Top 10 Side Scrolling Platformers of All Time

7. Limbo (XBLA, PSN, PC)

It’s marvelous how a game with no story, no cutscenes, no high production values, no high octane action, and a black and white colour pallet can be so engrossing, so addictive, and so beautiful. The game is incredibly atmospheric, with slick and smooth platforming movement, and great puzzle solving. The black and white colour pallet might put off graphic-whores to begin with, but it is, actually, a way to draw you into the ever-present eerie creepy atmosphere of the game. It’s hard to describe the beauty of Limbo in words- you should play it for yourself.

6. Super Meat Boy (XBLA, PC)

Of all the modern day side scrolling platformers, none is as good as Super Meat Boy. Super Meat Boy, with its insane difficulty, brilliant level design, wonderful trial and error formula and light, smooth platforming, has to be one of the most addictive, most engrossing platforming games out there, side scrolling or no. We definitely hope we will see more such wonderful efforts under the Team Meat banner, and we have no doubt, whenever we do, they will be just as good.

5. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Wii)

The original Donkey Kong Country games were known as being highly graphically advanced games, and if their platforming was up to the mark or not is an entirely different issue. Either way, the Donkey Kong Country games are some of the most fondly remembered platformers of all time. When Nintendo announced that the highly awaited game Retro was working on was a throwback to the glory days of Donkey Kong, with Donkey Kong Country Returns, apprehension and anticipation surrounded it. When DKCR released, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that not only did it stay true to the old Donkey Kong games’ spirits, it was also one of the best platformers ever, even better than the old DKC games. We have no doubt we will see more of our favourite gorilla soon.