I‘ve been playing platformers since my early days with Super Mario on the NES, so I‘m thrilled to see the genre thriving today. As an experienced gaming journalist and critic, I think PlayStation 4 has one of the greatest libraries of 2D platforming excellence ever assembled.
But with hundreds of options available, where do you start? Don‘t worry friend, I‘ve distilled PS4‘s catalog down to the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to tight controls, ingenious level design, gorgeous visual presentation and good ol‘ fashioned fun.
Whether you‘re a veteran platformer fan wanting to relive gaming‘s heyday or new to this wonderful genre, these seven games will give you hundreds of hours of entertainment. So grab your DualShock controller and let‘s leap right in!
A Brief History of Platformers
Platform games have been around since the early days of the medium. Titles like 1980‘s Pac-Man and 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong defined the genre built around running, jumping, climbing and dodging obstacles across floating platforms.
The 1980s and early 90s saw iconic protagonists like Mario, Sonic and Mega Man headline best-selling franchises focused on precisely timed running and jumping challenges. Gorgeous 2D sprite graphics and catchy music made platformers like 1994‘s Super Metroid exemplars of great game design on systems like the Super Nintendo.
As gaming moved to 3D worlds, many platforming series followed and found massive success. Titles like Super Mario 64 (1996), Spyro the Dragon (1998) and Jak and Daxter (2001) explored new design spaces. Recently though, smaller independent studios and big publishers alike re-embraced classic 2D platforming, finding new innovations within the long-running genre.
Why PlayStation 4 Was Primed For 2D Platformers
While other modern consoles feature their share of great platformers, I believe Sony‘s PlayStation 4 lineup is unmatched in terms of quantity, diversity and quality. PS4‘s stellar lineup benefited from three key factors:
Powerful Hardware – With a modern x86 CPU/GPU architecture providing abundant memory bandwidth and storage space compared to past consoles, PS4 empowered developers to really push the limits of what crisp, smooth 2D games could look and play like. Even retro-style games shine in high definition at flawless 60 frames per second.
DualShock 4 Controller – Sony‘s best controller design with a fantastic directional pad, ergonomic grips and intuitive layout was designed with 2D games in mind. Combined with vibration, motion controls and touchpad features, it really connects players to the action.
Genre Variety – Sony cultivated relationships with creators big and small worldwide, facilitating projects across a wide spectrum. Major platforming pillars, fresh indie darlings and experimental hybrids all found an audience on PS4.
Okay, background covered — let‘s jump feet first into the greatest PlayStation 4 platformers ever released!
#7: Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Yacht Club Games must have bottled childhood memories into liquid form when designing Shovel Knight. The visuals, chiptune soundtrack and gameplay radiate mid-1980s NES nostalgia. It adopts an absolutely authentic 8-bit presentation, with only concessions made to enable modern niceties like 4K graphics rendering and reversable stereo music.
Playing as the eponymous Shovel Knight with your mighty digging implement in hand, you‘ll run, jump and bash baddies across wonderfully varied locales. One moment you‘ll be beneath glittering waterfalls, then dodging discriminate diners inside an occupied restaurant! With amusing writing, creative bosses and tons of secrets, it hooks like few games do.
The Treasure Trove version bundles together the original quest plus three excellent expansions and a fighting game into a single package. For a measly $24.99, it‘s perhaps the best retro platforming value ever conceived. Critics certainly agree, as it boasts a staggering 91 average review score on Metacritic. Its devilishly hidden feats kept me playing long after the credits rolled; a modern masterpiece masquerading smoothly as an NES lost artifact.
#6: Celeste
Celeste‘s unassuming pixel style masks heart-pounding platforming action awaiting inside this hardcore darling. Scaling the perilous Celeste Mountain mirrors protagonist Madeline‘s internal struggle with anxiety and self-doubt through poignant metaphors and razor-focused platforming.
Over 300 levels dared my digits across 50+ hours of playtime thanks to immense secrets. Whether outrunning collapsing bridges or redirecting flames to clear paths, Celeste brilliantly teaches through each failed attempt. Checkpoints prevent frustration as you push onwards and upwards. The stirring piano score beautifully captures poignant moments between tense encounters.
Receiving over 50 industry awards including multiple Game of The Year nods, Celeste sets the pace for modern 2D challenge. Optional modifiers bend rules further to unsettle seasoned vets too. Conquering the erratic B- and C-side levels then witnessing the true ending left me teary-eyed given Madeline‘s touching arc. Celeste remains clearly among PS4‘s most essential platformers.
| Game | Release Year | Metacritic Score | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shovel Knight | 2014 | 91 | Retro Platformer |
| Celeste | 2018 | 92 | Precision Platformer |
#5: Rayman Legends
Rayman debuted way back in 1995, cementing creator Michel Ancel as a pioneering game designer. After a 3D digression, 2011‘s Rayman Origins resurrected the limbless hero fantastically with hand-drawn 2D glory. Yet somehow Rayman Legends surpasses its predecessor, standing as Ubisoft‘s crown platforming achievement in both style and substance.
A rendering showcase, its animated visuals burst with unrestrained enthusiasm. Vibrant colors eye-pop amidst fluid framerates frolicking at 60FPS. But beneath dazzling facades lies meticulous mechanical bliss, with controls fine-tuned over decades distilled into digital perfection. Wall jumps, enemy smacks and secret area discoveries satisfy continually. Local four-player co-op comedy thrives thanks to intuitive assisting mechanics helping struggling teammates.
