Four platforms with the best difficulty and skill levels

Dear Polygon,

My name is Emily, I’m 22 years old and I’m bad at the podium.

I don’t know if it was growing up in a society that discouraged young girls from playing video games, or just my motor skills in general, but the point is I want to be a little less freaky on the platform. There are a lot of amazing platformers out there that I can’t wait to play, but the problem is that I often get stuck in front of an obstacle and it’s hard to get excited when you play the same 30 minutes.

How can I get a good platform? I was so tired of being such a platform n00b that I had to give up my Mario game. I want to join the wonderful kids!

Dear Emily,

Reading your message led to instant recognition. I know I have a fear in my stomach of getting caught up in a game. Competitive shooters are my white whale — no matter how hard I try, I can really just focus on shooting or moving, but never on them. Two at the same time. I watch other people play, and they seem to have motor skills that I don’t have, and I wonder: How can I join the party? How can I improve this area?

I’ll start by saying that I think “efficiency” is exaggerated. I don’t think people should “git gud” to enjoy a game. I love exploration and puzzle solving as much as I love fighting and kite flying, and most of the time I’m looking for customization, an attractive difficulty curve, or fun solutions. I completely grind the runes elden ring Before over-leveling to deliver an absolute powerful blow. He said that, I an act Recognize the thrill that really comes with having a streak and, on the other hand, the frustration of feeling repeatedly left out of progress. You really can’t “level out” in platform games, which makes it look like you have to “git gud” to play it.

But I don’t think it has to be the case. Or at least not all the time. I have some specific recommendations for excavators that range from beginner-friendly to incredibly customizable — to avoid that straightforward feeling. I tried to pick a group that could grow with you in the challenge as you became more comfortable. I love platform games and have played them all my life, starting with games like Super Mario Bros. 3 And Yoshi Island On my Game Boy Advance SP. When the platform is good, it feels like flying. I hope these open up new horizons of joy and experimentation, without the frustration that often precedes them.

Photo: HAL Lab / Nintendo

The first is Kirby’s newest game of the year, and it’s a must. in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, our favorite pink puffball explores a dystopian world full of artifacts while rescuing kidnapped Waddle Dees. Kirby is the perfect platform hero – you can play in many different forms (Karby!), but the ability to float makes avoiding fall-related deaths that much easier. If the level seems difficult to you, you can always play it cooperatively with a friend or with a different equipped ability. As you clear the base levels for all of the world, you’ll come across a number of “treasure methods,” which are skill tests centered around each of Kirby’s inspiring abilities – like pressing buttons by throwing a cutter or using hurricane powers to go from one head to another. If you feel comfortable with the basic game, these side challenges are a great way to practice other skills. Plus, Kirby is cute as hell.

You mentioned giving up on Mario — and I feel like it. Some of them are cruel as hell. Mario games for GBA have always seemed unforgiving, and contemporary titles have equally powerful platform challenges. That’s why I loved Super Mario 3D World, was originally developed for the Wii U but ported to the Nintendo Switch (where I played it). While that Super Mario Odyssey It’s an interesting game for the switch I’m thinking of Super Mario 3D World As an unsung hero captures a lot of the magic of classic platforms, but with more thoughtful tools.

The levels are filled with quirky Mushroom Kingdom gameplay, like jumping between platforms while Chain Chomp chases you or finding secret paths along beautiful beaches. But, above all, it has a great anti-frustration feature – if you fail a level a certain number of times, the game will give you an indomitable tanooki card that will make you immune to enemies. You still have to do the platforming challenges on your own, but they are more achievable without having to dodge and fight enemies as well.

Photo: Good-Feel / Nintendo

In the same order of thoughts, Yoshi’s world of crafts It captures a lot of what made the classic Yoshi games so successful. This is it Technically A 3D game, but it has a 2D side-scrolling core. And like those other games from Nintendo, it’s player friendly, with a “soft mode” that adds infinite float – giving players more precision when controlling where Yoshi lands.

This last recommendation may seem unbalanced, because the climbing platform game is very challenging. But heavenlyThe customizable assist mode is incomparable. While other games have varying difficulty modes, heavenly Allows you to customize elements It is difficult, making it easier to recognize skills or work on them.

Platforms require mastering a range of mechanics, and it can be difficult to know which particular part is the biggest challenge. in heavenlyYou can change anything from game speed to stamina (how long you spend on the wall) to the maximum number of dashes. You can also choose to be invincible or skip a particularly annoying chapter altogether. If you feel like you’ve learned the skills to come back later, you can definitely come back. It’s a great way to avoid deadlock frustration, while still giving players plenty of options to ramp up the difficulty later.

Photo: Matt makes toys

The fact that you are included the underworld As a recent favorite (in another part of Dear Polygon) tells me you love challenges, as long as they are customizable and progress through the story. heavenly It can offer that kind of advance, if you’re willing to fiddle with the settings.

More than that, the whole spirit of the game is incredibly encouraging. Turning off screens and story dialogue prompts you to move on to the next challenge. Sometimes I like “You’re dead” elden ring Screen to promote my death comedy. But sometimes, when I’m really tired, all I want is a game to be like, ‘I get it. It’s silly but that simple. I hope each of these options offers that kind of optimism, keeping the platform at your fingertips.