Your favourite 3D platformers

It is. Nothing was too noticeable apart from slow loading speeds, but that was a bit galling. If you don’t care about portability then sadly you should probably get it elsewhere. (I like portability though...)

I'm surprised Bubsy 3D hasn't been mentioned yet, it was one of the most memorable platformers of it's era.

PostRe: Your favourite 3D platformers by **Jenuall** » Thu Sep 24, 2020 9:52 am

Yeah that's a shame, I generally prefer to get anything I can on Switch as I like the convenience of playing it wherever I want to but there have been a few times like with Bloodstained (and potentially this) where it felt like the experience was too compromised to make the portability worth it.

Might look at getting it on PC instead

Jenuall wrote:Question for the A Hat in Time fans: what platform would you recommend getting it on?

It has been on my radar for a long time but I've never pulled the trigger. I'd probably prefer to play it on Switch but I'm sure I've heard mention that the performance is a bit wonky on the Nintendo platform?

Pretty sure it's wonky on all platforms IIRC

Jenuall wrote:Yeah that's a shame, I generally prefer to get anything I can on Switch as I like the convenience of playing it wherever I want to but there have been a few times like with Bloodstained (and potentially this) where it felt like the experience was too compromised to make the portability worth it.

Might look at getting it on PC instead

Dear God it’s not as bad as Bloodstained! Perfectly playable, just takes a while to get into a level.

Sod it, here’s what I said about it on GNamer in full:

A Hat in Time (Switch)

Oh I like this. I like this a great deal.

A Hat in Time is definitely an homage to the older 3D Marios, and to a lesser extent other collectathon 3D platformers like Banjo-Kazooie. It blends good bits from all of them: there's the exploratory quality of 64, Galaxy-like set-pieces, and the Time Rifts are very much Sunshine-inspired. To this it adds character that feels more like something out of a Luigi's Mansion, or even TTYD - there's a train level that apes the Excess Express to terrific effect. It's all so charming and nice, most of it (there's one set piece that's horrific - in a good way). Hat Kid looks like she's having a tremendous time on her adventure, sticking her tongue out at bad guys and pulling silly poses when she enters levels, and it inspired me to have a good time too. Her co-stars are generally pretty great as well, chirruping away (fully voice-acted). On top of all this is layered colourful and character-oozing aesthetics, fun boss fights, and the by-now-expected top quality indie soundtrack. Feat. Grant Kirkhope, because of course.

All this makes up somewhat for the platforming. Don't get me wrong: it's fun, and that's key. Hat Kid feels good to control, her many hats put to decent use, and the level design's good to jump around. The acid test is whether the Time Rifts, pieces of pure platforming, are fun to complete; and they are, and I did all of them. However, it has the non-Mario 3D platformer problem of a camera expelled from Satan's own anus to toy with you. (Current day EDIT: ‘Non-Mario’? Giving the Marios too much credit there methinks! ) Numerous times I misjudged distances and fell screaming, or found the camera staring up Hat Kid's nose from inside a wall, or the game decided I'd really like a dramatic change of perspective when I really didn't.

It's easy to find other minor issues to poke at AHiT on Switch. Noticeable downgrade in graphical quality in handheld mode; parts of the game that feel like they're missing something cut during the game's apparently tangled development process; a slightly character-less last (main game) world; limited enemy variety; a rival who spends most of the game missing; and, curiously, limited reference to any actual time mechanics for all that it's in the title. I'd say that the two issues that actually stood out were the camera and the loading pauses, presumably a Switch-specific issue and one that probably makes other platforms preferable. You could make a cup of tea and let it get cold in the time it takes to load a level, including the hub.

None of these are enough to make AHiT not a tremendous game that I'd recommend to basically anyone. Whether you prefer 64's platforming or Galaxy's, pick games for their writing or their gameplay, I think you'll enjoy AHiT. I got all the main game's Time Pieces, and intend to play both DLCs before I move onto something else from the backlog. It's very good.

9/10

Thanks for that, I just read the review of it over on Nintendo Life as well and it does great. I might watch a few YouTube videos of it to see if I can get a taste for loading times and whether it would be bad enough to put me off and then decide which platform to go for! :toot:

I could never get into A Hat in Time. It never rose above "yes this is fine."

1. Galaxy 2
2. Galaxy
3. Banjo Kazooie
4. Sands of Time
5. Banjo Tooie?

Mario 64 will probably replace Tooie once I've replayed it on Switch.

PostRe: Your favourite 3D platformers by KK » Thu Sep 24, 2020 11:27 am

Tomb Raider

1.Galaxy 2
2.Odyssey
3.Galaxy
4.Ratchet and Clank
5.Rayman 2

Jenuall wrote:Thanks for that, I just read the review of it over on Nintendo Life as well and it does great. I might watch a few YouTube videos of it to see if I can get a taste for loading times and whether it would be bad enough to put me off and then decide which platform to go for!

The loading times can be pretty lengthy and when I played the first level I thought it was all over the place technically, but they stopped being an issue after a while. Either they improved or I was enjoying the game so much they stopped being a problem.

I won't spoil the many great ideas but it fits so much in without really dropping in quality. The controls are just *chef's kiss*, I spent loads of time just jumping and diving around.

Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Banjo Kazooie
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon

I'm glad I'm not the only Rayman 2 fan. When you look it up it has critical praise yet I don't often see it mentioned alongside its peers (despite I think being better than most of them)

KK wrote:Tomb Raider

Worst 'I've got stadia' post

Bit of a mega-bump but all the AstroBot-ing (and over-analysis of it) got me hankering for some platforming.

With PS Plus I downloaded Jak and Daxter - never played (and always thought the character design was ugly man).

But really enjoying it! Love that dark-shadowed colour-tone vibe (much like Crash 1) and the stretchy lolopping bounce of Jak's animations in general. Also the open-ish world-ing exploration feels fun and organic and the Crash 1+ mood in general is welcome.

Also the day/night cycle?! Unexpected and cool.

Don't care about any of the unskippable fully-voiced interludes but whatever.

Also (just to make this the most ORKN-y post ever) I also downloaded Klonoa because it's on PS Plus, too. I know it's 2.5D not 3D but that's fun too! (even though old PS1 graphics look cooler to me in the same way J&D looks pretty awesome to me even now!)

In this age of remakes and remasters, you'd think a ground up remake of SM64 using the Odyssey engine would be a no brainer for Nintendo to make.

Mafro wrote:All the Mario games because they're the only good 3D platformers in existence.

I'd go along with that but by what I've seen and read, Astrobot can now be added to the list.

I'll also add that I've got a lot of love for Sunshine, but some twats (especially that youtube Rtg prick) seem to hate it.

I find that outside of the 3d Mario's, every other 3d platformer just hasn't felt right. They're all wonky in some respect and none come anywhere near the genius level design.

Finally though, for all it's faults, I love (most of) the Tomb Raider series.

Spyro on PS1 is the only 3d platformer to bring on the old motion sickness for me. Its usually reserved for first person games.

PostRe: Your favourite 3D platformers by **Jenuall** » Sun Sep 29, 2024 5:37 pm

Jak 1 remains amazing, give us a remaster of that Sony you bastard's!

I love the first jak and Dexter so much.

Favourite 3D platformers? Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric.

Nuff said.

I've never enjoyed any Sonic game because he moves too fast, and I like to take my time to explore.

Your favourite 3D platformers

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