17 Sub-Genres of Platformer Games | List

Platformers (otherwise known as 'platform games') are easily my favourite type of video game, from the popular titles such as Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog and Crash Bandicoot to more obscure gems like Skullmonkeys, Tombi! and Heart of Darkness. I enjoy every form of platformer and I've played quite a few of them, both new and old!

So maybe you've played a platformer and you're wondering how to catagorise it to find similar titles, or maybe you're interested to know how varied games can be that are basically all about jumping from platform to platform, maybe you just want a lesson on the brief history of platformers, or you don't even know exactly what defines a game as a platformer. Well, if you're thinking any of those things you're in the right place, because I'm about to go through 17 sub-genres of plaformer games, starting from the most traditional, to the more obscure.

Crash Bandicoot | Review

Developer: Naughty Dog

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment & Universal Interactive Studios

Reviewed on: PlayStation

Available on: PlayStation

Released: September 9th 1996

Crash Bandicoot is a 3D platformer created by Naughty Dog (the studio behind the Jak and Daxter, Uncharted and The Last of Us games) in 1996. It's one of the first games I ever played and one which I've played many times since and what better time to talk about it seeing as it's recently been revealed that a HD remake of Crash Bandicoot and it's two sequels is being developed.

Crash Bandicoot was created with the intention of introducing a new mascot for the newly released PlayStation, in a similar way to how Nintendo had Mario and Sega had Sonic. Although Crash never officially became the PlayStation mascot, he was unofficially known as such and his name became synonymous with the console. If you owned a PlayStation the odds are you will have had a Crash Bandicoot game, they were must-have titles which everyone remembers fondly, but, does Crash's first outing deserve the acclaim the series went on to gain?

Super Mario Bros. | Review

Super Mario Bros. is a game that needs no introduction, it's perhaps the most recognisable video game of all time. It's a 2D platformer released on the NES in 1985 and it's among one of the games that popularised the platforming genre on home consoles.

Everyone knows who Mario is, everyone knows what he does, everyone knows the music and most people who are avid gamers know the first levels of this game inside out. Having said that, a lot of people (that aren't avid gamers or that simply don't play retro games) may not have actually played the original game and those that have may not have played it to completion. So this review is going to talk about the game as a complete entity and give an opinion on whether the game holds up today, or whether it's dated and should be left as naught but a pleasant memory.

My Top 10 Highlights of E3 2016 | List

This is a list of my top 10 highlights of E3 2016, the list is about games which have either been announced or have previously been revealed and just expanded on at the event. This year has been one of the strongest ever for Sony and because of that a lot of the games on the list are from that conference, however there are also quite a few from the other conferences too. All in all it's been a really good year for E3, with a lot of games being announced, a lot of actual gameplay being shown, a lot of release dates given and a lot of unexpected shocks. Anyway, without further ado, here's the list, starting from my least anticipated to most anticipated.

Doom II (PlayStation) (Part Two) | Review

This is the second part of my review of Doom on the PlayStation, the first part is available by clicking 'here' if you haven't already read it (I highly recommend reading the first part before this).

As I mentioned in part one, the PlayStation port of Doom also features Doom II, so rather than look at both games in one review, I decided to split them up into two parts because they are technically two different games (at least their original PC versions were). This review is a lot shorter than the first part due to the fact that I went into a lot of detail with the mechanics of the first Doom in part one of my review and most of these mechanics are the same in Doom II.

But here, to celebrate the release of Doom (2016), is the second part of my review of Doom for the PlayStation, this time focusing on the Doom II section.

Doom (PlayStation) (Part One) | Review

This is a review of the PlayStation port of the original Doom (originally released in 1993, and ported to the PlayStation in 1995, making it a very early PlayStation game). With the new Doom game being released tomorrow, I decided to go back to the series' roots and try out the classic Doom experience.

This will be my first review which has been split into two parts (the second part will be released tomorrow to celebrate the release of the new Doom), this is because the PlayStation Doom is actually both the first Doom (well it's actually Ultimate Doom, which contains the forth episode added to the original version of Doom after it's initial release) and Doom II. This first part focuses on the first Doom and the second part is all about Doom II (which, before writing this review, I had never played).

I'm going to warn you, this is quite a long review. My reviews do tend to be quite long, but this one has an excuse because; A: It's technically two games in one and B: I feel like it deserves it. It is probably one of the most well designed first person shooters of all time and let's face it, it's Doom and Doom deserves nothing less than a long review!

Tenchu: Stealth Assassins | Review

I really enjoy stealth games, Metal Gear Solid is one of my favourite game series of all time and Hitman: Blood Money is up there in my favourite games too. Unfortunately in the grand scheme of things, there aren't that many pure stealth games, and good ones are even harder to come by.

I've been looking for a new one sink my teeth into and came across a series called Tenchu. I already have some pre-existing knowledge of the Tenchu series having played Tenchu Z on the Xbox 360 and I remember it being relatively good although somewhat forgettable. But after sending Tenchu Z to the back of my mind, I decided to go back to where the series started on the PlayStation and see if the Tenchu series is something I've been missing out on, or if it's just another game to throw onto the mediocre pile.

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger | Review

3D platformers are quite a rarity today, and it's a shame because they can be awesome and highly influential too, just look at Super Mario 64 and the acclaim that surrounds it. Even though they have a tendency to be simplistic in terms of gameplay mechanics and story, they are just fun, rewarding and challenging to play. Because of my passion for 3D platformers, I'm always on the lookout for new ones to try.

One particular series I missed out on was Ty The Tasmanian Tiger (as you can tell by the name of my blog, I can appreciate the use of alliteration). Ty has recently been getting some attention in the gaming world because of the upcoming remake of the original game (I say upcoming, it's actually on PC now, but in 'Early Access', meaning it's in a unfinished state, but is playable and available to buy). So I thought, why not revisit the original PS2 version of the game, and see what it's like.

15 Things I Want From the New Nintendo Console: Codename NX | List

For those that don't know, Nintendo have been working on a successor to the Wii U for quite some time now, but not very much information at all is known about it (beyond the fact it's codename is the NX). This has obviously led to people speculating as to what the console is, how it will work and what games will be on it. I would assume that Nintendo have a lot to say about the NX at this year's E3 event, but for now, I thought I would throw some of my thoughts onto the table. So below is a list of things (in no particular order) I want to see from Nintendo's new console.

Robotron: 2084 | Review

Robotron: 2084 is a 2D top down shooter originally released in arcades in 1982, it's also an early entry into the 'Bullet Hell' sub-genre. Bullet Hell games differ from standard top down shooters by featuring a lot of enemy projectiles darting around the screen at the same time, making it difficult for the player to avoid getting hit and thus avoid dying.

So, why am I reviewing this game now you ask? Well, a homage to Robotron: 2084 was recently included in the Fallout 4 DLC, 'Automatron', as a holotape game you can use on your in-game personal computer. After playing Automatron (the holotape game), I wanted to go back and play the game it was inspired by.