List of 2.5D Platformers

Kiyura

Edit history:

Kiyura: 2012-07-16 04:01:04 pm

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Kiyura: 2011-02-22 07:34:22 am

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2011-02-21 07:51:02 pm

Wiiaboo

Getting into Kirby's Epic Yarn for the Wii and Strider 2 for the PSX has made me really interested in 2.5D platformers in general, for no real specific reason except... because. Haha. I guess it's the concept of old-school gameplay made better with new, more immersive visuals. That's not really the whole story though. Whatever the reason, I want to make a list of 2.5D platforming games, so if anyone knows of one, good or bad, please let me know so I can add it to the list. Please post if a game has the wrong consoles listed for it, too.

My definition of "2.5D platformer" is this:
* Movement is restricted to a 2D plane for a significant portion of the gameplay. The plane does not have to be parallel to the screen.
* Significant portion of the gameplay involves platforming of some kind.
* Either the stage or the character is rendered in true 3D and intended to be such. Completely 2D sprites that simply interact in a pseudo-3D way do not count (e.g. Skullmonkeys for PSX, Yoshi's Story for N64). Also, next-gen games that use modern engines but are in fact 2D do not count (e.g. Super Meat Boy). Finally, sprites technically rendered in 3D but intended to look 2D do not count.
* Does not include the idea of "2.5D" used as a gimmick, e.g. Super Paper Mario

The list:

A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda (XBLA/PC)
Bionic Commando Rearmed (PSN/XBLA/PC)
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 (PSN/XBLA)
Bit.Trip Runner (Wiiware/PC)
Blade Kitten (PS3/360/PC)
Bonk's Adventure (PS2/GCN) [Japan only]
Bonk: Brink of Extinction (PSN/XBLA/Wiiware)
Bug! (Saturn)
Bug Too! (Saturn/PC)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Clockwork Knight (Saturn)
Clockwork Knight 2 (Saturn)
Cloning Clyde (XBLA)
Contra: Shattered Soldier (PS2)
Disney's Hercules: Action Game (PSX/PSN/PC)
Disney's Tarzan: Action Game (PSX/PC)
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GCN/Wii)
Doritos Crash Course (XBLA)
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project (PC)
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (DS/Wii)
Explodemon (PS3)
Freekscape: Escape from Hell (PSP/PSN)
Garfield's Nightmare (DS)
Goemon's Great Adventure (N64)
Hard Corps: Uprising (PSN/XBLA)
Iggy's Reckin' Balls (N64)
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)
Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)
Kirby Wii (Wii)
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PSX/Wii)
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2) [Portions]
Little Big Planet (PSP/PS3)
Little Big Planet 2 (PS3)
Lost in Shadow (Wii)
Lost Winds (Wiiware)
Lost Winds: Winter of the Melodias (Wiiware)
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (PSP)
Mega Man Network Transmission (GCN)
Mega Man Powered Up (PSP)
Mega Man X7 (PS2/PC) [Portions]
Mega Man X8 (PS2/PC)
Metroid: Other M (Wii) [Portions]
Minon: Everyday Hero (Wii)
Mischief Makers (N64)
Monkey Magic (PSX)
Mr. Bones (Saturn)
Ms. 'Splosion Man (XBLA)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS)
New Super Mario Bros. (DS/Wii)
NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits (Wiiware/PC)
Oddworld: Abe's Odyssee (PSX/PC)
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus (PSX/PSN/PC)
Outland (PSN)
Pandemonium (Saturn/PSX/PSN/PC)
Pandemonium 2 (PSX/PC)
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP)
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! (PSP)
Rocket Knight (PSN/XBLA/PC)
Shadow Complex (XBLA)
Skeleton Warriors (PSX)
Sonic Colors (DS/Wii) [Wii: Portions]
Sonic Rivals (PSP)
Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
Sonic Rush (DS)
Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (PSN/XBLA/Wiiware)
Sonic Unleashed (PS2/PS3/360/Wii) [Portions]
Spider: The Video Game (PSX)
'Splosion Man (XBLA)
Strider 2 (PSX)
Toki Tori (Wiiware/iPhone/PC)
Tomba! (PSX)
Tomba! 2 (PSX)
Trials 2: Second Edition (PC)
Trials HD (XBLA)
Trine (PSN/PC)
Trine 2 (PSN/XBLA/PC)
Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (PSP)
Viewtiful Joe (PS2/GCN)
Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2/GCN)
Wild 9 (PSX)

Thread title:

Getting into Kirby's Epic Yarn for the Wii and Strider 2 for the PSX has made me really interested in 2.5D platformers in general, for no real specific reason except... because. Haha. I guess it's the concept of old-school gameplay made better with new, more immersive visuals. That's not really the whole story though. Whatever the reason, I want to make a list of 2.5D platforming games, so if anyone knows of one, good or bad, please let me know so I can add it to the list. Please post if a game has the wrong consoles listed for it, too.

