Even the most loyal Xbox fan would have to admit that they were a bit short-changed when it came to exclusives during the last generation of consoles. Whereas Sony provided players with excellent exclusives like God of War and Bloodborne, the Xbox One struggled to find consistency in terms of exclusive releases. However, Microsoft appears to have ditched their strategy of deprioritizing exclusives with their purchase of Bethesda, giving Xbox fans hope that triple-A exclusive games will be coming to the Xbox Series X/S soon.
Unfortunately, this battle between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to provide the best exclusives results in many gamers never getting the chance to play excellent games. The Ratchet & Clank series is one such case, as none of the series' many entries have ever appeared on an Xbox console. Thankfully, Xbox players don't have to search too hard to find similar platformers on Microsoft's home consoles.
Updated on September 8th, 2022, by Jack Pursey: Since this list was first written, another major Ratchet & Clank release has hit stores. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was a commercial success and a hit with fans and critics alike. Unfortunately for some, the game was, unsurprisingly, exclusive to PlayStation 5. There has been some good news for Xbox owners, however, as Microsoft has begun the process of acquiring Activision, so high-quality Xbox and PC exclusives likely aren't too far away. To tide Xbox owners over until then, we've updated this list with some more great games like Ratchet and Clank on Xbox.
18 TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD
As the name suggests, TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD is a high-definition remaster of the original TY The Tasmanian Tiger, which was released on Xbox, GameCube, and PlayStation 2 in September 2002. The HD remaster was first released on PC in December 2016, before arriving on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in the years that followed.
TY The Tasmanian Tiger HD is a solid platformer that doesn't try to reinvent the wheel in terms of level design but is still enjoyable nonetheless. The game's main differentiator is the protagonist's numerous boomerangs, which are sporadically unlocked throughout the game and give the player a wide range of unique abilities.
17 The Gunk
The Gunk was developed by Image & Form and was released on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in December 2021. The game puts players in control of a scavenger named Rani who traverses numerous alien biomes and rids them of a substance known as Gunk. The game wasn't a huge hit but scored a respectable 70 on Metacritic.
The Gunk is currently available on Game Pass, giving numerous players the chance to try the four to six-hour adventure at no additional cost.
16 Toy Story 3: The Video Game
Movie tie-ins were already starting to fade away by 2010, but given how successful the Toy Story 3 film was, few were surprised to see that a video game based on the film was released. Whereas many movie tie-in games were criticized for being little more than cash-grabs, Toy Story 3: The Video Game was a pleasant surprise that clearly tried to be a great game in its own right, something that it definitely succeeds in.
Along with a stellar story mode, Toy Story 3: The Video Game also includes a thoroughly enjoyable sandbox mode that is based on the Woody's Roundup television series seen in Toy Story 2.
15 Sunset Overdrive
Sunset Overdrive was originally released in October 2014 on Xbox One before coming to PC just over four years later. The game will immediately stand out to Ratchet fans for being developed by Insomniac Games, the studio behind the Ratchet & Clank franchise.
Sunset Overdrive is similar to Ratchet & Clank with its over-the-top, explosive action. Additionally, it features a wide range of innovative weaponry that players must utilize to take down huge waves of enemies in the game's beautiful open world.
14 ReCore
ReCore's similarities to the Ratchet & Clank series come from its blend of gunfighting action and platforming. Unfortunately, ReCore falls short of the Ratchet & Clank series' quality, exemplified by its Xbox One Metascore of just 63.
The game's issues are clear to see, particularly in its repetitive combat. Still, it's worth including on this list for how closely the sci-fi game's core gameplay resembles Ratchet & Clank. Fans of the series may still want to give it a shot.
13 Conker: Live & Reloaded
Conker: Live & Reloaded is a remake of the cult classic Conker's Bad Fur Day, which is also available on Xbox consoles through 2015's Xbox One game Rare Replay.
Although Conker's platforming is thoroughly enjoyable, it's the game's humor that makes it truly stand out. The game's M rating may surprise people, especially when looking and the colorful visuals and cute character models. However, the reason for the rating soon becomes apparent when the fluffy protagonist opens his mouth.
12 Lego City Undercover
Ever since the release of Lego Star Wars: The Video Game in 2005, the Lego series has been a staple of the collectathon subgenre. The games have offered levels that are simple and enjoyable for casual players to beat but filled to the brim with tons of additional content for dedicated completionists to sink their teeth into.
Unlike most modern Lego games, Lego City Undercover doesn't tie into a licensed film or franchise. Instead, the game offers its own original story centered around the protagonist, Chase McCain, a police officer tasked with taking down the notorious criminal Rex Fury.
11 Sonic Unleashed
To say that 3D Sonic games divide opinion would be an understatement. Some claim that there are no good 3D Sonic games, while others say that the series ranks among the platform genre's very best. For those who enjoy the games, Sonic Unleashed is often mentioned as a favorite.
Sonic Unleashed was initially released in November 2008 and offered a unique spin on the long-running franchise. The game kept the series' traditional platforming stages but mixed in some beat 'em up levels. One of these featured Sonic transforming into a Werewolf-like creature known as a "Werehog."
10 Super Lucky's Tale
Super Lucky's Tale is a sequel to Lucky's Tale, an Oculus Rift VR launch title. The 2017 sequel ditched the use of VR and tried to bring gamers back to the golden days of platformers and collectathons like Banjo-Kazooie.
