was great. Odyssey was just perfect and I get why Nintendo pussed out and haven't released a new full Mario Game since.This shouldn't even be close. I'm not sure it's possible for Super Mario Odyssey to ever be topped.
EDIT: Astro Bot winning this poll says a lot about this place.
SEGAvangelist
Member
I want Super Mario 3D Galaxy. 4-player local (split-screen) and online co-op in that setting would be so awesome.
The late 90s early 20s were the golden age for 3d platformers. Super Mario 64, Crash Trilogy, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Spyro Trilogy, Conkers, and DK64.
LavitzSlambert
Member
This shouldn't even be close. I'm not sure it's possible for Super Mario Odyssey to ever be topped.
EDIT: Astro Bot winning this poll says a lot about this place.
I love Astro Bot, but you can't compare it to Odyssey. It's the GOAT platformer by a large margin.
BlueManifest
Member
I like music and story and characters more in bananza, I like gameplay more in astrobot
Hugare
Member
Yeah, exactly
Their games were always aimed at children but still challenging enough so grown adults could have fun. But now they are brain dead.
Tropical Freeze and Yoshi had easy mode implemented with their remasters for the Switch, so its clear that its an intencional thing company wide.
Paltheos
Member
A Hat in Time not being a poll option is wild. That game is spectacular. It gets it, in the same way something like Banjo did. Worlds are fun and playful, with a variety of objectives that each build to a reward. It's the antithesis of something like Mario Odyssey which just spits power moons at you like they're going out of style and is comprised mostly of levels that come out of a level design playbook (outside of New Donk City which is legit cool).
RetroGamingUK
Member
Late 90s
Mario 64
Banjo Kazooie & Tooie
Sonic Adventure
Donkey Kong 64
Ape Escape
Crash trilogy
Spyro trilogy
Rayman 2
Last edited:
SEGAvangelist
Member
Gotta say I also love the Psychonauts 2 nod from people here. While I don't think its platforming is on the same level as the top games, it's probably my favorite game of the last 10 years.
ultrazilla
Gold Member
I'm a huge Nintendo mark but had to go with Sony's "Astrobot". It's an incredible experience in every aspect of game design, be it play control, graphics, musical score,
gameplay mechanics, etc.
I remember playing it for the first time and thinking "wow, they really did take Nintendo/Mario Odyssey to school" with this game.
I expect the next Super Mario 3D game to give Sony/Astrobot a receipt. Nintendo better bring it.
gameplay mechanics, etc.
I remember playing it for the first time and thinking "wow, they really did take Nintendo/Mario Odyssey to school" with this game.
I expect the next Super Mario 3D game to give Sony/Astrobot a receipt. Nintendo better bring it.
diffusionx
Gold Member
from Mario 64 to Jak & Daxter 1 imo, five years
, but I think it will end up top tier
Robb
Gold Member
Amazing game for sure. I'd love to get a physical (on cart) Switch 2 version. Would happily buy and play it again.
Last edited:
Dafegamer
Member
None of the "normal" SMG levels are harder than Splashing Sprints. That is what I would call
, but yeah if we compare the normal campaigns excluding the challenge levels of Astro, SMG1&2 are more challenging than Astro
SEGAvangelist
Member
First game really needs a remaster with some additional changes.
kevboard
Member
None of the "normal" SMG levels are harder than Splashing Sprints. That is what I would call
the only "hard" part in that level was that part with the goo that slows you while flamethrowers chase you. and it was only really hard because the whole water mechanic to clean the goo up was a bit finicky since it's kinda unpredictable given that it's partially physics driven.
the rest of the level wasn't hard at all. but ok, maybe that one was harder than the main levels in Galaxy.
Dafegamer
Member
I love R&C Rift Apart, but the focus is hardly on the platforming. The last time the series was more platforming heavy was with A Crack in Time. Also I know it's my opinion... But I don't get how people loathe Astro Bot, yet think Jak and Daxter is a "Goat" 3D Platformer. I guess nostalgia really does something to people sometimes 
Last edited:
kevboard
Member
But I don't get how people loathe Astro Bot, yet think Jak and Daxter is a "Goat" 3D Platformer. I guess nostalgia really does something to people sometimes
both are very mid and both have their own shortcomings.
but Astrobot has the added issue of being insanely easy, which Jak & Daxter doesn't have. so I can see why some might like Jack & Daxter but not Astrobot.
yup, it's basically a third person shooter with some platforming. but especially on the highest difficulty it's a really damn fun shooter as well.
Last edited:
Dafegamer
Member
That precisely what makes Splashing Sprints "hard" it's not designed very well. There's lots of trial and error because of it. Every nornal level in SMG is designed very greatly and very fair. If anything I think some of Sunshine levels would fit your description better, as some of those were also unnecessarily difficult because of the design quality.