My definition of "2.5D platformer" is this:
* Movement is restricted to a 2D plane for a significant portion of the gameplay. The plane does not have to be parallel to the screen.
* Significant portion of the gameplay involves platforming of some kind.
* Either the stage or the character is rendered in true 3D and intended to be such. Completely 2D sprites that simply interact in a pseudo-3D way do not count (e.g. Skullmonkeys for PSX, Yoshi's Story for N64). Also, next-gen games that use modern engines but are in fact 2D do not count (e.g. Super Meat Boy). Finally, sprites technically rendered in 3D but intended to look 2D do not count.
* Does [b]not[/b] include the idea of "2.5D" used as a gimmick, e.g. Super Paper Mario

The list:
[hidden]A.R.E.S.: Extinction Agenda (XBLA/PC)
Bionic Commando Rearmed (PSN/XBLA/PC)
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 (PSN/XBLA)
Bit.Trip Runner (Wiiware/PC)
Blade Kitten (PS3/360/PC)
Bonk's Adventure (PS2/GCN) [Japan only]
Bonk: Brink of Extinction (PSN/XBLA/Wiiware)
Bug! (Saturn)
Bug Too! (Saturn/PC)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Clockwork Knight (Saturn)
Clockwork Knight 2 (Saturn)
Cloning Clyde (XBLA)
Contra: Shattered Soldier (PS2)
Disney's Hercules: Action Game (PSX/PSN/PC)
Disney's Tarzan: Action Game (PSX/PC)
Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GCN/Wii)
Doritos Crash Course (XBLA)
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project (PC)
Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter (DS/Wii)
Explodemon (PS3)
Freekscape: Escape from Hell (PSP/PSN)
Garfield's Nightmare (DS)
Goemon's Great Adventure (N64)
Hard Corps: Uprising (PSN/XBLA)
Iggy's Reckin' Balls (N64)
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (N64)
Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)
Kirby Wii (Wii)
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PSX/Wii)
Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (PS2) [Portions]
Little Big Planet (PSP/PS3)
Little Big Planet 2 (PS3)
Lost in Shadow (Wii)
Lost Winds (Wiiware)
Lost Winds: Winter of the Melodias (Wiiware)
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (PSP)
Mega Man Network Transmission (GCN)
Mega Man Powered Up (PSP)
Mega Man X7 (PS2/PC) [Portions]
Mega Man X8 (PS2/PC)
Metroid: Other M (Wii) [Portions]
Minon: Everyday Hero (Wii)
Mischief Makers (N64)
Monkey Magic (PSX)
Mr. Bones (Saturn)
Ms. 'Splosion Man (XBLA)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS)
New Super Mario Bros. (DS/Wii)
NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits (Wiiware/PC)
Oddworld: Abe's Odyssee (PSX/PC)
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus (PSX/PSN/PC)
Outland (PSN)
Pandemonium (Saturn/PSX/PSN/PC)
Pandemonium 2 (PSX/PC)
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP)
Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! (PSP)
Rocket Knight (PSN/XBLA/PC)
Shadow Complex (XBLA)
Skeleton Warriors (PSX)
Sonic Colors (DS/Wii) [Wii: Portions]
Sonic Rivals (PSP)
Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
Sonic Rush (DS)
Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (PSN/XBLA/Wiiware)
Sonic Unleashed (PS2/PS3/360/Wii) [Portions]
Spider: The Video Game (PSX)
'Splosion Man (XBLA)
Strider 2 (PSX)
Toki Tori (Wiiware/iPhone/PC)
Tomba! (PSX)
Tomba! 2 (PSX)
Trials 2: Second Edition (PC)
Trials HD (XBLA)
Trine (PSN/PC)
Trine 2 (PSN/XBLA/PC)
Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins (PSP)
Viewtiful Joe (PS2/GCN)
Viewtiful Joe 2 (PS2/GCN)
Wild 9 (PSX)[/hidden]

Kiyura

2011-02-22 07:22:57 am

Wiiaboo

If any Mega Man fans can help me out here, I feel like I'm missing at least one or two more. The series is a little daunting in scale though, and it's one of the few that I'm not familiar with at all.

Same goes with Oddworld. I haven't played any of the games and seems like there have been, well, a few. Any Oddworld fans remember 2.5D platformers besides the two I've listed?

