Due to their appearance and gameplay, platformers tend to be regarded as simply games where players have to get from Point A to Point B. Some of the industry's most iconic superstars – the likes of Mega Man, Sonic, and especially Mario – have come from humble 2D platformer beginnings.
However, despite the entertainment value of Sonic’s adventures, Mega Man’s exploits, and Mario’s day-to-day hilarity, some platforms do end up having quite the extensive lore. In fact, some fans of platformers may want to pursue these titles in order to fully appreciate the stories they have to offer.
8 Limbo
While Limbo attracts platformer fans with its unique black-and-white aesthetic and puzzle-oriented gameplay, it does stun in terms of story. At its core, the game stars a nameless boy who traverses a forest located “on the edge of hell.” Soon, not only is it revealed that the boy is searching for his missing sister, but also encounters humans that either run away, attack him, are dying, or are already dead.
Aside from praise for its unique approach, some critics don’t necessarily like Limbo for its open-ended premise and lack of “plot.” However, it’s this precise lack of plot yet numerous story beats that allow Limbo to provide a lot of room for players to build their own lore around it. Numerous story theories exist within the fandom, including those that suggest it might’ve been a dream of an ordinary boy or one in a coma, a soul hoping to pass on, or even spirits looking for peace after tragic deaths. The fact that Limbo is open-ended and equally worthy of investment makes its approach to a “personal lore” worthy of narrative praise.
7 Shovel Knight
While there’s indeed only one game in the Shovel Knight franchise, adding its DLCs results in a total of five overall campaigns that each tell a unique story set in this Knight-centric universe. Playing through the first campaign (Shovel of Hope) alone tells of a generic medieval story of an evil spirit in an amulet possessing an Enchantress, forcing her to recruit a band of Knights to guard her including Shield Knight, the shield-toting best friend of the shovel-toting Shovel Knight.
Although first tied to a rather underwhelming narrative, Shovel Knight proves to be deep in lore with its other campaigns. Running alongside the main story is Plague of Shadows, starring Plague Knight as he tries making a potion to grant desires. A prequel to the story happens in Specter of Torment, where Specter Knight tries seeking allies to become the Order of No Quarter, the Enchantress’ protectors in the first game.
6 Kirby
When one looks at Kirby, one might see a cute pink blob hero that just absorbs everything he sees and somehow gains their powers. However, there’s actually more to Kirby’s lore than just him and his mouth that is actually an entrance to a parallel dimension. While some games tend to be inconsistent with the true nature of Kirby and his powers, some elements are consistent enough that hardcore Kirby fans know there’s more to the pink blob than just cuteness.
Apparently, Kirby hails from the country of Dream Land, located inside the Planet Popstar. While he’s the protector of Dream Land, Kirby travels to various planets and stops threats along the way, including King Dedede and even Haltman Works Company which started to mechanize planets. It’s unknown what’s happened to humans in Kirby’s world, given the large absence of them yet the presence of abandoned signs of human civilization.
5 Metroid
One of the earliest examples of a non-linear platformer would be Metroid, having inspired the “Metroidvania” subgenre of platformers that allowed players to explore vast settings to approach the game however they wanted. This is appropriate for Metroid’s story, which often involves bounty hunter Samus Aran who specializes in hunting Metroids, parasitic creatures that not only plague the galaxy but are also used by malevolent forces such as the Space Pirates.
However, a lot more of the game’s story reveals quite a complex lore. It turns out Samus is raised by an avian race called the Chozo, endowing her with a unique physiology. Her adventures would have her encounter mysterious threats such as shape-shifting X Parasites, war criminals from other races, and even across dimensions.
4 Sonic The Hedgehog
Platformer fans with a need for speed will definitely appreciate Sonic The Hedgehog, especially when protagonist Sonic has to use his super-speed to stop the villainous Doctor Eggman in his plans to conquer the world. Although much of the game involves Sonic spinning to grab coins and bouncing off enemies, the plot thickens with the addition of the all-powerful Chaos Emeralds, as well as both anthropomorphic allies and enemies with mysterious goals.
While a lot of the Sonic games maintain a platformer mechanic, some games break pace and add a lot of rich history to Sonic lore. The action-packed Shadow the Hedgehog features rival Shadow, who is just as fast but is far more ruthless. Meanwhile, Chaos Emeralds hold more meaning in the universe’s fate in other installments, especially with protectors such as Knuckles the Echidna raised precisely to stop the likes of Eggman.
3 Castlevania
With a whopping 29 titles under its belt, only three of which aren’t platformers, the Castlevania series could arguably be one of the most lore-intensive platformers of all time. Starring the vampire-hunting Belmont family, Castlevania involves players going inside the enigmatic castle of Count Dracula. Armed with the legendary Vampire Killer whip, generations of Belmonts across various games venture into the mysterious castle to kill the vampire lord, who resurrects every century.
What perhaps adds to the charm of Castlevania is how it integrates its lore into the story. Accompanying the Belmonts at times are other vampire hunters, such as the mage Sypha Belnades and her eventual descendants, as well as the dhampir Alucard who uses his lineage against his own father. Iconic titles such as Symphony of the Night feature an open-world setting within a massive castle, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in Castlevania’s setting as they progress through the story as they please.
2 Mega Man
Who better to represent the sheer depth of platformer lore than Capcom’s Blue Bomber himself, Mega Man? And it’s not like all the Mega Man games have a serious plot either, and it’s this variety in characters, setting, and plots that make Mega Man a continuously lovable franchise. At its core, Mega Man stars Rock, a lab assistant bot created by Doctor Light who becomes reprogrammed into the eponymous hero to fight Robot Masters, violent robots created by Doctor Wily in a bid to conquer the world.
Perhaps more awesome to the franchise is making sure there’s always a Mega Man game for any fan with its vast spinoff titles with engaging stories. There’s Mega Man X and Zero where protagonist X, and eventually deuteragonist Zero, fights aggressive Maverick bots as Maverick Hunters. Meanwhile, Mega Man ZX had children use the “essences” of popular Mega Man characters to fight a new robotic threat. Mega Man traverses dimensions in Battle Network where he becomes an AI and Star Force where he can traverse wavelengths.
1 Super Mario Bros.
Perhaps the most lore-intensive platformer universe in gaming goes to Super Mario Bros. There’s more than meets the eye in Mario and Luigi’s adventures in Super Mario Bros. as they attempt to save Princess Peach of Mushroom Kingdom from the likes of Bowser. And while the franchise does have comedic moments in hilarious racing and even sports games, some entries expand on the series' story on a deeper level.
For instance, Mario and Luigi’s adventures begin as soon as they were kids as Yoshi brings them back home (Yoshi’s Island), doing odd jobs (the military in Mario Bombs Away, construction in Wrecking Crew and Cement Factory) before ending up being a plumber. Soon, Mario becomes engaged in a tug-of-war to save Peach from Bowser, whose adventures bring them to storybooks, haunted houses, and even the center of the universe.