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7 dormant platformers that should be revived on mobile

Gone but not forgotten

7 dormant platformers that should be revived on mobile

There are so many fantastic platforming franchises of yore that have have been tragically forgotten by their original developers.

Meanwhile, platformers have found a fantastic second home on mobile, where they've proved both a critical and commercial success.

See where I'm going with this?

Here are seven long dormant platformer franchises that should be revived on mobile.

Spyro the Dragon
By Insomniac Games

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Back in the PlayStation era, Spyro ruled the roost along with the likes of Crash Bandicoot, Rayman, and Lara Croft.

Nowadays his platforming franchise has been forgotten in place of the equally excellent Skylanders.

I suggest Spyro return as an endless / auto flyer so we can get back to collecting gems and rescuing bigger, more fearsome dragons.

Crash Bandicoot
By Naughty Dog

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No, I haven't forgotten about Crash Bandicoot - possibly THE console platformer of the nineties.

The 3D sections would be a perfect fit as a Temple Run 2-style endless runner but the 2D sections wouldn't need much tweaking, considering that type of platformer already sits so comfortably on mobile.

Croc: The Legend of the Gobbos
By Argonaut Software

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An often overlooked platformer franchise, Croc's two games were well-received critically and it would be a crime to leave this lovable crocodile in history.

Croc was all about the exploration so I propose it be moved to isometric with a swipe based movement scheme similar to The LEGO Movie Videogame.

Tombi!
By Whoopee Camp

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Another forgotten franchise, Tombi! was a mission-based 2D platformer that allowed you to switch to different 2D planes well before that became a mainstay in the genre.

Tombi! would work nicely as a free-to-play swipe-and-drag platformer like The Sleeping Prince. His unique skillset would allow for some great swipe based gameplay.

Banjo-Kazooie
By Rare

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If you owned an N64, chances are you owned Banjo Kazooie. As a platformer his name was synonymous with Super Mario back in the day.

It's criminal that this franchise has been largely forgotten, and its time it was brought back.

Penumbear has already demonstrated that a partnership platformer works well on mobile and The LEGO series of games demonstrates how the control scheme could work.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile
By Namco

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Klonoa: Door to Phantomile was a 2D platformer originally released on PlayStation but later ported onto the Wii.

It was most notable for being 2D but set in a mostly 3D world. Leo's Fortune is the example to follow should this ever be revived on mobile.

Ape Escape
By SCE Japan Studio

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Ape Escape features everything a growing boy wants in a game: light sabers, monkeys, and platforming.

Those are things we never really grow out of either, so let's get the franchise rebooted on mobile. Imagine swiping to swing that light saber or net to catch those pesky monkeys?

Chris James
Chris James
A footy game fanatic and experienced editor of numerous computing and game titles, lively Chris is up for anything - including running Steel Media! (Madman!)