Eishi

2011-02-23 12:54:50 pm

Megaman Powered up and I'm not sure if they count, but Prinny can I really be the hero and Prinny 2 the Asagi Wars. I mean all of it's backgrounds are 3d so maybe.

Kiyura

2011-02-23 01:23:30 pm

Wiiaboo

Quote from Eishi:

Megaman Powered up and I'm not sure if they count, but Prinny can I really be the hero and Prinny 2 the Asagi Wars. I mean all of it's backgrounds are 3d so maybe.

Thanks! I've added all three of these. The 3d stages qualify the Prinny games under my definition.

Eishi

2011-02-23 01:33:30 pm

Iggy's Wrecking Balls for N64 is another one

slowbro

2011-02-23 01:36:34 pm

If you don't mind an obscure one, I enjoyed Freekscape on PSN Minis.

Are there other Klonoa games that qualify? (That's the series that first comes to mind when I hear of 2.5D Smiley

)

Quartz

2011-02-23 02:20:03 pm

a.k.a. Taillow

If you've added Mega Man Powered up then you might as well add Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (Also for the PSP)

Zeupar

2011-02-23 02:23:46 pm

Sonical!

I love the concept of 2,5D platformers. You should add Sonic Rush Adventure to the list.

Pidgey

2011-02-23 03:44:27 pm

Goemon 64 2

Zealie

2011-02-23 03:49:03 pm

I'm sorry to bother you with this, but here's a question I can't seem to figure out.

Why? (why would you want to know etc.)
I just don't get it.

Please enlighten me.
(this is not meant negatively in any way or form)

Kiyura

Edit history:

Kiyura: 2011-02-23 05:00:23 pm

2011-02-23 04:31:25 pm

Wiiaboo

Quote from Eishi:

Iggy's Wrecking Balls for N64 is another one

Quote from Quartz:

If you've added Mega Man Powered up then you might as well add Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (Also for the PSP)

Quote from slowbro:

If you don't mind an obscure one, I enjoyed Freekscape on PSN Minis.

Thank you, I've added all of these.

Quote from slowbro:

Are there other Klonoa games that qualify? (That's the series that first comes to mind when I hear of 2.5D Smiley

)

I dug a little further and found Klonoa 2 for the PS2, but from what I can see none of the other ones are 2.5D platformers. Did you have anything besides these two in mind?

Quote from Zeupar:

I love the concept of 2,5D platformers. You should add Sonic Rush Adventure to the list.

From what I can see the 2d-platforming parts of this game are entirely sprite-based like Sonic Advance.

Quote from Pidgey:

Goemon 64 2

I already have this on the list by its American title, Goemon's Great Adventure.

Quote from Zealie:

I'm sorry to bother you with this, but here's a question I can't seem to figure out.

Why? (why would you want to know etc.)
I just don't get it.

Please enlighten me.
(this is not meant negatively in any way or form)

To be frank, I'm not entirely sure. I guess it's that I prefer 3D visuals, yet 2D gameplay. Again, though, not really that simple. It's hard to express, but these kind of games just catch my fancy. I could probably be more specific if you wanted to know, for instance, why not just 2D graphics if it's restricted to 2D anyway? But as for just "Why?", not really sure. Why do we like any kind of game?

If you meant more literally, why make a list about them, then that's a lot easier -- I want to eventually try all of these that I can, and also generally get to know the genre better.

[quote="Eishi"]Iggy's Wrecking Balls for N64 is another one[/quote][quote="Quartz"]If you've added Mega Man Powered up then you might as well add Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (Also for the PSP)[/quote][quote="slowbro"]If you don't mind an obscure one, I enjoyed Freekscape on PSN Minis.[/quote]

Thank you, I've added all of these.

[quote="slowbro"]Are there other Klonoa games that qualify?  (That's the series that first comes to mind when I hear of 2.5D :) )[/quote]

I dug a little further and found Klonoa 2 for the PS2, but from what I can see none of the other ones are 2.5D platformers. Did you have anything besides these two in mind?

[quote="Zeupar"]I love the concept of 2,5D platformers. You should add Sonic Rush Adventure to the list.[/quote]

From what I can see the 2d-platforming parts of this game are entirely sprite-based like Sonic Advance.

[quote="Pidgey"]Goemon 64 2[/quote]

I already have this on the list by its American title, Goemon's Great Adventure.

[quote="Zealie"]I'm sorry to bother you with this, but here's a question I can't seem to figure out.

Why? (why would you want to know etc.)
I just don't get it.

