[Corylea]

My husband loves platformers, and it's a genre that I don't know much about. With my truly miserable hand-eye coordination, platformers are nearly impossible for me, so they aren't much fun, and I stay away from them.

I'd like to get one for my husband as a gift, though. He doesn't have much time to play games, so he doesn't have fabulous skills, nor does he have the time to spend to play the same level twenty times until he gets it right. So an interesting but relatively easy platformer would be best.

He's most likely to play on the PC or the DS, but last-generation consoles (PS2 and GameCube) are possible, and so is the Wii.

Can you name me a fun, interesting, not-too-hard platformer?

Thanks!

[gregski]

When I read the thread title I wanted to go with Super Meat Boy, which is one of my favourite platformers ever, but then it's also ultra hard, so I won't recommend it.

If your husband likes platforming and puzzles, you might want to check out Limbo and Braid. Games with amazing art and design, relying more on your brain than reflexes and hitting the right pixels.

[Corylea]

gregski said:

If your husband likes platforming and puzzles, you might want to check out Limbo and Braid. Games with amazing art and design, relying more on your brain than reflexes and hitting the right pixels. ›››

Platforming plus puzzles is right up his alley, so those are great suggestions, thanks!

[cyberarmy]

Hımm Trine 1&2 are solid choices.
Then there is Braid, Limbo as Gregski suggested.
fresh from the oven Mark Of the Ninja,
Rayman (forgot the last games name />)

And burrow a PS3 from someone for Little Big planet,Outland and Journey />


Also Fez is a good choice for PC. And there is Splosion Man, a very funny platfromer but i dont think its on PC.

And Yeah, I dont recommend Super Meat Boy. Not good for ones sanity...

[Vinterberg]

The new Giana Sisters looks pretty darn amazing />

Limbo is recommended, very nice alternative puzzle-platformer (from Denmark ^^)!

[Babli]

I am just playing Pid. Its a new game, came out few days ago I think. And its really one of those few indie platformers, that stand out. Really recommend it.



Also, it has coop, so you can play it together

[FoggyFishburne]

Try the following:

Braid
Limbo
Deadlight
Dustforce
Vessel
To the Moon
Super Meat Boy
Sideway
Shank
Mark of the Ninja

and for good measure

Home

There should be something there for him to enjoy. Many different genres and narrative structures. Much luck in finding something.

[Chromie92]

Does Portal count as a platformer or puzzle game? Because they are excellent games.

[Pham]

Braid and Limbo for the more puzzle platformers. Mari0 (Super Mario Bros with a portal gun, freeware) is also a fun game. For more sadistic platformers, try I wanna be the Guy, I wanna be the Boshy, I wanna be the fangame and] Super Meat Boy.

You can also emulate some console platformers, like use Dolphin to emulate the SMB on the Wii.

Also you can download some parkour maps for MineCraft, they can be pretty fun.

[Sirnaq]

Im not really a platformer gamer but i remember that when i was kid i was playing a lot of "Jazz Jack Rabbit" "Rayman" "Crock" and "Crock 2".



Also this game is pretty fun.
http://www.addicting...games/ngame.jsp

[Corylea]

Cyberarmy, Vinterberg, Babli, Foggy, Pham, Sirnaq thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions!

Chromie92 said:

Does Portal count as a platformer or puzzle game? Because they are excellent games. ›››

I think Portal might qualify as a puzzle platformer, but I'm no expert. I do know that my husband adored both of the Portal games, though.

[Bloth]

The original Soul Reaver had a fair few platformer elements to it.

[Chromie92]

Corylea said:

I think Portal might qualify as a puzzle platformer, but I'm no expert. I do know that my husband adored both of the Portal games, though. />/> ›››

Portal 2 has co-op so that's something both you and your husband could enjoy and with the recent update it's possible to download a ton of co-op puzzles to play together. Portal 2 is great for any couple. />

[FoggyFishburne]

Chromie92 said:

Portal 2 has co-op so that's something both you and your husband could enjoy and with the recent update it's possible to download a ton of co-op puzzles to play together. Portal 2 is great for any couple. />/> ›››

Ah yes, nice suggestion. Fun game, a little dumbed down from the first one and a little insubstantial but overall a pretty good game and I can see you having many hours of fun together. Unless you're the short tempered type of people.

[Corylea]

Chromie92 said:

Portal 2 has co-op so that's something both you and your husband could enjoy and with the recent update it's possible to download a ton of co-op puzzles to play together. Portal 2 is great for any couple. ›››

Ah, but as I said, he already HAS Portal. Thanks for the thought, though.

[Wut the Melon]

Either I don't properly understand what a platformer is, or I must be otherwise confused, but if you're looking for a platformer PLEASE be sure to try out Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time. As somewhat of a fan of the genre, the first game in that series is probably my favourite platforming game. If your husband hasn't tried that series out yet, I suggest you pick it up on GOG. So much better than any of Ubisoft's later efforts in the genre...

If it has to be 2D, I still think Mario strikes a Valve-ish balance as far as difficulty is concerned, i.e. they're not designed to make you angry. I don't know how much Mario there is for PC, though...

[Corylea]

Thanks for your suggestion, Wut. My husband loved Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, just totally adored it. So, yeah, another game like that would be very welcome.

[slimgrin]

If he has MAME, Strider is one of the early and most creative platformers out there.

[Chromie92]

Rayman Origins is great game and has up to 4-player co-op and it's on PC. It's not incredibly difficult but can get crazy in co-op.

I'll have to add Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii. Both 1 and 2 are excellent games in every way even the graphics look good for a Wii game.

[Squall D. Leonhart]

If he likes also jrpg games and in general games with awesome plots, on PSP and PS2 you can find the awesome Valkyrie Profile games: they're really wonderful and the platform bits are intriguing; Ico could be another awesome choice: it was a PS2 game and it has been published again for PS3. On PSP and PS3, Little Big Planet games could be a very nice choice, and for PS3 or PC, if he hasn't played it yet, Alice Madness Returns is awesome


And for Nintendo DS there are so many nice platform games that I don't know which one choose