So I just started Lost Winds on WiiWare and it further confirmed something that I've been suspecting for awhile lately: No genre hooks me quite like puzzle platformers, or PPs (god there's gotta be better shorthand that I'm missing). Here are some of my favorite things about the genre:
1.) Easy to pick up and play - This is especially true of 2D PPs. 2D platformers in general have always been perhaps the best genre for accessibility, and puzzle platformers, even though they obviously require more thought than the standard version, are really no exception. There's rarely anything intimidating in PPs that might give you pause before you dive in. Good examples start simple and ease you into the complexity so that you barely realize you're doing things you couldn't have done when you started.
2.) Heavy on variety - Not all PPs are like this, of course, but the best ones never stop introducing new gameplay or new ways of using the same mechanics.
3.) The right amount of challenge - As an old school NES game enthusiast, I like to be frustrated sometimes. But more often these days I like games to be just hard enough to be satisfying without making me break any controllers. With PPs, this means making the puzzles hard enough for me to feel clever but easy enough to not be stumped for more than a few minutes. This is a balance that most PPs I've played seem to strike quite well.
4.) Perfect as downloadable titles - These days I don't have as much time to sink 20+ hours into a game and retail games often find ways to pad the content in order to make it feel like it's worth the hefty price tag. Downloadable games don't need to do this and so they give you all the goodness they can come up with and then call it a day. PPs fit this perfectly because they can get stale quickly if they aren't changing things up (see #2). Even a 2 or 3 hour PP can be incredibly satisfying if it keeps you on your toes the whole game.
Some favorites:
Limbo (PC)
Vessel (PC)
Rochard (PC)
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams (GBA)
Klonoa: Dream Champ Tournament (GBA)
Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands (Wii)
Portal (PC)
Portal 2 (PC)
I'm sure I'm missing some other greats but I'm rushing this.
What are your favorites and do you agree?
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