Best Platformer of 2020 - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 10 January 2021 / 4,089 ViewsTake a look at our shortlist of top-tier 2020 platformers and you'll notice a remarkably even distribution among the so-called "big three": Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Nintendo threw the industry a curve-ball with Super Mario Bros. 35, an addictive battle royale platformer; Sony introduced the world to its new controller DualSense via the nostalgic Astro's Playroom; and Microsoft published the gorgeous Ori and the Will of the Wisps, part dastardly platformer, part backtracking adventure. Finally, Activision and developer Toys for Bob delivered Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, which modernized the tough-as-nails platforming series while respecting its origins.
The Shortlist:
Astro's Playroom
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Super Mario Bros. 35
The Winner:
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Runner-up: Astro's Playroom
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of those rare games that succeeds at everything it sets out to do, including platforming. As a forest spirit, Ori is agile and sprightly on the ground and in the air, and capable of multiple acrobat maneuvers. When developer Moon Studios combines those gravity-defying moves with responsive controls, the results are electric. Then there are the platforming challenges Moon Studios throws at Ori: portals; energy beams; swaths of deadly darkness; living platforms that close their jaws around unsuspecting guests; and, of course, the franchise's signature chase sequences, where Ori must chain together multiple moves with split-second timing to make it out alive.
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I just want to add that Super Mario 35 is fun as hell. It's been a long time since I've had this much fun from a platformer. To be fair I haven't played an Ori game yet, so I can't comment on what the better game is.
IIRC you don't like any of the NES Mario games though.