Despite being a throwback, the game seemingly isn't aimed at older audiences who are looking for some nostalgia. Instead, it's intended for younger audiences, clear from the game's simplicity. Its basic design holds it back from being a top platformer, but it's still an excellent game for younger audiences. Additionally, completing it 100% is challenging enough for it to be worth experienced players considering.
9 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
In terms of difficulty, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is on the other side of the spectrum to the aforementioned Super Lucky's Tale. Toys For Bob acknowledged that a large chunk of people buying the latest Crash Bandicoot game will have perfected the original PS1 trilogy. Consequently, developers ramped up the difficulty in It's About Time with longer levels, tougher enemies, and trickier platforming sections.
Completing the game 100% is excruciatingly difficult. There are far more boxes to collect in each level, challenging flashback tapes, and frustratingly short platinum relic times that require players to perfect not just the levels but the fiddly triple spin mechanic.
8 Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends stands out on this list as it is predominantly a 2D platformer and consequently may seem like an odd comparison to the 3D Ratchet and Clank series. However, Rayman Legends is such an excellent modern platformer, with some of the most well-designed and enjoyable levels in the genre's history, that it would be remiss not to recommend it.
Rayman Origins, Legends' predecessor, is also worth checking out. The games received two of the best Metascores on this list at 87 and 91, respectively. This great reception made a sequel to the 2013 game seem inevitable, but sadly there has been no indication from Ubisoft that such a thing is in the works.
7 Yooka-Laylee
Yooka-Laylee had a ton of hype before its 2017 release, and it became the fastest game to reach $1 million on Kickstarter in 2015. The game was developed by some of Rare's former employees, leading fans to believe that the new mascots would finally deliver the modern sequel to Banjo-Kazooie that they had been crying out for.
Unfortunately, Yooka-Laylee didn't live up to expectations. The main criticism was, ironically, that it was too similar to the classic N64 game. However, now that the dust has settled and the high expectations have subsided, Yooka-Laylee is now recognized as a solid 3D platformer. The game features fantastic, open levels that offer great collectathon entertainment.
6 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
Battle for Bikini Bottom-Rehydrated is a game that divides most fans and critics. This is best exemplified by the game's PS4 Metacritic page, as it has a Metascore of 68 but a user score of 8.9.
This jarring difference makes sense when playing the game, as objectively it doesn't have any gameplay mechanics that one could point to and say are better than any top game in the platforming genre. But subjectively, the game is great fun to play as it is bursting with color, charisma, and nostalgia for fans of the Nickelodeon show.
5 Banjo-Kazooie
There isn't much to say about Rare's classic collectathon Banjo-Kazooie that hasn't already been said. The game revolutionized the collectathon genre by filling its iconic, open levels to the brim with well-hidden items that often required the player to learn new gameplay mechanics or improve upon their use of the pre-existing ones.
The former N64 exclusive came to the Xbox 360 a few years after Microsoft purchased Rare, and fans still haven't given up hope for a new entry in the series. Hopefully, the Xbox Series X will finally be the console to house a new game with the bear and bird.
4 Psychonauts
Double Fine hit the ground running with Psychonauts, a surprise success that forced its way into the limelight of the gaming industry in 2005. The game offers great platforming sections and collectathon elements that players would expect. However, it differentiates itself with its implementation of psychic abilities that offer unique gameplay mechanics rather than just being a gimmick. Furthermore, Psychonauts has more dialogue than most platformers, enhancing the game's world with entertaining characters and well-written lines.
3 A Hat In Time
Similar to Yooka-Laylee, A Hat In Time started life as a Kickstarter project that promised to bring gamers back to the golden days of platformers and collectathons. The game didn't disappoint with its brilliantly designed open levels and heartwarming art style that makes A Hat In Time an absolute joy to play.
The game was nominated for Destructoid's Best PC Game of 2017 award. However, it lost out to the revolutionary battle-royale game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
2 Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Crash Bandicoot was Sony's attempt to create their own mascot to rival Nintendo's Mario. The fact that the orange marsupial has appeared on a whole manner of non-Sony consoles, specifically Xbox, is indicative of Crash not reaching those lofty heights. Naughty Dog, the developer of the original PS1 trilogy, can't be faulted for Crash's shortcomings, though, as they did their part by creating three fantastic platformers on the PlayStation 1.
The N. Sane Trilogy is a remake of the PS1 trilogy that plays more like a remaster, as very little is changed in terms of level design. This isn't an issue, though, as Naughty Dog's levels still hold up today and offer some of the best pure platforming on this list.
1 Spyro Reignited Trilogy
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is the most obvious choice for this list. After all, Insomniac Games, Ratchet & Clank's developer, developed the original PS1 Spyro trilogy. Unfortunately, the Spyro series took a sharp decline in quality when Insomniac Games left the project to create Ratchet & Clank. This led to many fans giving up on the series, and the games stopped coming after 2008's Dawn of the Dragon.
Ten years later, though, Toys For Bob and Activision breathed new life into the series with their excellent remake of the classic PS1 trilogy. Considering Toys For Bob and Activision recently teamed up to make a direct sequel to the Bandicoot's original trilogy, there is reason to believe that the purple dragon will get the same treatment.