5 Greatest Platformer Series From the 1990s, Ranked

Fans of platforming games were eating well during the 1990s. During the early part of the decade, some of the best 2D platformers of all time were released. As we moved into the N64 and PlayStation generation, 3D platformers began to emerge, adding a dynamic new dimension to the genre. While there were dozens of great platformers during the ’90s, only a few series really stand out as the masters of the decade.

Here are the five biggest platformer series of the ’90s. Remember, this only counts games released in the ’90s. That means you won’t see something like Banjo-Kazooie, which didn’t get its second game until 2000, so it wasn’t technically a series during this decade.

5) Spyro the Dragon

Spyro the Dragon started in 1998, and fans got new games nearly every year until 2009. That said, original developer Insomniac was out after releasing Spyro: Year of the Dragon in 2000, so you could argue the series was essentially finished by that point. It’s also worth noting that Year of the Dragon is the best game in the minds of most fans, which means it doesn’t count for this list.

However, I think the first two games do enough to earn a spot on this list. The introduction of Spyro was a blast, giving the PlayStation its own great, family-friendly 3D platformer to rival Banjo-Kazooie. Ripto’s Revenge was a solid follow-up, building on the original in a few important ways. So, while the best game just misses the ’90s, Spyro slots in fairly comfortably.

4) Crash Bandicoot

Like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot got its start in the late ’90s. Developer Naughty Dog gave the PlayStation its first great 3D platformer with the 1996 original, and built on the series over the next few years, standing up next to a few heavy-hitters I’ll talk about soon.

The key differentiator between Crash and Spyro on this list is that Crash’s best game came during the ’90s. Whether you think that’s Cortex Strikes Back, Warped, or even Crash Team Racing, they all launched before the calendar ticked over to 2000. Of course, CTR doesn’t count for this list, but it’s worth a mention. No matter how you slice it, the ’90s were great for Crash and his friends. Plus, it can’t be forgotten that this series helped put Naughty Dog on the map.

3) Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country might be the best-looking game on the Super Nintendo. Developer Rare took Nintendo’s fan-favorite character and put him into one of the finest platformers of the era. Then, they did it three more times over the next few years, while also giving Game Boy players a taste of the action with the phenomenal Donkey Kong Land series.

Yes, there were diminishing returns by the time we got to Donkey Kong Country 3, but that had more to do with the frequency with which Rare was putting out new DKC games. Just look at how much people loved Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze. This is a series with plenty of juice; it just needed some room to breathe. Thankfully, all three DKC games have stood the test of time and are just as fun to play today.

2) Sonic the Hedgehog

Sega wanted a game to compete with Super Mario Bros. Scratch that. Sega needed a game to compete with Nintendo’s mascot if it wanted to have a chance in the console wars of the ’90s. Thankfully, Sonic did exactly that, bringing speed and attitude to the genre in a way that instantly captivated players.

The first game released on the Sega Genesis in 1991, and fans were treated to a heaping handful of new games over the next decade. The ’90s also got Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic Adventure. That’s an impressive string of releases that show how strong Team Sonic was during the ’90s.

1) Super Mario

It really couldn’t be anybody else. Super Mario is the platforming genre for many people, and the ’90s is arguably its best era. Of course, it gets stiff competition from the ’80s, but just look at the Super Mario Bros. games that launched in the ’90s.

Super Mario World, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario All-Stars, and Super Mario 64. It’s hard to imagine a run stronger than that. You’re getting two of the series best games in Super Mario World and Super Mario 64, while also showing off Nintendo’s mastery of the genre across generations. Just between those two games, you’re getting what might be the best 2D and 3D platformers of all time. Sonic the Hedgehog is a rad dude. There’s no doubt about it, but he cannot compete with that kind of quality.

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