In the late 90s and early 2000s, the most video game-y genre of video game was unquestionably the 3D platformer.
The blockbuster release of games like Super Mario 64 had the entire industry champing at the bit, churning out both 3D iterations of existing gaming mascots and carving new IPs out of the ether.
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The jump to the second game landed incredibly well with these games.
The 3D platforming bubble sadly burst eventually, making way for newly dominant genres like gritty military shooters. During its heyday, though, many games were produced, and more than a few of them ended up falling through the proverbial cracks of history.
Should any kind soul be looking to revive a piece of this era, especially now that 3D platformers have regained some prominence, there are quite a few viable candidates for remakes.
10Ape Escape
Monkeys Still At Large
Ape Escape
Ape Escapeis, at least on paper, one of Konami’s major tentpole franchises. Its titular monkeys are frequently used as mascots, andpop up in other Konami games like Metal Gear Solid.
However, aside from miscellaneous spin-offs and mobile games, there hasn’t been a proper Ape Escape title since Ape Escape 3 in 2005.
That’s unfortunate, because the basic gameplay loop brought about in the original game is pretty fun. You trek along a linear level, occasionally with some branching paths, and use your variety of gadgets to flush out and capture the marauding monkeys.
Later games also introduced cool mechanics like giant robots and situational transformations, the latter of which also had some awesome theme songs.
Technically, the original game did get a remake in 2005, titled On the Loose, but it was PSP exclusive and… not great. With a proper budget, and maybe some mechanics from the other mainline games, an idealized remake of the original could get those monkeys back in the spotlight where they belong.
9Blinx: The Time Sweeper
Microsoft’s Crack At Mario
Blinx: The Time Sweeper
In previous generations of gaming consoles, the one thing every potential aspirant to the Nintendo throne needed was its own “Mario-killer,” a mascot platformer that could conceivably rob Nintendo of its dominant market.
When Microsoft was a fresh face on the console market with the launch of the original Xbox, itschampion of choice to take on the plumberwas Blinx: The Time Sweeper.
The main gimmick of this game is that, by collecting specific Time Crystals, you unlock the ability to temporarily futz with the flow of time.
You can fast-forward, rewind, slow down, pause, and even record time, all of which are used to solve puzzles and surmount platforming challenges. This isn’t a leisurely jaunt, though, as every level has a strict time limit for sucking up objectives and defeating enemies.
Obviously, Blinx never kicked Mario from his throne. The game did get one sequel, adding spatial manipulation mechanics and stealth missions, but that was about it. Microsoft doesn’t really need a mascot anymore, but as Astro Bot has brought the practice back into style, it could be worth another shot.
8Chameleon Twist
Tons Of Tongue
Chameleon Twist
Thefifth generation of game consoles, including the likes of the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation, was home to some exceptionally weird games.
This was when full 3D graphics were really taking off, and developers around the world were eager to experiment and test the boundaries. One of the strangest, most experimental games of that era was 1997’s Chameleon Twist.
In this game, you play as one of four chameleons who, upon following a white rabbit down a hole, are transformed into humanoid adventurers. Using your tongue, you may capture objects and small enemies, then spit them back out as projectiles.
you’re able to also grapple onto solid points to spin and jump, as well as flip yourself off your tongue to make tricky jumps.
It was a fun and simple game, and its novel mechanics have yet to be duplicated in the modern era. We will say, though, if this game ever gets a remake, we hope they use the character models from the first and not the weird chameleon-headed ones from the sequel.
Does anyone else feel like mad scientists are under-represented in video games? As protagonists, I mean? There are plenty of antagonistic evil geniuses, but the trope has so much potential for something you can personally control.
One of the few games to take a crack at that potential was 2002’s Dr. Muto.
The goal of Dr. Muto is to explore and complete various levels, collecting both isotopes and DNA samples along the way.
With his Splizz Gun, the good doctor can both defend himself from enemies and mutate into five different animal forms, each with their own unique traversal and combat abilities. You also receive various gadgets over the course of the game, such as jet boots for long-distance jumping.
Dr. Muto didn’t have the best reception on its release, with many annoyed by its janky controls and camera. A remake could get those in line with modern sensibilities, and perhaps lean a little harder into the transformation mechanic.
I Am Ninja, You Are Ninja
In the early 2000s, everyone gotreallyinto ninjas for some reason. Don’t ask us why, even those of us who have lived through it aren’t quite sure.
Whatever the reason, this ninja-mania led to the creation of more than a few new IPs in video games, including 2003’s I-Ninja for the PlayStation 2, as well as GameCube and Xbox a couple of months afterward.
The game’s protagonist, known only as Ninja, is equipped with all the usual tools and tricks of his trade. He’s got a katana for combat, though it can also be spun to glide, as well as darts and shuriken.
While platforming, he can run along walls, grind on rails, and jump to grapple points. During boss fights, you’ll even take control of massive vehicles and fighting robots.
While not groundbreaking, I-Ninja was fairly well-received, thanks in large part to its challenging platforming segments. Ninja is also voiced by Billy West, whom you may remember as Fry from Futurama.
