Jump & Runs: they’re almost as old as video games themselves. So it’s no surprise that today great new members of the genre regularly appear, both in 2D and 3D. Introducing the best jumps and runs of 2021.
For our article, we’ve chosen what we think are currently the ten best jumping games. We have imposed a few restrictions on ourselves: The games must be available on the current platform. Despite all the qualities, we unfortunately could not include, for example, Dafabet app download or Dafabet India .
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The monkey-jumping adventure was originally released for Wi U in 2014 . But it didn’t have the success it deserved until it came to Nintendo Switch . Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze offers us the role of furry Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong. The Switch implementation offers a good Funky Kong to play for the first time. All the characters come with their own abilities.
Ratchet and Clank
The iconic Playstation heroes Ratchet and his robot sidekick Clank are set to embark on their new adventure Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on Playstation 5 . The duo have become familiar again to the current generation of players thanks to a reinterpretation of the series’ 2002 debut, which was released for PS4 in 2016. We say reinterpretation because much more has been done here than simply cladding the original in prettier graphics. Massively redesigned worlds, features and weapons from the sequels, an expanded storyline and a host of other tweaks show that the developers have spared no effort to make their adventure something special. The presentation is also beyond belief and has almost the quality of an animated film. No wonder, as the game appeared almost at the same time as the first Ratchet and Clanks cinematic adventure and the collaboration between the film and the development team was close.
Super meaty guy
A true indie classic that hasn’t lost any of its qualities ten years after its first release: in Super Meat Boy, we’re the eponymous piece of meat who must leap through dangerous worlds full of spikes, circular saws and other deadly ones in search of his beloved. It sounds silly, and it is, but the plot could hardly be more inappropriate than in Super Meat Boy. It’s all about extremely challenging, extremely enjoyable gameplay. Accelerate, run, jump – that’s all it takes to get through dozens of trap-filled levels.
It’s challenging in itself, but if you want to find all the hidden collectibles, you’ll really be pushed to the limit. On the other hand, it’s also fun to see countless failed attempts replayed just after you’ve finally reached your goal. In addition to Super Meat Boy, we’re gradually adding other potential protagonists, each with different jumping characteristics and abilities. This ensures that some sections will suddenly be seen through very different eyes. There’s no doubt: if you like Jump & Runs, you still can’t beat Super Meat Boy.
Super Mario Meat Boy 2
Nintendo has hit a dead end with the New Super Mario Bros series. Mario’s jumps are a lot of fun, but since the DS debut they’ve always seemed very similar and boring. Instead of reinventing 2D Mario, Nintendo has given Wii U players the tools to create Mario levels themselves using Super Mario Maker. And the successor to Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch brings almost all the qualities of the debut and more!
In addition to the style of Super Mario Maker, we’re free to switch to Super Mario Bros. graphics, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. In addition, we can also separately in the new style based on Super Mario 3D crafts. Countless types of terrain, items, enemies, backgrounds, music and more provide endless possible combinations. In addition, Mario Maker 2 also has a number of ideas that have never been used in a regular Mario Bunker. Why not just link objects and enemies together and create huge squads of enemies? Or go through levels with a NES reference instead of Mario thanks to a free upgrade? The extensive online part allows you to access the creations of players from around the world, and all levels can also be completed with up to three friends. And there’s even a story campaign with over 100 Nintendo-created worlds. A huge entertainment package!
Sonic Mania Plus
The idea behind Sonic Mania was a bold one: why not make a game about Sonic, but in a good way? The result of this audacious project is called Sonic Mania and was released in 2017 . The twist: Team Sonic, which is responsible for 3D Sonics, isn’t behind the title. Instead, former Sonic fan developers were hired to make a name for themselves with hacks, mobile conversions and other quality unofficial ports. The result could and can be seen. While 3D-Sonic has the feeling that the creators don’t know where they want to go, Sonic Mania is at the same time a return and continuation of the virtues of the old series. In a wild mix of well known levels and brand new worlds, we rush and jump around the area at a smooth frame rate and enjoy the iconic Mega Drive graphics. Creative bosses, entertaining special stages and great overall design guarantee fun. If you want, you can also play with another player. Sonic Mania Plus, which was released about a year after the original version, has new content in addition to great scope. Sonic’s heart is particularly pleased with two new playable characters, Battleship Maiti and Flying Squirrel Ray. They’re only known to the biggest fans of the series, as they last appeared in the 1993 Sega arcade game Sonic the Hedgehog. So not only does it have a lot of Jump&Run quality, it also has just as much fan love from the developers.