Geometric-Crusher
"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
golden age of 3D platform games is complicated to talk about, this is Nintendo's niche although Sony produced a greater quantity of these games especially in the ps2 era , the only big difference was that Sony reduced its production but not the quality, see Astro bot, in short the topic is meaningless because nothing has changed.
Last edited:
kevboard
Member
Sunshine's main issue was the camera, and the janky fludd controls. but yes, the difficulty of Sunshine also mainly comes from jank and design issues.
Galaxy also has some camera related jank, but to a way lesser degree... and in Galaxy's case it's also more understandable with all the upsidedown, planet hoping and gravity shenanigans
Ristifer
Member
I'm convinced that Sega and Sonic Team have dirt on the people that love Sonic Frontiers. It's still everything that's bad about modern Sonic games (convoluted, cringe storyline, atrocious voice acting, characters that are utterly pointless, severe level design flaws, inconsistent visuals, etc.), except you have some open zone world that makes even less sense than their linear zones from previous games. It has the same things going for it at least, with the bosses and OST being worthwhile. But, that's about it. For a game that finally allows you to have a bit more of a free roaming Sonic, they tattoo you to random rails, jump pads, and forced 2D elements in mid-air, all in the most boring locales I've ever seen in a Sonic game. Hopefully, they actually address these things in a sequel and make it so that the world is worth exploring.
Geometric-Crusher
"Nintendo games are like indies, and worth at most $19" 🤡
the trend is that we will see a AAA Sonic trilogy soon, maybe a Nights returns, Sonic Team is three times bigger than it is in 2022, showing that there will be new games on an industrial scale.
Dafegamer
Member
I have to agree and I love Astro Bot, I think both are the peak when it comes to level designs in a 3D Platformer... But Odyssey is literally a masterpiece in platforming controls and movement options. Astro Bot controls very smoothly but the lack of movement will hurt it if we compare who is the better Platformer between those two
Lightbreak
Member
Astro Bot is king. No other 3D platformer comes even close to the fun this game provides in each level. Made with love.
Dafegamer
Member
The only thing holding Astro Bot back, movement options
, also probably overall higher difficulty in normal levels would be great too.Galaxy 2 (and BK) are the best platformers every made.
Robb
Gold Member
It's crazy that they excluded it from the Mario 3D All-Stars collection..
I'm hoping we see it in some capacity during the 40th Anniversary celebration.
Dacvak
No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
I don't think it'll ever be on Switch. Same with Metroid Prime 3 (but that's a topic for another day).
Nintendo is very meticulous with their controls and ensuring they provide the "best" possible experience for the player. Wiimote pointer emulation via gyro is only so good, often requiring recalibration and some fairly awkward controller movement.
In Galaxy 1, there are never any instances where it's required to both control Mario (in terms of traditional platforming) AND use the Pointer at the same time; you're either optionally firing star bits, or you're playing a stage with the blue gravity stars that only require pointer controls. This was an intentional choice for Galaxy, to separate the pointer-controlled gameplay from the standard gameplay.
In Galaxy 2, with the introduction of Yoshi, you're forced to utilize precise pointer controls as well as control Mario at the same time.
I posit that due to the inherent jankiness of emulating pointer controls with the gyro, Nintendo decided not to port Galaxy 2 to the Switch. They probably determined that the gameplay experience was not up to their standards, especially when factoring in common recalibrations. It just didn't live up to the gold standard of controls that a Mario game would usually have.
You might think that's stupid, and I admit that it does sound stupid, but so is Nintendo. And for a company that places so much emphasis on gameplay simplicity for Mario titles, I don't think it's a far stretch. I think it's the wrong call, but I do think it's likely the reason we didn't get Galaxy 2 in the 3D All-Stars pack. And I would bet a good amount of money that we'll never get Galaxy 2 on the Switch. It was the same for the Chinese Nvidia Shield; Galaxy 1 was ported (with gyro pointer controls), but Galaxy 2 never was.
Same with Metroid Prime 3, for similar reasons. (Though the addition of mouse controls on the joycon does have me reconsidering my stance… but that's a topic for another time.)
Last edited:
Robb
Gold Member
Could be. But I recall hearing this about Skyward Swords controls as well, yet they worked around that and offered both motion and normal controls in the remaster.
But who knows, maybe pointer controls specifically introduce more problems.
Dacvak
No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
Skyward Sword was actually a reasonable Wii game to port, since it primarily only used gyro controls, even on the Wii. That's why it was bundled with a Motion+ controller.
IIRC, the only instance of pointer utilization in Skyward Sword was to simply auto-recalibrate the gyro.
I didn't know it offered standard controls, though. That does lend some credence to your theory, and makes me reconsider my stand on at least Prime 3.
Last edited:
Robb
Gold Member
Ah, yeah. Good point. It's definitely all gyro now that you mention it, even the pointer-aiming.
Yeah, it's all re-worked where the right stick acts as the directional swinging and then you can push the stick to do the stab etc. I guess they had to make 'normal' controls work for it to be playable on something like the Switch Lite.
Last edited:
