Platform Games

Platform games (or platformers) are a type of video game in which players must travel between suspended platforms by jumping, swinging or bouncing. Other traditional elements of the genre include running, leaping over objects, collecting items and climbing ladders and ledges.

The heyday of platform games was during the 80s and 90s (the era of the 8-bit and 16-bit generation video consoles), when every console had its flagship platform game. The genre is most associated with the iconic cartoon mascots such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Donkey Kong, Mario, Crash Bandicoot and Rayman, although other games featured lifelike human characters, medieval fantasy backdrops or futuristic sci-fi settings.

The genre experienced a decline in popularity in the late 1990s after the introduction of more realistic 3D game genres; however, there are a number of platform games that remain popular to this day such as the Mario, Sonic, Metroid and Mega Man series.

The top-selling platform game (as of 2008) is Super Mario Bros. (NES - 40.23 million).