Plants vs. Zombies
Yeah, so what is that game like? I thought it was a strategy game, not a platformer.
“Strategy” might be a little strong, but it’s definitely NOT AT ALL a platformer.
It’s kindof like a tower defense game. More importantly, there’s a free demo, so just find out for yourself.
As for why some games work and other games don’t, it’s not necessarily an indication that your graphics drivers aren’t the problem. Also, I took the liberty of checking the Intel site for graphics for the 945gm graphics accelerator that Dell says is in that laptop, and their drivers are a year or so newer than the ones posted on the Dell site. Of course, one should always approach these sorts of situations with some caution since Dell might have done some sort of customization, but…
Cool; I’ll check out the intel site for newer drivers.
I deeply wanted to play both Trine and Winterbottom. Especially Winterbottom, which did not look all that graphically intense.
Looks like. The intel driver won’t install as a “custom driver” is installed on my laptop and they don’t want to mess it up. 
There is one game that Trine reminds me of, and that is **the Lost Vikings[/s] and its sequel. Platforming with elements of strategy/puzzle. They’re older games, made by Blizzard (of War- and Starcraft fame), before they were known as such. They might be considered abandonware, or you could find them on eBay or such. Like Trine, you have three characters with differing abilities which complement each other. They aren’t contained in the same body is the main difference.
I just remembered K.O.L.M and the sequel K.O.L.M.I.A.M.. Strange, melancholy platformers from Anthony Lavelle, who made Upgrade Complete and the Shift-series. These are highly recommendable - all placed in the more interesting part of the “casual browser game” spectrum. IIRC they are all available on jayisgames.com.
And Lost Vikings was brilliant. I remember playing it a lot on my Amiga back in the day. You can probably find it on one of the abandonware sites.
And this, my friends, is why I hate laptops. 
Yeah, I downloaded Lost Vikings. I bootlegged, which is not something I prefer to do, but it’s from 1992 and somehow, I don’t feel too bad about it.
Anyway, it’s a neat game. I’m in the Egyptian part of it right now and enjoying it. I’m surprised it lets me get seriously stuck, though. Even the manual says you can get to a point where levels are unbeatable, so I guess that was their choice.
If you have a newer system, it has been rereleased as well, so you can try it that way too. The sequel gets a little more sci-fi and has two new characters (swapping out with a Viking in specific levels).
As far as getting stuck, it is not too hard to figure out when you do, and it usually involves using one too many items. At least it’s not a Sierra adventure game, or worse a text adventure game, where the penultimate level is impossible to beat because you did not pick the posy all the way back in level 1.
No kidding. I still get pissed off at King’s Quest V for screwing you over if you don’t save that mouse’s life when that cat chases it.
Drat. The game I’m working on right now fits the description, but it’s not finished yet. Can you bump this thread, like, two months from now? 
Also: Not exactly a platformer (it is a 2D sidescroller though - you just fly instead of run and jump), but Flywrench is one of my favourite games. Although it’s rather painful to play in a lot of ways… so, certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s free though so you’ve got nothing to lose besides your patience.