Ask any gamer who was born in or before the ’90s what their first game was. Chances are, it was a platformer. Platformers force players to navigate somewhat straightforward levels in which their character must navigate across platforms, ledges, stairs, ladders, and other obstacles that stand to keep them from a specific goal point. While many believe that they can only be two-dimensional side scrollers, platformers often include a three-dimensional element, similar toSuper Mario 64andSpyro the Dragon.
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These, however, are legendary platformers that influenced the entire genre after their releases, with both even getting their own remasters years later! This list will be covering some of the worst platformers of all time, according to the pros at Metacritic. These titles left players feeling unchallenged and unfulfilled, and we definitely won’t be seeing a remake of any of them in the near future.
10Sitting Ducks (35)
Starting with the best of the worst,Sitting Duckswas released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance, based on a cartoon about a duck who befriends an alligator in a world where ducks live in fear of their reptilian neighbors. The game lets players take control of Bill the duck as he struggles to collect enough stickers for tickets to the concert of a lifetime. Despite possessing the foundation of a great kid’s game,Sitting Ducksisn’t challenging in the slightest, making it unworthy enough to take a spot on this list.
9Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (33)
The originalSonic the Hedgehogwas such a huge hit, and still resonates in popular culture today, having inspired dozens of sequels (as well as a movie scheduled for a 2020 release) all revolving around Sonic, the blue hedgehog who can “roll around at the speed of sound”. If the originalSonic the Hedgehogplatformer achieved such massive success, aGame Boy Advanceremake should hit twice as hard, right? Sure, players got the added spin dash feature, but negative reviews have pointed out the reduced visibility and shoddy mechanics and controls. Gathered momentum is often inconsistent with the original game, preventing players from reaching secret areas that they could years prior. The frame rate often slows to a crawl during important boss fights as well, making it easier to just go to the arcade to play the original.
8Frogger: The Great Quest (32)
Froggerwas a game that gave people the privilege of experiencing life as a poor amphibian trying to cross suburban roads without getting crushed. It worked well because of its simplicity, but unfortunately,Frogger: The Great Questdidn’t get that note. In this game, Frogger wants to venture out of his swamp to find a princess that can turn him into a prince.
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Players have shunned this game for its tedious, bland story and terrible mechanics. Though jumping should be Frogger’s specialty, it becomes difficult to land precise jumps, and although the developers tried to implement a combat system, there are enough glitches and pathetic enemies that fighting them would just be a waste of time.
7Blues Brothers 2000 (32)
We couldn’t believe that the actual Blues Brothers had a game for the Nintendo 64 either.Blues Brothers 2000lets players take control of Elwood J. Blues as he attempts to escape from prison, circumventing hostile guards, other prisoners, and even the prison cook in order to assemble the scattered members of his band. After escaping the prison, players will find the outside world just as cruel. Cars will run straight over Elwood without stopping, and random women will smack him with their purses if he gets anywhere near them. Not only is this game unchallenging, but it’s too short and unoriginal to keep players hooked for more than a couple of hours. ImagineBlues Brothers 2000asSuperMario 64minus everything that made that game fun.
6Anima: Ark of Sinners (32)
In the Nintendo Wii’s RPG platformer,Amina: Ark of Sinners, players take the role of the sword-wielding Celia as she struggles to escape an ominous, empty city, fighting her way through shadow monsters of evil in a journey to uncover the dilapidated city’s history. The game’s gothic style has been praised by critics, but the unengaging story, repetitive gameplay, and combat mechanics that make us question why they even incorporated combat into this game in the first place is why this game has earned a spot on this list. Don’t waste your time with this one! You’re better off picking up a copy ofCode Vein.
5CID The Dummy (31)
For reasons that we won’t get into on this list, the Wii version ofCID The Dummyranked lower on Metacritic’s list of the worst platformers than its PSP release (although not by a large margin). Ever wonder how it feels like to be a crash test dummy who’s been beaten down physically and spiritually? That’s what you’ll feel like the minute you pick up this game!
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CID (which stands for Crash Impact Dummy) is an actual crash dummy who travels throughout a safety-obsessed world in order to save a girl after she’s been kidnapped by a robotic villain. Not only is this plot extremely unoriginal, but the outdated graphics and poor motion capture with the Wii remote makes simple actions, like withdrawing and using CID’s grapple hook, a tremendous hassle.
4Winx Club: Join the Club (30)
Winx Clubwas an insanely popular series that pretty much went out of style the minute its fans began to worry more about college applications and less about Bloom and her friends. This game was clearly targeted for girls ages 6 to 11 in an attempt to expand the television show’s viewer count, but with no real storyline attached to it, this game is just a collection of half-baked minigames. Players will undertake a variety of boring tasks, like putting items back onto a table after a witch knocks them over, surfboarding down a hill at the speed most toddlers can crawl, and playing the world’s most awkward game ofmonkey see, monkey doin order to cast a lackluster spell. We wouldn’t be surprised if this game actually scared potential fansawayfrom the show.
3George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secret (30)
George of the Jungle and the Search for the Secretis a platformer based on theTarzanripoff television show,George of the Jungle. Players will find themselves taking George through a slow-paced story with no dramatic consequences. You won’t feel athletic and free at all as you run, swing, and wall jump all around the jungle. And after all the hours you’ll put into it this uncompelling narrative, you won’t even have the pleasure of learning what this secret George is searching for even is!
2Thundercats (28)
Thundercatsfor the Nintendo DS is a game that shares the same name with the TV show that inspired it. Fans thought they’d enter into a game just as epic as the show, but the controls here are extremely limited. Players can only really jump or strike, but the hit detection is so poor that it becomes difficult to get through battles with swarms of grunts.
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There’s no option to block attacks, so you’ll find yourself dying way too many times against an incompetent AI.Thundercatsis an amazing series, and this game makes no attempt to do it justice.
1Anubis II (19)
Anubis II’s plot sounds decent enough: in ancient Egpyt, Anubis, the Guardian of the Underworld, embarks on a journey to defeat the evil spirit Mumm’hotep in order to free the land from his dark curse. Many players on Metacritic’s site have said that this game is one of the worst games on the Wii, if not in general. The graphics are terrible for a Wii game, and the camera doesn’t do a great job tracking the player. The inexcusable Wii remote motion detector will make it almost impossible to fight enemies, and even something as simple as jumping will become a chore. We’d make a cliche joke about this game “staying in the litterbox”, but Anubis actually has the head of a jackal, which is a canine, so any feline-related jokes would be just as much of an abomination as this game itself.
