Since his first appearance in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, Mario has gone on to become one of the most recognizable characters in not just gaming but all of media. Mario’s success stems from the incredible lineup of games that he has featured in over the years, many of which have been key in elevating the gaming industry to where it is today. For example, the original Super Mario Bros. revitalized the home console industry after the Atari 2600 bought it crashing down with their Pac-Man port and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, while Super Mario 64 revolutionized 3D gaming as a whole.
One of the plumber’s few downsides is that he only appears on Nintendo consoles, preventing millions of gamers from enjoying his many excellent adventures. Thankfully for PlayStation users, Sony’s consoles have released many great platformers and collect-a-thons over the years to scratch that Mario itch.
Updated by Jack Pursey: With Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Bethesda and the chances of Nintendo bringing Zelda or Mario to other consoles being virtually zero, it seems as though exclusivity in the gaming industry is set to continue for other generation of home consoles. The frustration over exclusive titles is often exacerbated when a new critically acclaimed title is released, such as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury on the Nintendo Switch. The game’s release will have given many PlayStation gamers a platforming itch, so we’ve decided to expand this list by a further five entries to give more ideas of Mario-like titles to play on the blue brand of console.
15 Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
It’s fair to say that the Yooka-Laylee franchise didn’t get off to the best of starts. The original game had a ton of hype behind it and broke records with its Kickstarter backing, though the final product failed to impress, exemplified by the PlayStation 4 iteration scoring just 68 on Metacritic.
Many people thought that the lackluster reviews and fan response would mark the end of the franchise. However, a new game was released just a couple of years later with a significant change of direction. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair ditched its Banjo-Kazooie influences in favor of side-scrolling action similar to Donkey Kong Country and Rayman Legends and was a far more enjoyable experience.
14 Sackboy: A Big Adventure
Launch titles are often key to a console’s success in its first year. Consequently, there was significant interest from those with the PlayStation 5 on pre-order when Sackboy: A Big Adventure was released on the same day as the console.
It would be disingenuous to call Sumo Digital’s Sackboy: A Big Adventure a console seller, though it’s a solid platforming experience for fans of the genre. Although the game has obvious comparisons to LittleBigPlanet, the gameplay is vastly different. Sackboy: A Big Adventure ditches LittleBigPlanet‘s 2.5D perspective in favor of 3D and is more intent on providing a focused, linear experience rather than a wealth of customizability.
13 Celeste
Matt Makes Games’ Celeste was released in 2018 and quickly became recognized as one of modern gaming’s toughest platformers. Not only is the main game tricky to complete, but beating the game 100% is incredibly challenging as players need to collect difficult-to-reach strawberries and Crystal Hearts, as well as beating the punishingly tough B-side tapes.
Although the game is undeniably tough, it never feels unfair, thanks to the wonderfully crafted control scheme that makes controlling Madeline feel tight and responsive. Moreover, the difficulty never feels like a gimmick as it ties perfectly into the game’s profound story.
12 A Hat In Time
Yooka-Laylee isn’t the only franchise on this list to find success on Kickstarter, as A Hat In Time smashed its $30,000 goal on the site with an eye-watering $296,360 pledged. Much like the original Yooka-Laylee, A Hat In Time‘s success on Kickstarter led to the game receiving a huge weight of expectation, which it was never likely to reach. Although it doesn’t reach the heights of some of the platforming genre’s best titles, A Hat In Time is still a thoroughly enjoyable and wholesome experience.
One final similarity between the game and Yooka-Layle is that both tried to recreate the magic of Banjo-Kazooie. A Hat In Time did a solid job of accomplishing this, with its visually impressive and well-designed open levels.
11 New Super Lucky’s Tale
When the original Super Lucky’s Tale was released in 2017, many PlayStation owners were understandably disappointed that the platformer wasn’t coming to the blue brand of console. However, such people were in luck when New Super Lucky’s Tale came to PlayStation 4 in 2020. New Super Lucky’s Tale is an expanded version of the original, fit with significant improvements to the level-design and camera.
New Super Lucky’s Tale is certainly not the most difficult game on this list, though it’s not patronizingly easy either, as the fairly simple levels are made more challenging with the numerous objectives and items to find and collect within.
10 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Activision delighted fans of the orange marsupial when they announced that they were remaking the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy. Naughty Dog’s first game, released in 1996, was an attempt from Sony to create a PlayStation mascot to rival Nintendo’s Mario and Sega’s Sonic.
Naughty Dog undoubtedly did their part, as they created three games that are still among PlayStation’s best platformers today. The trilogy’s levels are far more linear than those featured in Mario’s 3D adventures, but like Mario, Crash has some of gaming’s most well-designed stages with numerous optional extras to collect along the way.
