Ten Platformers That Rival Mario Without Wearing His Overalls

September 12, 2026 - 00:45

Mario may be the undisputed king of the platformer genre, but he has never been the only star worth watching. For decades, other developers have built imaginative worlds that stand proudly beside Nintendo's flagship series, and several of them deserve just as much attention.

Banjo-Kazooie proved that a bear and a bird could carry a sprawling collect-a-thon with charm to spare. Spyro the Dragon gave players a purple hero and a world full of personality, while Crash Bandicoot turned precise jumps and spin attacks into a household name. Rayman Legends pushed 2D design to remarkable heights with its musical stages and fluid movement. Celeste paired tight controls with a story about anxiety and persistence that resonated far beyond the genre. Hollow Knight blended exploration and combat into a haunting underground kingdom. Super Meat Boy demanded near-perfect timing and rewarded it generously. Ori and the Blind Forest delivered lush visuals and emotional weight. Ratchet and Clank mixed shooting with acrobatics. Shovel Knight paid tribute to the classics while carving out its own identity.

Each of these titles shows that platforming is bigger than any single mascot. Mario remains the benchmark, but the genre's depth comes from the many creators who looked at his formula and asked what else was possible.