Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 changed video games forever, but if you’re new to the genre, here are some great 3D platformer games to start with. Expect plenty more items on our best 3D platformer list in the future as the genre is still evolving even in the face of advances in technology. So many classic games revolve around a specific moment: the Stampy scale, the Tower of Oz, the Infinite Moons of Luma. Yes, each new advance in technology brings with it new complications for level design, but 3D platformers have always thrived despite the change in perspective.
Super Mario 64, Rez, and Prince of Persia are all playable because of that evolutionary spirit. And, as new generations of consoles appear, we get even more opportunities to experience those fantastic platforms. So if you’re looking for something fun and light-hearted, a gripping narrative, or just something nice and cool for the kids, our favorite old-school 3D platformers can cater for you.
Luigi’s Mansion 3
The first game on our list, Luigi’s Mansion 3, is also the only Mario spin-off game to actually be a 3D platformer. With an engaging, lighthearted story and simple mechanics, players can leap and bound their way through the game’s levels as Luigi, and whisk away evil spirits into the vacuum by pointing it at what they want to possess. While these levels are standard 3D platformer fare, they do include their own element of originality – there are plenty of things to collect along the way, not just star stamps.
Mail Mole
Mail Mole dives as deep underground as its titular character. Using his helmet, Mail Mole jumps out of the ground and back into the hole he just created to navigate various stages and collect food-themed goodies, alongside a bunch of collectable hats.
It’s a wacky, mindless, and accessible 3D platformer based on the simple premise of jumping from surface to surface and moving from one area to another using Mail Mole’s underground tunnel. But that’s not to say it’s a simple game. Along the way, players will discover new stages, enemies, bosses, and hats to collect.
Yooka-Laylee
Before it was a critically divisive dud, the Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor promised a lot. Remastered versions of the first two Banjo games appeared alongside its Kickstarter, alongside the many core team members from the original games, who set out to make a game that was both fun for newcomers to the genre and challenging for those invested in it.
Yooka-Laylee strikes a balance between accessibility and challenge with its tonics. Rather than using level design to indicate that something might be difficult or off-limits, Yooka-Laylee simply enables players to pass through with a specific power-up or grants them a temporary ability if they die too many times in a particular area. It does an incredible job of delivering enjoyment both to people who haven’t played many platformers before and those who have.
Kirby: And The Forgotten Land
Kirby And The Forgotten Land is another Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor, and one that manages to be accessible while keeping the difficulty of a classic platformer. Its handheld roots make it more accessible by necessity while still giving it a suitably robust 3D platformer challenge.
The levels are larger compared to most platformers with some open paths, giving it more of an adventure vibe. Most of the levels are traditional side-scrolling Kirby levels, but there are occasionally larger explorable areas, requiring a balance between the action-oriented platforming and the more thoughtful gameplay elements.