Please enlighten me.
(this is not meant negatively in any way or form)[/quote]

To be frank, I'm not entirely sure. I guess it's that I prefer 3D visuals, yet 2D gameplay. Again, though, not really that simple. It's hard to express, but these kind of games just catch my fancy. I could probably be more specific if you wanted to know, for instance, why not just 2D graphics if it's restricted to 2D anyway? But as for just "Why?", not really sure. Why do we like any kind of game?

If you meant more literally, why make a list about them, then that's a lot easier -- I want to eventually try all of these that I can, and also generally get to know the genre better.

Zealie

2011-02-23 07:26:01 pm

Well I was just wondering why. TBH I excpected a 'because I can' but your awnser is as good as it gets I assume. I guess yours is just as a valid reason as any other :). Without curiosity mankind would be nowhere Wink

P.S. I'm totally drunk right now so if I misinterpreted anything wrongly just ignore it and assume I mean the best.

slowbro

2011-02-24 02:30:06 pm

Quote from Kiyura:

Quote from slowbro:

Are there other Klonoa games that qualify? (That's the series that first comes to mind when I hear of 2.5D Smiley

)

I dug a little further and found Klonoa 2 for the PS2, but from what I can see none of the other ones are 2.5D platformers. Did you have anything besides these two in mind?

Nope, I can only remember playing two Klonoa games in 2.5D. I think there was one on Wii or possibly GameCube, but I think it was a port of Klonoa 2. Sorry my question was so vague. Wink

Kiyura

2011-02-24 02:57:04 pm

Wiiaboo

Quote from slowbro:

Quote from Kiyura:

Quote from slowbro:

Are there other Klonoa games that qualify? (That's the series that first comes to mind when I hear of 2.5D Smiley

)

I dug a little further and found Klonoa 2 for the PS2, but from what I can see none of the other ones are 2.5D platformers. Did you have anything besides these two in mind?

Nope, I can only remember playing two Klonoa games in 2.5D. I think there was one on Wii or possibly GameCube, but I think it was a port of Klonoa 2. Sorry my question was so vague. Wink

Apparently Door to Phantomile was remade for the Wii in 2008, that's probably what you're thinking of. I've added that as a console. Thanks again!

Kiyura

2011-03-08 06:23:22 am

Wiiaboo

Updated with several more. I probably have most of the well-known ones by now, but I'm sure I'm still missing some Saturn/PSX stuff and some newer XBLA titles.

Fed981

2011-03-08 11:36:01 am

Maybe you could include the game I mentioned for casual run : Trials 2 SE. It's a trials motorbike game where you move only in 2D, but the tracks are 3D.

Kiyura

2011-03-08 11:56:04 am

Wiiaboo

Quote from Fed981:

Maybe you could include the game I mentioned for casual run : Trials 2 SE. It's a trials motorbike game where you move only in 2D, but the tracks are 3D.

Someone mentioned Trials HD earlier, actually, and I said it seemed more like a racing game than a platformer, to me. However, on second thought, it definitely has platforming elements, and restricting the definition to "conventional" character-based movement seems arbitrary. I've added both SE and HD. Thanks for the suggestion!

Fed981

2011-03-08 03:16:18 pm

I like the principle of saying "2,5D". According to mathematics, that's crazy... but cool ^^

Lag.Com

2011-03-10 03:55:00 am

sda loyalist

Well, non-integer dimensions usually refer to fractals, in mathematics. I'm not sure anyone is ready to write a game that takes place in a fractal dimension.

Garlyle

2011-03-10 05:53:42 pm

That Guy

On the subject of Mega Man games; Mega Man Network Transmission also uses 3D renders of the stage, characters, etc; but the gameplay is completely 2D

Kiyura

2011-03-10 08:49:42 pm

Wiiaboo

Quote from Garlyle:

On the subject of Mega Man games; Mega Man Network Transmission also uses 3D renders of the stage, characters, etc; but the gameplay is completely 2D

Thanks! I've added it. As an aside, that game looks painfully slow.

DeReK

2011-03-16 12:45:59 pm

What about sonic 4?

DeReK

2011-03-16 12:46:38 pm

oh nevermind

zephyrjs

2011-03-16 03:14:04 pm

Why do I exist?

Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS)
Garfield's Nightmare (DS)

Kiyura

2011-03-16 04:10:57 pm

Wiiaboo

Quote from zephyrjs:

Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS)
Garfield's Nightmare (DS)

Thanks! I've added both.

And @DeReK, yeah I guess you saw it's on the list. I was a little unsure whether to put it as "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" or "Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1", however. I guess I'll wait and see what future releases will be like, and I may change it.