9 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Crash Bandicoot isn’t the only PlayStation mascot that has had their PS1 trilogy remade; Activision released Spyro Reignited Trilogy just over a year after the N. Sane Trilogy.
The trilogy’s platforming doesn’t compare to Mario’s, and the purple dragon’s move-set is far more limited. However, Spyro’s excellently designed open levels are filled to the brim with hidden collectibles to find, giving Mario’s best collect-a-thons like Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Odyssey a run for their money.
8 Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando
Like Spyro, Ratchet and Clank was created by Insomniac Games. Unlike Spyro though, Insomniac Games have stuck with Ratchet and Clank and kept the series’ quality consistent.
Any main-series Ratchet and Clank game could feature on this list, but Going Commando the best of the bunch. The game may not appear to be comparable to Mario with its gun-blasting action, but at its core, the game is still one of the best family-friendly platformers around.
7 Psychonauts
Despite receiving tons of praise from both fans and critics, exemplified by its Metascore and user score, Psychonauts went somewhat under the radar upon its 2005 release. Xbox Game Studios will be hoping that the series catches more mainstream attention in 2021 as they’ve partnered with the original game’s creators Double Fine to make Psychonauts 2.
The platformer differentiates itself from others on this list with the playable character Raz’s psychic powers like telekinesis and levitation that give the game a unique playstyle.
6 Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
If the idea of Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy interests you, but you’re not a fan of remasters, then you’re in luck as Activision and Toys For Bob recently teamed up to create a brand new Crash Bandicoot game. The game ignores the Bandicoot’s many PS2 and PS3 titles and is a direct sequel to 1998’s Crash Bandicoot: Warped. This may sound like a jarring decision, but it makes sense when playing it as the gameplay is heavily inspired by the original trilogy. The well-designed linear levels return, as do the optional gems and relics that significantly flesh the game out.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is the best choice for experienced Mario players looking to challenge themselves, as the game is by far the toughest on this list. Completing the main story isn’t too taxing, especially with the modern mode’s unlimited lives, but completing the game 100% is a nightmare. Toys For Bob have ramped up the series’ difficulty significantly with numerous boxes hidden out of sight in most levels and brutally short platinum relic times.
5 Ape Escape
The first Ape Escape game is also the series’ best. As the name suggests, the 1999 PS1 game requires players to capture apes that are scattered across smartly-designed levels.
Capturing the apes is easier said than done, though, as not only do some of them fight back, but reaching them often requires traversing tricky platforming sections and the use of gadgets like the Stun Club and Rubber Raft.
4 LittleBigPlanet 2
Sony had a problem on its hands in 2006. The once highly anticipated PS3 was losing more and more steam before its release, with constant delays pushing consumers to the Xbox 360. Furthermore, Xbox’s Halo series had already established something that Sony had been looking for, a mascot character. Fast-forward to 2008, and the PS3 had finally found its feet after a poor start. With the PS3 on smoother water, Sony decided to take another punt at creating a mascot character in the shape of Sackboy.
Granted, Sackboy didn’t become the leading mascot that Sony may have hoped for, but the character has featured in numerous excellent games, the best of which is LittleBigPlanet 2. The series’ second game has many fantastic 2.5D platforming levels and offers a great range of customization options, including the ability to create stages.
3 Rayman Legends
For fans of Mario’s side-scrolling adventures, Rayman Legends is the perfect substitute. It once seemed as though Rayman was hanging up his floating boots as a platformer and starting a new life in party games with the release of Rayman Raving Rabbids.
However, Rayman returned to platforming life in style, as Ubisoft released one incredible platformer after another with Rayman Legends following Rayman Origins. The games proved that there was a place for 2D platformers in modern gaming, and the PS5 will hopefully see the series make a return.
2 Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Whereas Rayman Legends is ideal for Mario’s side-scrolling fans, Rayman 2: The Great Escape is perfect for those who enjoy the plumber’s 3D adventures.
Rayman 2: The Great Escape is almost unrecognizable from its 2D predecessor Rayman, with open 3D levels that are littered with collectibles. The game was an excellent response to Nintendo’s Super Mario 64, and it even featured on Gamespot’s greatest games of all-time series.
1 Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Before Jak discovered the invention of guns in Jak II, he was fighting enemies the old-fashioned way in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The series’ original game isn’t just about roundhouse kicking enemies, though; it features some of the best-designed collect-a-thon stages available on any of Sony’s consoles.
Each stage has power cells and precursor orbs for players to collect that provide hours upon hours of classic platforming fun.
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