You know the kind. The platformers like Banjo-Kazooie or Donkey Kong 64. The kind where there are 100 (or so) pointless minor objects (like notes) in every level, and then some smaller number of “important” objects (like Jinjos and Jiggies). Essentially collect-a-thon games. I’m not talking about Mario 64-alikes (though I won’t deny the HEAVY similarities), where the stages are very short and modular, and focus around achieving a specific goal to get your reward. I mean where there’s a large-ish interactive gated hub world, and then each world within it is itself a free-roaming hub for quests for your objects.
I’m especially interested if there’s more inter-world connectivity like Banjo Tooie.
The only modern one I can think of was Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts which, despite being vehicle based, was basically an extension of the typical 3D Rare Platformer. Are there any of the same mold out there in the modern generation? I know 3D platforming is kind of dead-ish right now, but I’m hoping that SOME company has done something, or even a good-ish freeware indie game would be cool.
If they ever remade Jet Force Gemini (or produced a sequel), I’d buy it in a heartbeat. I love that style of game, and you’re absolutely right: there hasn’t been one in a while.
I LOVED those kind of games too. Banjo-Kazooie is one of my favorite games of all time, and DK64 just took the collectathon to a whole ridiculous new level and I ate it up. The closest thing I’ve found recently is the 3DS Skylanders. It’s more linear than the Rare classics, but it is a 3D platformer with a (small) hub that leads to different worlds with things to collect in each. It’s quite an investment though with all the figures and such, but it is good and sorta scratches that itch.
I’ve been playing Pilotwings on the 3DS a bunch, and that’s got a bajillion of those little rings and balloons that you’re trying to snag all along Wuhu Island. Though that’s still a stretch to say it’s what you’re describing.
There are some fantastic SNES/N64 platforms that I miss so so so much. Banjo, Donkey Kong…How about Goemon/Legend of the Mystical Ninja?
Yeah :(. I was thinking though, the Lego games are in some ways a spiritual successor. There’s no real hub world or anything, but a lot of the collection elements are very Rare-ish.
The problem with these kinds of games is that when I was a kid, I had hours to find every little thing and replay the levels (3 times each in the case of Jet Force Gemini!). Now that I’m older and have a 8-to-5 job, I find my gaming time more centered around quick gaming. Easier to play something on my iPad for a half hour, or a firefight in Halo, than an old-style platformer.
It surprises me they aren’t still making these games for kids, though.
The only game I can think of that describes exactly what you are looking for is Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy for PS2 recently re-released for PS3, it is very much a continuation of the Rare style with a large world divided into areas with lots of “important” objects to collect. The sequels largely abandoned this for straight action though. Also on Playstation is Ratchet and Clank not a Rare style platformer, it’s rather linear, but excellent none the less. Like Jak the sequels became more actionised as they went along.
I’ve only played the Lego Star Wars ones, but they certainly have a hub world. A review I saw yesterday of Lego Batman II seemed to find it notable that the game didn’t have a hub world, so I’m guessing they happen in many of the other Lego games as well.
I’ve never played Ratchet & Clank games, but are they not basically 3D platformer games with weapons? I’ve barely toyed around with Little Big Planet, but that seemed platformer-ish as well, though more side-scrolling than open-world. The recent PS3 marketplace sensation Journey probably fits the mold; it’s all exploring, no combat. There’s very little to collect, however.
The OP is referring to a specific style of platformer, where instead of normal linear levels there are large sprawling levels with more general goals, instead of just reaching the end you collect items of varying levels of importance to unlock more areas. The defining games of this style are Rare’s platformers on the N64, most importantly Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo Kazooie. While both the Lego games and the Ratchet series are platformers they are not specifically what the OP is looking for.
3DS Dopers! I was starting to think I was the only one! Please PM me for my Friend Code, if you’ve got room on your list.
Rayman 3D (Which is, I believe, a 3D’d-up port of the Dreamcast Rayman 2) might fit the bill, for the OP. It’s also usually one of the less expensive 3DS games, if you shop Amazon or eBay much.
I’m about halfway through Lego Batman 2, and while it’s fun, it ain’t no Banjo-Kazooie.
Pilotwings Resort does have a very fun collect-a-thon side mission, but that’s probably (at best) 25% of the game. That’s been one of my favorite games for 3DS, though. I think it was somewhat overlooked because the launch install base was so paltry.
I’m (the OP) actually the one who brought up the Lego games in the first place. I mean, it’s nowhere NEAR a perfect match, far from it, but at least in Star Wars the minikit pieces are kinda-sorta Rare-ish in nature. Not at the level I want though.
And yeah, it does have a “hub world,” but only in the technical way that Mario Galaxy does: It’s basically a really interactive level select screen. Rare hub worlds were like levels in and of themselves. Grunty’s Lair was almost as memorable as any level in Banjo Kazooie (the DK isles were less memorable, but whatever).
Kind of? No, it was very much this. It was why I was so happy to play it. Too bad I never finished it before I started having problems getting dizzy with too many camera movements.
Psychonauts was very much a Rare-like, and it was very good. Unfortunately, I never finished the last level because they decided it suffered from a bit of Xen Syndrome. HI GUYS WE’RE GOING TO BE I WANNA BE THE GUY NOW HAVE FUN BYE. I could have beaten it, but I got the point and just watched the rest on youtube.
So there’s something else, completely unrelated to gameplay, that Rare did with their games (even Diddy Kong Racing). Instead of having a leitmotif for each character, the game itself usually had a leitmotif, and then each area of the world and sometimes each CHARACTER had their own variation on the leitmotif (different tempo, notes may be swung more or less, different instrumentation). Obviously levels had their own themes, but within them was their own sub-leitmotifs where the music would change depending on where you are.
Do any other games do this? I mean, in Sonic if you get the speed shoes you kind of get a sped up remix, but nothing to the degree I’m describing. Black and White 2, IIRC, tried to do dynamic music that adjusted itself to the “mood” of the current gameplay, but it didn’t really work very well. Rare games had, almost bar none, the best music of the era, and a lot of it was precisely for this reason (which, amusingly enough, was probably a space saving trick on the cartridge, write one song and have give the midi interpreter slightly different instructions depending on location).
Would the recent Batman:Arkham Asylum & Arkham City qualify? Tons of collectibles & extras with a hub-style arrangement of areas. Somewhat platform-y play style. I spent more time playing post-story than finishing the story.
