Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Platformer
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
====Second-generation side-scrollers==== By the time the [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] and [[TurboGrafx-16]] launched, platformers were the most popular genre in console gaming. There was a particular emphasis on having a flagship platform title exclusive to a system, featuring a mascot character. In 1989, Sega released ''[[Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle]]'', which was only modestly successful. That same year, Capcom released ''[[Strider (arcade game)|Strider]]'' in arcades, which scrolled in multiple directions and allowed the player to summon [[artificial intelligence]] partners, such as a droid, tiger, and hawk, to help fight enemies.<ref name=psmanualp18>{{cite video game|title=Strider 2|developer=Capcom|platform=PlayStation|level=Instruction manual, page 18}}</ref> Another Sega release in 1989 was ''[[Shadow Dancer (1989 video game)|Shadow Dancer]]'', which is a game that also included an AI partner: a dog who followed the player around and aid in battle.<ref>{{KLOV game|9499|Shadow Dancer}}</ref> In 1990, [[Hudson Soft]] released ''[[Bonk's Adventure]]'', with a protagonist positioned as [[NEC]]'s mascot.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://bonkzonk.com/series.shtml | title=Series Guide | publisher=Bonk Compendium | access-date=2007-01-27 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125052034/http://bonkzonk.com/series.shtml | archive-date=2007-01-25 | url-status=live }}</ref> The following year, Takeru's ''[[Cocoron]]'', a late platformer for the Famicom allowed players to build a character from a toy box filled with spare parts.<ref name="Playing With Power"/> In 1990, the Super Famicom was released in Japan, along with the eagerly anticipated ''[[Super Mario World]]''. The following year, Nintendo released the console as the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] in North America, along with ''Super Mario World'', while Sega released ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' for the [[Sega Genesis]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web | url=http://www.sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=99&title=History%20of:%20The%20Sonic%20The%20Hedgehog%20Series | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114183931/http://sega-16.com/feature_page.php?id=99&title=History%20of%3A%20The%20Sonic%20The%20Hedgehog%20Series | archive-date=January 14, 2010 | title=History of: The Sonic The Hedgehog Series | last=Horowitz | first=Ken | work=Sega-16 | date=2005-06-22 | access-date=2010-11-14 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sonic-cult.org/dispart.php?catid=1&gameid=1&subid=1&artid=1 | title=Overview | publisher=Sonic Cult | access-date=2007-01-27 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311034747/http://www.sonic-cult.org/dispart.php?catid=1&gameid=1&subid=1&artid=1 | archive-date=2016-03-11 | url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Sonic'' showcased a new style of design made possible by a new generation of hardware: large stages that scrolled in all directions, curved hills, loops, and a [[game physics|physics system]] allowing players to rush through its levels with well-placed jumps and rolls. Sega characterized Sonic as a teenager with a rebellious personality to appeal to gamers who saw the previous generation of consoles as being for kids.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Dave|title=Twenty years of Sonic the Hedgehog|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13874266|work=BBC News|access-date=10 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111233527/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13874266|archive-date=11 January 2013|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The character's speed showed off the hardware capabilities of the Genesis, which had a CPU clock speed approximately double that of the Super NES. [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]'s perceived rebellious attitude became a model for game mascots. Other companies attempted to duplicate Sega's success with their own brightly colored [[anthropomorphism]]s with attitude.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/a-detailed-cross-examination-of-yesterday-and-today-s-best-selling-platform-games | title=A Detailed Cross-Examination of Yesterday and Today's Best-Selling Platform Games | last=Boutros | first=Daniel | website=Gamasutra | date=August 4, 2006 | access-date=2006-11-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027033801/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1851/a_detailed_crossexamination_of_.php | archive-date=October 27, 2007 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref> These often were characterized by impatience, sarcasm, and frequent quips. A second generation of platformers for computers appeared alongside the new wave of consoles. In the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s, the [[Amiga]] was a strong gaming platform with its custom [[Original Amiga chipset|video hardware and sound hardware]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/a600tech.html | title=Amiga 600 Technical Specifications | publisher=Amiga History|date=December 15, 2002 |access-date=2006-11-21}}</ref> The [[Atari ST]] was solidly supported as well. Games like ''[[Shadow of the Beast (1989 video game)|Shadow of the Beast]]'' and ''[[Turrican]]'' showed that computer platformers could rival their console contemporaries. ''[[Prince of Persia (1989 video game)|Prince of Persia]]'', originally a late release for the 8-bit Apple II in 1989, featured a high quality of animation. The 1988 [[shareware]] game ''[[The Adventures of Captain Comic]]'' was one of the first attempts at a Nintendo-style platformer for [[IBM PC compatibles]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Edwards |first1=Benj |title=The 12 Greatest PC Shareware Games of All-Time |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/248494/the_12_greatest_pc_shareware_games_of_all_time.html#slide2 |website=PC World |date=January 22, 2012 |access-date=September 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004212458/https://www.pcworld.com/article/248494/the_12_greatest_pc_shareware_games_of_all_time.html#slide2 |archive-date=October 4, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> It inspired ''[[Commander Keen]]'', released by [[id Software]] in 1990, which became the first MS-DOS platformer with smooth scrolling graphics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/|title=A Look Back at Commander Keen|publisher=3DRealms.com|access-date=2006-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402151326/http://legacy.3drealms.com/keenhistory/|archive-date=2016-04-02|url-status=live}}</ref> Keen's success resulted in numerous console-styled platformers for MS-DOS compatible operating systems, including ''[[Duke Nukem (1991 video game)|Duke Nukem]]'', ''[[Duke Nukem II]]'', ''[[Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure]]'', and ''[[Dark Ages (1991 video game)|Dark Ages]]'' all by [[Apogee Software]]. These fueled a brief burst of episodic platformers where the first was freely distributed and parts 2 and 3 were available for purchase.
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
Platformer
(section)
Add topic