The platform genre has played a vitally important role in gaming history and is still going strong today, particularly thanks to indie studios that have kept the style of game alive and well at a time when open-world adventures and RPGs are starting to dominate sales charts. Platform games like Super Mario Bros. were fundamental in bringing the industry back from its 1983 crash, while games like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie showed the potential of 3D gaming.

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One of the many aspects of the platform genre that has made it such a success for multiple decades is how replayable it is. Platform games tend to compliment their main campaign with a generous amount of side content, which is perfect for completionists who want to keep returning to the game.

7 Spyro Reignited Trilogy

spyro reignited trilogy art showing spyro at snowy area.

After seeing the success of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Activision decided to get the iconic purple dragon Spyro in on the act with Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which, like the N. Sane trilogy, was a remake of the first three Spyro games. The set of games are beloved by collectathon fans for the plethora of collectibles that there are to find in levels, such as gems, eggs, and frozen dragons. Suffice to say, it's easy to sink many hours into Spyro Reignited Trilogy even after beating the main story, and players will get a nice bonus in each game for doing so.

Another way that these collectibles make the trilogy so replayable is that, due to the huge amount that fill every level, players will soon forget many of their locations, so they can replay the trilogy every couple of years like it's the first time again.

6 Banjo-Kazooie

Banjo-Kazooie cover

Banjo-Kazooie was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The game was clearly inspired by Super Mario 64 with its 3D open levels, though the game took Mario 64's collectathon elements even further by cramming a ton of collectibles into each stage to ensure that completionists were kept busy for hours on end.

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Like Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Banjo- Kazooie is a great game to replay every couple of years, as it's easy to forget where everything is hidden.

5 Celeste

Celeste cover

Celeste was released in January 2018 and turned heads with its incredible Metascore of 94 on Xbox One. The game doesn't disappoint, thanks to its tight platforming controls, excellent level design, and instant resets that make its high difficulty level far more rewarding than it is frustrating.

Like any great platformer, Celeste has plenty of collectibles for players to find, such as strawberries that litter each level and the incredibly well-hidden crystal hearts. Players will be coming back to Celeste time and time again for not only the collectibles but also because the game just feels so good to play, making it ideal for speed running.

4 Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends

(Left) Rayman Legends (Right) Rayman Origins

When Ubisoft's Rayman began making party games with the Raving Rabbids, it seemed as though his platforming days were over. However, the limbless hero made a grand return in Rayman Origins, which had a sequel, Rayman Legends. Both games were hits with fans and critics and delighted completionists with levels full of collectibles.

Both games are great to replay thanks to their time trials, which are such fun due to how well-suited Rayman's movement is to fast gameplay.

3 Super Mario Odyssey

super mario odyssey cover art

Following the disappointment of the Wii U, Nintendo was under pressure to impress audiences with the Nintendo Switch. Thankfully, the console smashed expectations with its excellent interchangeable design and fantastic main series entries into the iconic Legend of Zelda and Super Mario franchises, which immediately set a high bar for the console.

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Super Mario Odyssey sees the platforming series return to a Super Mario 64 style of level design, with large, open levels crammed with things to do and find. However, Super Mario Odyssey ramps the size and scale of Mario 64 through the roof, with enormous stages that are absolutely crammed with collectibles at every turn. Suffice to say, players who are looking to complete the game 100% will certainly be getting their money's worth.

2 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

crash bandicoot 4 it's about time

Following the success of the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy remake, Activision and Toys For Bob teamed up in 2020 to release Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, a sequel to 1998's Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Toys For Bob did a fantastic job of modernizing the iconic platformer series, with beautifully and meticulously designed levels that are a joy to progress through.

The Crash Bandicoot franchise has always been great for completionists, with gems available for breaking every box and relics for time trials. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time significantly expanded this side of the series, with flashback tapes to collect and complete, inverted stages, and a hidden gem in every level. The game received some complaints from fans for being too hard to beat 100%, but there's no denying that the game offers plenty of replayability, particularly with the tantalizing challenge of platinum and developer time relics.

1 Spelunky

Spelunky title art with key characters

Spelunky was first released on PC in 2008 before arriving on numerous other consoles in the years that followed, including Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The 2D platform game is an obvious choice for this list, as it implements a rougelike structure with procedurally generated levels, making each run unique and ensuring that the game can be replayed forever.

There are many other procedurally generated platformers that could have made this list, though Spelunky gets the nod for its impact on the genre and addictive gameplay that never seems to get stale.

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