Nintendo is easily the king of platformers because of their mascot, Mario. HavingSuper Mario Bros.be a pack-in game for the launch of the NES in the West was pure genius. Mario became a household name overnight along with the console itself.
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Over time Mario has redefined the genre with depth-defying 3D words as well.Super Mario Galaxy, for example, is a fun game on theWii. However, the Wii also had some good 2D platformers on it. Some are Mario-based, some come from other Nintendo-exclusive series, and others hail from third-party partners. Even though it has been over a decade for some of these games, they are still classics.
8Klonoa
Klonoais a remake for the Wii which was released in 2009 in North America. It updated the visuals and added some mechanics from the sequels. The unique gimmick of this game allowed the titular character to grab enemies with a magic ring and then use them to either jump higher or hit other enemies.
All in all, it is a pretty faithful remake of an underrated PS1 classic. No one wants to dig out the Wii in 2023 but thankfully this game, and its sequel, were combined in the remastered collection calledKlonoa Phantasy Reverie Series. It’s available on Switch along with a few other platforms.
7Sonic Colors
Sonic Colorswas the first goodSonicgame in a while according to reviews and fans. This series went through a drought around the mid-2000s in the HD era with entries likeSonic and the Secret RingsandSonic and the Black Knight. There was also the infamously weird kissing scene in the 2006 game simply titledSonic the Hedgehog.
So, it was nice to see Sonic get back on his feet for a classic platformer on the Wii that went into both 2D and 3D perspectives. LikeKlonoa, this game can be enjoyed thanks to a remastered edition,Sonic Colors: Ultimate, which came out in 2021 for a bunch of systems including the Switch.
6Mega Man 9
The Xbox 360 had Xbox Live, the PS3 had PSN, and the Wii had the eShop. All three platforms dabbled in online distribution and the Wii got some unique revivals of classic NES games.Mega Man 9was a big deal in 2008 because it had been over a decade since a numbered sequel came out.
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To see Mega Man come back in his original pixel form was a dream come true for fans. This was followed up byMega Man 10, which also used the nostalgic art style. Both games can be enjoyed viaMega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2on almost every platform out there today.
5Donkey Kong Country Returns
LikeMega Man 9,Donkey Kong Country Returnswas a revival from Nintendo’s past. Rare was given the keys to the kingdom regarding Donkey Kong and they decided to give the big ape his own platformer series.
There were threeDonkey Kong Countrygames on the SNES and then that was it, not countingDonkey Kong 64. So, the wait between the finale on SNES andDonkey Kong Country Returnswas fourteen years. It was as challenging as ever with catchy music, unique levels, and asolid co-op option.
4Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Kirby’s Epic Yarnwas an adorable platformer that transformed the wholesome-looking Kirby into a craftwork project. The entire game was made out of yarn and other craft materials such as buttons and zippers.
It ventured on the easier side of platformers to help cater to the casual crowd, which was not for everyone.Kirbyas a series though has always been a bit easier thanother Nintendo platformerslike Mario. There is nothing wrong with simple games especially if they look as magical as this.
3Rayman Origins
Rayman Originsbrought the character back with full force after being absent for generations. The series was overtaken by Rabbids for years which was not necessarily a bad thing. It was good to get back to the platforming roots here although Rayman and his friends never controlled this well before so it was almostlike a reboot.
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They had never looked this good either as everything and everyone looked like they were hand-drawn. It was part of Ubisoft’s new UbiArt Framework project and other games including its sequelRayman Legends,Child of Light, andValiant Hearts: The Great War.
2Wario Land: Shake It
Wario Land: Shake Ithad a similar art style toRayman Originswith its anime-like aesthetics. It’s the only game in the series to look like this on the Wii either internally or externally. Treasure, the developer, can be thanked for coming up with the unique look for Wario along with the fun shaking mechanic.
Other than shaking enemies and treasures to pieces, it played like the rest of the series. It was even parodied inan SNL sketchwith Alec Baldwin and that’s a sincere form of flattery. Sadly, it remains trapped on Wii and there has never been a Wario platformer since this arrived in 2008.
1New Super Mario Bros. Wii
It’s an obvious pick for number one butNew Super Mario Bros. Wiiwas a breath of fresh air. It was preceded byNew Super Mario Bros.on the DS which was the first mainline 2D game in ages. This sequel was more of that but itfeatured a four-player co-opas well.
This was a first for the series and it allowed players to choose between Mario, Luigi, or two different colored Toads. Thanks to the success of this game, Nintendo goes back and forth between 2D and 3D for the mainline games.Super Mario Bros. Wonderwill be the next installment in the 2D arena.
