Are you an avid gamer? Perhaps you are new to gaming, or perhaps you have been playing games for several decades, or many different generations of consoles. Either way, there are some games that all gamers should play at least once in their lives.
Gaming is a massive and highly popular industry. There are game developers all over the world creating brilliant titles for the community, and what is more, people are beginning to realise that games aren’t just for kids anymore. For example, TechQuarters is an IT company that has been providing managed IT London businesses rely on for remote support and tech solution, and some people in their business have been playing games for nearly 30 years.
There are some many preferences for games these days, because of all the different genres and styles of games out there. At TechQuarters, some employees like first-person shooters; others like MMORPGs, but for those older gamers, 2D platform games are not only nostalgic, but continue to offer a highly satisfying experience.
As the name suggests, these games are all 2D side-scrolling games where jumping, and navigating various environments, is a critical aspect of the gameplay. Below are 6 superb 2D platformers that every gamer should try out at some point:
- Cuphead
This fiendishly difficult platformer is one big homage to old school cartoons from the 1930s, including Looney Toons and Betty Boop. Play as either Cuphead or Mugman in a highly stylised run-and-gun adventure that is highly unforgiving, and has a heavy focus on boss battles.
The fascinating thing about this game is that all the visuals were painstakingly hand-drawn, and it features an entirely original soundtrack comprising of Jazz, ragtime, and early big band. While this game is certainly not for the faint of heart, it is incredibly fun, and the vibrant style alone is worth playing it.
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Many older gamers will have started out playing games that probably looked a lot like this one. Shovel Knight is a 2D platformer that was entirely designed to homage the NES era of 8-bit games. The original game was crowdfunded and released on Windows, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U – but its popularity lead to several new campaigns being released; and eventually, all the campaigns were released together in the full game, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.
Play as the eponymous Shovel Knight to fight a diverse range of enemies and collect treasure. This game is a retro work of art that is well worth the time.
- Celeste
Quite simply one of the most perfectly realised 2D platformers ever made. Celeste may not necessarily have the deepest of stories or the richest of worlds, but it does feature some of the tightest game mechanics around.
Play as Madelene on a personal journey to climb the titular mountain; run, jump off walls, and navigate through some fascinating levels. Make no mistake, this game is incredibly difficult, but that makes it all the more rewarding.
- Hollow Knight
Taking a number of influences from the Souls games developed by FromSoftware, Hollow Knight is work of art in the form of a 2D metroidvania-style platform game.
Play as ‘the Knight’ as you explore the Hallownest, an expansive and labyrinthine country populated by sentient bugs. Unlike most 2D platformers, you do not start the game with a map, and must purchase maps for each new area. What is more, the combat and health mechanics make the game very difficult (much like the Souls games).
Hollow Knight has an incredibly deep and rich world, and a fascinating story that unravels gradually as you explore your environment. It also features a non-linear storyline, meaning there is a lot of retracing of steps, and exploring areas in order to unlock the plot.
- VVVVVV
This fascinating game does away with the fundamental aspect of most 2D platformers; there is no jump action at all. Instead, players must reverse gravity back and forth in order to navigate each area, and avoid enemies and other dangerous obstacles.
Play as Viridian, the captain of a spaceship, who is forced to evacuate himself and his crew, only to find that they have been transported to and trapped in an alternate dimension. The game features 8 levels, plus a large open-world that the player can explore. The game is largely considered to have kicked off the trend of famously hard indie games that has become so popular.
