GaminBites: November 2010

Anyone who has been playing video games for more the 10 years knows one genre that dominated, then soon faded- the platformer. The genre that is home to some of gaming's best. Shoveling through annaul sports releases, and shooters there just aren't as many platformers as there use to be. But recently, the Wii has been getting a slew of terrific platformers that hopefully marks the return of the platformer. One of video game's best, Super Mario Galaxy (1&2) had us jumping in 360 degres and scratching our heads in outer space, NSMBWii had us fighting and laughing with our friends, Epic Yarn had us amazed by a truly remarkable art style. It seems that platformers are bringing innovation in a day where developer stick with the tried and true. Take Max and the Magic marker for example, the game had you jumping and climbing like every other platformer, but bringing in a marker that allows you to draw on your level changed everything. Platformers of today have managed to retain their classic feel, while proving innovative gameplay twists. Theres one game that can't be left out of the innovation found in platforming. One glimpse at LittleBigPlannet and the user is overloaded with brilliant ideas. Create and sharing are as much of a focus as the platforming itself. If your interested in revisiting the platformer, you'll be surprised to know it is bringing more innovation then any other genre these days.