Those itching for additional replayability can tackle daily online challenges or grueling reward-laden dungeons. With generous included content spanning dozens of hours backed by exemplary art direction and oversight from legendary creator Ancel, Rayman Legends ticks all boxes for outstanding entertainment including cost at just $39. Take my word – Rayman hits his stride spectacularly on PS4!
#4 Inside
The disturbing narrative objections and striking visual dissonance of Inside will embed themselves under players‘ skin as firmly as the name suggests. Like swatting a beehive, its core mystery entrances – who are these lost souls stumbling about, and what experiments hide behind that imposing door? Delicately conveyed through dynamic lighting and dramatic camera angles exclusively rather than flashy effects or dialog, Inside‘s world speaks subtly.
Deaths often arrive unexpectedly as aggression swiftly ends your vulnerable boy‘s life aggressively. Conflicts seem trivial until their traumatic implications set in. Inside‘s calculated pacing cultivates curiosity that propelled me through its brief runtime dozens of times searching for elusive secrets granted only those exploring literally inside-out.
A gruelingly tight, masterfully ambiguous puzzle platformer, Inside‘s touch will linger for a long while, earning its 90 Metascore. Developer Playdead stands among most inventive modern auteurs, with their sophomore effort‘s unanswered questions still racing through my thoughts years later. If you desire your heartstrings plucked and perceptions challenged, venture Inside.
#3: Hollow Knight
The smallest heroes often demonstrate the bravest souls. Within bug knight protagonist Hollow Knight lies that valiance facing Hallownest, a subterranean insect kingdom. The darling Metroidvania manages meaningful lore building yet retains gameplay as principal focus. Challenging enemies and demanding traversal kept my thumb glued loyally to circle, slashing and leaping during countless encounters spanning over 50 hours for just a single playthrough!
Funded via Kickstarter then expanded with three free DLC packs, Hollow Knight‘s scope impresses. Roughly 150 individual zones of descending depths await exploration, brimming with quest-givers, secrets passageways and townships. My trusty nail upgraded numerous times until sufficiently strengthened facing relentless ruler beasts. Multiple endings encourage repeat expeditions, discovering fresh shortcuts unlocking the mysterious interconnected continent even further beyond initial perceptions.
For just $14.99, Hollow Knight offers absurd value. Combined with responsively silky platforming and dashing combat systems, attractively hand-drawn Gothic visuals plus moving orchestral score, its expensive price point feels like highway robbery for gamers, albeit legally! No PS4 owner should exclude this quest from their backlog. Once saved in your library, block off a weekend and appreciate this indie tour de force!
| Game | Release Year | Metacritic Score | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rayman Legends | 2013 | 92 | 2D Action Platformer |
| Inside | 2016 | 90 | Cinematic Puzzle Platformer |
| Hollow Knight | 2017 | 87 | Exploration Focused Platformer |
#2: Sonic Mania Plus
“Growing pains” describes Sonic Team‘s struggled transition towards contemporary 3D expectations. Recent decade attempts floundered, saddening given Sonic’s strong 1990s prowess. Rather than surrender stadium glory days, Sonic Mania Plus adopts welcome back-to-basics methodologies. Christian Whitehead‘s regeneration proves the blue blur blazes brightest when gameplay flows fastest on a two-dimensional plane.
Nostalgic genesis stages gain gorgeous HD reskins with particles and parallax propelling at 60FPS. Ray tracing tricks convince classics score visual upgrades too. Jumping resumes as rhythmic delight, especially when spinning along walls and bopping badniks. Added components over already content-rich package sweeten value, namely new Encore mode’s remixed acts, expanded competition modes, plus long-awaited playable characters Mighty and Ray.
Sonic Mania Plus’ $29.99 activations fee feels mislabeled; it should actually be payable by grateful Sega for rekindling their mascot’s former glory. Don’t dawdle, spin dash to PlayStation Store posthaste and rescue this delicious slice of platforming history from digital demise! Over 1.5 million copies sold verifies that going old-school reignited Sonic’s heart.
#1: Guacamelee! One-Two Punch Collection
Mexico proudly punches its luchador mask into the platformer ring with DrinkBox Studios‘ sensational Guacamelee! duology. A bodacious two-part special stuffed with combos showcases towering production values through every eye-popping backdrop and ear-pleasing guitar. Whimsical touches incorporating Hispanic folklore like magical roosters Choozo lend cultural flair between bouts of bamboozling banditos.
Varied fighting finesse entertains beside well-crafted Metroidvania exploration. Hundreds of skill upgrades ensure fresh tactics against thuggish enemies. Complementing sweet standard moves like target-shifting suplexes, gnarly dimension-distorting techniques twist traversal into brain-bending delight. Level layouts intertwine extensively too, assuring backtracking seldom boring.
Each entry occupies 15 hours, doubling bang-for-buck up to 30+ for Compendium release. Squashing the sequel’s meatier map positively overflowing with secrets into the original’s already stuffed tamale makes Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition this Xbox owner‘s confident platformer pick for PlayStation 4. Amusing writing and explosive set-pieces will have you laughing loudly like boisterous mariachi between clenched teeth tackling intense boss fights!
Pollo power forever!
| Game | Release Year | Metacritic Score | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Mania Plus | 2017 | 90 | Retro Platformer |
| Guacamelee 1+2 | 2013 + 2018 | 88 | Fantastical Luchador Brawler |
So friends, now you‘re equipped with the platforming knowledge to get the most enjoyable leaping and running adventures out of your PS4! Has this guide helped chart your next gaming destination, or did I miss one of your personal favorites? Let me know in the comments – I could chat platformers all day! But for now, duty calls. Time to boot up Guacamelee for another round against sultry skeleton Calaca and her Alebrije…wish me luck in the trials ahead!
