12 MORE Platformer Gaming Stars (Patreon)

As a little extra bonus for folks who have been enjoying my "leap year" series, here's 12 more platformer gaming stars! (I've also included a montage image of all 38 characters that I've drawn so far!)

Our latest additions are:

Jumping Flash (1995, PS1) An early experimental first person 3D Platformer, made before Mario 64 standardized the formula for most 3D Platformers going forward. This game is so cool! Nothing really followed in Jumping Flash's footsteps... but its unique take on the genre actually worked quite well, and the game is still pretty fun to play!

Cuphead and Mugman (Cuphead, 2017, Xbox One/PC/Switch) I would just like to thank the developers of Cuphead for including some platforming stages in their game, thus allowing me to include them in this series. lol

Donald Duck (Quackshot,1991, Genesis) Early on, I decided I'd generally only include licensed characters in this series if they had a distinct, visually unique incarnation that was specific to video games. Donald from Quackshot defintely fits that bill! In this game, he was a sort of Indiana Jones type. 

Tails (Sonic 2, 1992, Genesis) Tails made his debut in Sonic 2! But this particular incarnation of him is from Tails Adventure, his 1995 solo adventure for the Game Gear. Unlike most Sonic games, it was a slow-paced Metroidvania-style game, with a big emphasis on explosives and robots.

Jill  (Drill Dozer, 2005, GBA) Once upon a time, Game Freak took a brief break from Pokemon to make a 2D Platformer. It was pretty neat! The game was originally going to be called Screw Breaker, and there's a big emphasis on using the drill to wind/unwind and screw/unscrew things.

Scrooge McDuck (Ducktales,1989, NES) OK, OK... other than the colour scheme, there's nothing especially distinct about Scrooge's video game incarnation. But DuckTales is one of the best and most influential NES Platformers, so Scrooge gets a spot on this list.

Henry Hatsworth (2009, DS) This is one of my favourite games on this whole list! It used the two screens of the DS to mash up a brawler platformers with a Puzzle League/Tetris Attack style falling block game. If you have a DS or 3DS, I can't recommend this one enough.

Maui Mallard/Cold Shadow (1995, Genesis/PC/SNES) This is another videogame-specific version of Donald... except in North America, where all references to the name "Donald" were removed and he was marketed as a new, totally unrelated character. Who did they think they were they fooling? But either way, it's a fun game that casts the totally-new duck as a Magum PI-style Hawaiian detective who can morph into a ninja. It feels like it's based on a Disney Afternoon TV show, but the whole premise and cast are unique to the game. And features a musical score by the not-yet-famous Michael Giacchino. Play the PC version if you can... it is the best one!

Tomba (1997, PS1) Another forgotten Playstation-era Platformer star! The first Tomba was mostly 2D, while the second (also for PS1) was a full 3D Platformer.

Starfy and Starly (The Legendary Starfy, 2002, GBA) The Starfy games kind of feel like Kirby mashed up with Ecco the Dolphin. They're also mostly Japan-exclusive, with only the 4th one getting a worldwide release. I have a soft spot for this guy because, long before he'd ever appeared officially in North America, I actually bought and played the Japan-only Starfy 2 out of impulsive curiosity when I saw it on sale on an import site for $15.  (It turns out that, unlike Kirby, there is a LOT of dialogue in Starfy games, so it was a bit of an adventure to get through.) 

Pulseman (1994, Genesis) Drill Dozer wasn't actually the first platformer GameFreak made! In the days before Pokemon, they made Pulseman for the Genesis, about a robot superhero who could turn into electricity. In North America, this game was exclusive to the SEGA Channel -- an early online game subscription service that let you download games via your TV cable connection -- which gave it a real mystique.

Jumpman (Donkey Kong, 1981, Arcade)   I dunno. I don't think this guy is going to catch on.

I have a few more characters I'd still like to add to this series, after which point I am going to stop. (Or at least take a long break, haha.) But it has been fun!