Super Mario Odyssey
When you think of Nintendo, you think of Super Mario. And while Super Mario Maker 2 is great, the other jumping plumber game that made the biggest splash on the Nintendo Switch is Super Mario Odyssey, the culmination of everything that’s been done with 3D Mario games in the years since Super Mario 64 for Nintendo 64. . So we can expect very large, extremely varied levels, precise controls and enough moon-shaped collectibles to fill dozens of hours of play. But Nintendo wouldn’t be Nintendo without adding a fun new gimmick. That’s why this time the iconic plumber wears a hat that not only communicates with him, but also allows him to control all sorts of enemies, NPCs and objects. Thus, we become, among other things, a frog, a hammer brother, a Tyrannosaurus or even a giant steak. Why not? You can accuse the game of working too much with the filler task, but it’s impressive how much creativity is put into it. Super Mario Odyssey is one of those games that Switch owners should definitely play.
Shovel Knight: The Treasury
Long before December 2019, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove was available for purchase. However, it was only at this point that the last free content update to the game, which appeared in its vanilla version in 2014, was released. Once funded through Kickstarter, the collection now consists of Shovel Knight, Plague of Shadows, Spectre of Torment, King of Cards and Shovel Knight Showdown.
Even the main game is a masterpiece. Inspired primarily by Mega Man and Ducktales for the NES, we, as the eponymous Shovel Knight, go through wonderfully varied and challenging 2D levels. Our shovel is used both for digging up treasure and for fighting and jumping with it, as a sort of pogo stick. Each of the three subsequent DLCs introduced a former enemy boss character with completely different abilities, altered worlds and altered storylines. What all the campaigns have in common is their extremely high quality and the impressive amount of effort the developers put into every aspect of their long-term project. It will be interesting to see what the team does now that the Shovel Knight saga is finally complete.
Ori and the Blind Forest: The Final Edition
Even the original version of Ori and the Blind Forest was a masterpiece. The Expanded Definitive Edition takes it one step further with new movesets for the hero Ori, additional areas and other improvements. The adventure is a metroidvania. So you explore a connected world, learn new skills and gradually get into other areas. Unlike comparable Metroidvania, the focus here is not on very simple combat, but on movement. That’s why we chose The Blind Forest over the equally brilliant successor Ori and the Will of the Wisps . There’s a lot more action there.
Thanks to a well-implemented extensive repertoire of hero movements, jumping around the terrain is a lot of fun. The gameplay, which relies heavily on rhythm, can best be compared to that of Rayman Legends. In addition to this, the scenic visuals, beautifully crafted soundtrack and emotional storytelling make Orie’s adventures a favourite.
Rayman Legends
which is largely forgotten today, and the subsequent excursions into the world of 3D gaming, the Rayman series has certainly reached its quality peak with the second instalment of the soft reboot. By the way, don’t let the Definitive Edition for Switch annoy you: there’s not much to talk about mini-innovations there. But whatever the version, it’s hard to know where to start praising Rayman Legends. Firstly, the adventure exudes so much fun that it’s just a pleasure to watch. The superbly drawn graphics play an important part, but above all, it’s simply a gem in terms of gameplay. Rayman’s relatively complex set of moves, including propeller flying and hand punches, have been implemented so well that every mistake you make is the result of your own failure.
Seleste
It takes very little to create not only one of the best Jump & Runs, but generally one of the best indie games of all time. All it takes is a good idea and a team that can execute it well. The idea for Celesta came from a gameplay game where an early demo version of the game was developed in a few hours. The creators realised they were on their way to something big, and turned their idea into a full-fledged game. It was released in 2018 and made a furore. Lovingly pixelated graphical style, a wonderfully dark story filled with heart and full of likable characters, and extremely intelligently implemented, extremely challenging gameplay. Along the way to the eponymous Mount Celeste, we gradually have to learn to cope better and better with the main character Madeleine’s abilities.
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