The Platformer Genre

If you want to talk about history, platformers are probably the single most important genre that this industry has ever known. Without that little Italian plumber created by Nintendo, we may not see video games appear quite as popular as they do today. What made them so special? Taking a look at gameplay, the idea was basic but effective: jump on enemies to kill them, while at the same time avoiding them. This formula has become the standard much like we saw in the case of shooters, and hasn't really evolved that much over the years when you look at the original Super Mario Bros. even compared to Super Mario Bros. U. It all relies on that same concept.

The difference in platformers though is about how they are marketed and displayed within the content of the industry. That gameplay mechanic is definitely a little stale, but developers know that and don't seem to care. Nor do they really seem to take a look at creating realistic graphics either. Certainly games like Rayman and such certainly look nice, but there's a different approach to the presentation that makes it less about realism and more about casual beauty. If you're talking platformers, graphics are important, but that aspect remains hidden behind the curtain of simply being fun to play. Instead, it seems more about creating that old school feel that relies most on those same old gameplay mechanics. It's not only what defines the genre, but remains the sole purpose for releasing this kind of game.

Winner: Gameplay

With the score all tied, let's get the final word from the author!

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