2D platformers are one of the oldest genres in video games, and while they may not be as popular as they were in the genre’s heyday, they’re still relevant, especially on weaker, portable hardware such as that of the Nintendo Switch.
10 Best Open-World Games on Switch
Nintendo Switch has one of the best game libraries of any console, and these are the best open-world games in it.
Sure, they might not have elaborate cutscenes, overarching plots or a massiveopen worldto explore at your leisure, but platformers are loads of fun, especially when they attempt to bring a unique twist to the gameplay. These are the ten best platformers on Nintendo Switch that either bundle together a bunch of classic titles or try to innovate the genre with unique mechanics.
10Sonic Mania Plus
The Blue Blur’s Finest Hour Since the ’90s
Sonic Mania Plus
When Sega handed the reins to a team of dedicated fans and indie developers, few expected it would result in thebest Sonic gamein decades.SonicManiaPlus isn’t just a love letter to the classic Genesis-era games, however, it’s a full-fledged sequel that captures everything great about them while refining their mechanics to perfection.
Christian Whitehead’s Retro Engine allows for fluid 60fps gameplay, blending the precise physics of the 16-bit originals with stunningly animated sprite work. Levels like Studiopolis and Press Garden introduce new ideas while classics like Green Hill Zone are revamped with hidden paths and new setpieces. The Plus expansion adds Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel as playable characters, alongside Encore Mode, which reworks each level’s color palette and enemy placement for a fresh challenge.
The Game that’s Harder to Say than it is to Play
Yes, that is actually the name. As a minimalist platformer that strips the genre down to its purest form,VVVVVVreplaces the standard jump with a gravity-flipping mechanic, turning traversal into a puzzle of its own. Instead of running and hopping through levels, players guide Captain Viridian through a hazardous, glitchy world by reversing gravity at the press of a button, dodging spikes (thevisualsof which are the game’s name,) and moving hazards in ways that would make Mario jealous.
Terry Cavanagh’s brutally challenging-yet-fair design means every death feels like a learning experience, with instant respawns keeping frustration low. And while the visuals may look like they came straight from a Commodore 64, the infectious chiptune soundtrack by Magnus Palsson, also known as Souleye, keeps the energy high.
8Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
The Game That Brought Back Retro Platforming
Shovel Knight
WhenShovel Knightdebuted in 2014, it proved that modern indie studios could rival the best of the NES era. Fast forward to the Treasure Trove edition and it’s practically an entire franchise in one package. Yacht Club Games didn’t just deliver one of the best 2D platformers of the last decade, they built an entire world filled with unique characters, tight controls and some of the best pixel art animation in the business.
Inspired by Mega Man, Castlevania and DuckTales, Shovel Knight blends precise platforming with an innovative pogo-jumping combat mechanic. Treasure Trove includes every expansion, adding playable campaigns for Plague Knight, Specter Knight and King Knight, each with its own movement styles and levels. And with a soundtrack by Jake Kaufman that channels the spirit of 8-bit classics, Shovel Knight celebrates gaming’s past.
7Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The Ape Who Still Runs the Jungle
One of the most visually-striking 2D platformers ever made, Tropical Freeze bringsDonkey Kongback in full force with masterful level design, dynamic set pieces and a soundtrack by the legendary David Wise. Originally released on the Wii U, the Switch version adds Funky Kong as an easier mode, though the core game remains as challenging as ever.
Every level is crafted with an attention to detail rarely seen in the genre, whether it’s the silhouette-based stages or the breakneck minecart sequences. Platforming is tight, with Donkey Kong’s weighty movements balanced by Dixie, Diddy and Cranky Kong’s unique abilities.
A Platformer that’s More Psychological Horror than Jumping
Few platformers leave an emotional impact quite like Inside. A spiritual successor to Limbo, it takes players through a grim, dystopian world where every step forward feels like a mistake. There are no traditional enemies or combat, just a boy running through hauntingly lifeless environments, solving physics-based puzzles while avoiding an omnipresent danger lurking just out of reach.
10 Best Story-Driven Horror Games
Much like a great horror movie, there’s one thing that separates an excellent horror game from all the rest: a captivating story.
The animation system is staggering, with every movement and transition between platforming, climbing and running looking eerily fluid. And while the muted color palette and minimalist sound design create an unsettling atmosphere, it’s the narrative, which is told entirely through gameplay, that lingers long after the credits roll.
5Super Meat Boy
The Game that Turned Rage into an Art Form
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boyis precision platforming at its finest. With over 300 levels that demand near-perfect execution, every death is immediate, every respawn instant and every mistake is entirely the player’s fault.
Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes crafted a game that is brutal yet addicting, offering pixel-perfect control over Meat Boy’s slippery-yet-precise movement. Each world introduces new hazards, from spinning saws to gravity-shifting mechanics, and by the time players reach the final boss, they’ve either mastered the game or rage-quit long ago.
A Cartoon that’s Harder than it Looks
With hand-drawn animation that looks like it came straight out of a 1930s cartoon,Cupheadis as much a work of art as it is a brutally-difficult platformer. Studio MDHR’s run-and-gun masterpiece blends boss battles with platforming levels, demanding pinpoint precision while offering some of the most visually-stunning sequences ever seen in gaming.
Its jazz-infused soundtrack and rubber hose animation style make every encounter feel like an interactive animation, but beneath the nostalgic charm is a game that harshly punishes mistakes. Memorizing attack patterns, mastering parries and balancing platforming with rapid gunfire are the only ways to survive. It may look like a children’s cartoon, but it plays like a nightmare in disguise.
3Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
The Port that Somehow Survived the Switch to HD
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Nintendo’s least talked-about Mario game is still one of the best 2D platformers on Switch. Originally released on Wii U, this upgraded version brings classic Mario platforming with modern visuals, precise controls and a generous helping of levels across both New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Luigi U.
It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it refines everything about 2D Mario games to near perfection. The level design is tight, multiplayer adds chaotic fun and the addition of Toadette’s Peachette transformation makes for a surprisingly-accessible experience for newcomers.
2Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
The Best Rayman Game that Ubisoft Forgot About
Rayman Legends
Rayman Legendsis a reminder of what platformers can achieve when creativity is prioritized. With its stunning hand-drawn art, music-based levels and fluid platforming, it’s a game that constantly surprises.
Ubisoft Montpellier’s Rayman Legends feels as tight as any Mario title while adding unique gameplay twists, such as rhythm-based sequences synced to licensed tracks like “Black Betty.” The Switch version brings back everything from the original while adding local multiplayer functionality, ensuring the best version of Rayman Legends can be played anywhere.
The Mountain That Players Can’t Stop Climbing
What starts as a simple climb up a mountain transforms into one of the most emotionally-resonant games ever made or a title forspeedrunnersto grind in. Celeste blends precision platforming with a deeply personal narrative, tackling themes of anxiety and self-doubt while offering some of the tightest gameplay mechanics in the genre.
With every screen acting as a puzzle of movement, and every death a lesson in persistence,Celesteproves that difficulty can be meaningful when paired with purpose. Its accessibility options make it approachable, but for those who push themselves to the limit, the B-Sides and C-Sides offer some of the hardest platforming challenges ever conceived.