There’s plenty of love for both difficult platforming and Futurama these days, so why not remake it?
5Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers
Donald’s Worldwide Adventure
Disney’s Donald Duck: Goin' Quackers
Second only to ol’ Mick, Donald Duck has been one ofDisney’s most frequent choices for gaming protagonistsover the years. It makes sense; anger issues aside, Donald’s spunky and athletic, so he works well in adventure games and platformers
One of the last big releases that Donald got all to himself was 2000’s Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers.
This game, loosely set in the world of the original DuckTales cartoon, sees Donald traveling the world in a quest to save Daisy from an evil wizard. It’s roughly analogous to Crash Bandicoot in terms of gameplay, with Donald traversing linear, narrow levels while jumping over hazards and smacking baddies.
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Each world also had a special level where you’d have to flee from an encroaching terror like a rabid bear or a ghostly hand.
Notwithstanding his appearances in Kingdom Hearts, Donald hasn’t gotten his own game in a while, and that’s kinda sad.
Reviving this particular game would be a perfect cash-in on both the revived fervor for Crash Bandicoot and the rebooted DuckTales series that ended in 2021.
4Jumping Flash!
The Most Platform-y Platformer
Jumping Flash
In most 3D platformers, the whole “jumping on platforms” thing is more of a means to an end than a central, defining mechanic. These games also often have combat, puzzles, or stories.
There’s one game, though, for which jumping is a means and an end in itself: 1995’s Jumping Flash, released for the PlayStation.
Jumping Flash places you in control of Robbit the robotic rabbit, showing you the world from a first-person view. With Robbit’s powerful legs, you’re able to leap high into the air, watching your shadow to make a perfect landing.
With this high mobility, you have ten minutes per level to uncover the hidden Jet Pods, firing lasers at any enemies that try to get in your way.
There are definitely more games these days that give you a cockpit view of a large robot, but none we can think of with a specific emphasis on mobility. Robbit actually makesa cameo in Astro Bot, sosomeoneat Sony is still thinking about Jumping Flash. If they’re going to act on that with a remake, now’s the time.
3Rocket: Robot On Wheels
Sucker Punch’s Forgotten Platformer
Rocket: Robot on Wheels
Sucker Punch Productions may be known these days for more serious games like Ghost of Tsushima, but it got its start in the realm of cartoony platformers.
We’re not just talking about the original Sly Cooper trilogy either - the company’s very first game, released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, was Rocket: Robot on Wheels, a far cry from the current Sucker Punch in both gameplay and tone.
This pastel adventure places you in control of theme park worker bot Rocket, whose main means of combat and interaction is his head-mounted tractor beam. This game actually employed a rudimentary physics engine, allowing you to pick up and throw various objects and obstacles for some surprisingly complex assembly puzzles.
Additionally, every level has its own signature vehicle to unlock, such as a hovering paint launcher or a dune buggy shaped like a hot dog.
By today’s standards, Rocket’s physics engine is positively archaic, so a remake would definitely need to update that. With a better physics engine would come a more fully realized world for you toexplore at your leisure.
2Tak And The Power Of Juju
Not Quite SpongeBob SquarePants
Tak and the Power of Juju
Sometimes, new games, shows, or movies are created with the intention of gradually spinning them off into a franchising and merchandising machine.
The point is to get the setting in everyone’s minds so they’ll start buying anything you slap the franchise’s logo on. One such attempt at this was 2003’s Tak and the Power of Juju, which was produced and heavily influenced by Nickelodeon.
Tak the tribal boy needs to explore a large, forested world full of magic and mystery, collecting items and invoking the mysterious powers of Juju spirits. New items and spells open the way forward, propelled along by a charmingly afternoon cartoon-esque sense of humor.
Tak had several sequels, as well as an entire TV series from 2007 to 2009, relegated to reruns afterward until 2012.
While not quite the franchising juggernaut it was set up to be, the original is still a fun and funny game for kids. If no one else is doing anything with it, maybe a remake could give it some life.
1Tonic Trouble
No, That’s Not Rayman
Tonic Trouble
Probably the most well-known game that Ubisoft ever released on the Nintendo 64, as well as one of the most well-known games on the console period, is Rayman 2: The Great Escape.
However, that’s not the only 3D platformer Ubisoft made for the console, nor the only 3D platformer it released in that era. They also released Tonic Trouble, though we wouldn’t blame you for mistaking it for a Rayman game given its protagonist’s lack of limbs.
Tonic Trouble follows hapless space janitor Ed as he attempts to reclaim a can of magical tonic that warps and mutates the flora and fauna of Earth. It’s a very silly game, with enemies including killer tomatoes, flying ears of corn, and giant malfunctioning toasters.
As you progress through platforming challenges, Ed gains new abilities, like a peashooter, a glider, and a fishbowl for diving.
Tonic Trouble hasn’t had any particular legacy since its release, which might be because said release was a bit wonky and difficult to control. A remake could fix what’s wrong with gameplay while really leaning into the weirdness for a very distinct final product.
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