The genre that popularized Super Mario Bros is one of the most interesting to play as a family, especially for the ability to cooperate and collaborate among the most playful and least experienced with the controls.
Those of us born in the mid-eighties have grown up with the platform genre as our great reference. When NES came to Spain at the end of that decade, it did so with the game that marked our entry into this video game world: Super Mario Bros. On the other hand, SEGA had a more than notable presence in our country and consoles such as Master System and Mega Drive were in as many homes. The kings of the hall? Alex Kidd and Sonic. Advancing in a lateral plane jumping to overcome enemies and platforms has been intrinsic to us.
We are talking about the generation of the eighties because now, after the thirties, we are entering that time of having children (not all of us, we know) with whom we have already begun to share hobbies. Also couples, who may or may not be gamers like us. And with quarantine we spend many hours at home. Why not open our gaming sessions to family sessions as well? The first thing that comes to mind is platform games. Many of us go into a genre that is ideal.
For this reason, in this article we want to review some current platform games that are ideal to play with the family, either because they have a fairly accessible entrance door for the little ones or inexperienced, either because they have a cooperative that helps advance the rest. family or because they have entertaining modes that are worth exploring. We are not looking for the best rated or the best platforms at the general quality level, but those that can adapt to the smallest and inexperienced hands.
Paw Patrol: On a Roll
Paw Patrol is a game that can be quite simple and would never be in the top 20 of best platforms, but it is an ideal game to enter the world of platforms and video games for the little ones. The title has two basic mechanics: that of being able to jump – double jump included – and that of performing contextual actions when it reaches certain points. There are no enemies and no chance of dying from falls, making it the perfect tutorial for learning how to control a 2D platform.
The attraction for the little ones is that you control the entire Dog Patrol, that the dubbing into Spanish of Ryder -the leader of the group- is like in the series and that it helps them grow in the learning process: first, get to the end of each level. Then, understand what contextual actions they play at each moment (it is always a selection of three) and third, when they have been advancing, they themselves 'chop' to find all the medals that are distributed by each phase. It is available on PS4, Switch and Xbox One and ideal from five years.
Super Mario Maker 2
We talked about him in a previous report on family games, but Super Mario Maker responds perfectly to the type of family platforms that fit perfectly for all ages and for all audiences. On the one hand, we have a creation mode in which we can make levels that are most suitable for the level of our relatives. This also encourages them to create levels and have the ingenuity of thinking about how to carry out phases and what they would like. It is very satisfying to see how they create authentic surreal follies full of enemies and they make decisions for themselves when they do something and see that it cannot be overcome (well, and it is also fun to see that when they are killed on a created level, they place themselves in that point a star of invincibility).
In addition, the game has been adding all kinds of content that makes us have many new options, such as playing as Link and turning it into another action game. Kart cars, the possibility of playing with up to four players at a time and testing levels of all kinds from the community are other reasons why Mario Maker is undoubtedly a title that offers us a large number of options. Available exclusively for Nintendo Switch and ideal from 5 years.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends
We move on to another game that would not be on a list of the best platforms, but the focus of this article is another, and incidentally we evoke the nostalgia of those fathers and mothers we were talking about at the beginning. Bubble Bobble 4 Friends maintains the essence of the original game -that many of us play in NES or arcade games- and that means having closed phases in which we have to finish off the enemies first by trapping them in a bubble and then making them explode. One of the novelties of the game is the possibility of playing up to four at a time, which allows us to cooperate and cover everything that the less experts cannot do from home. In addition, the childish touch of both the story that is told and the visual section, very colorful, will surely attract the attention of the little ones.
The difficulty of the initial phases is not too high, so it is also considered an ideal game to play simply and without much fanfare. We were talking about the possibility of evoking the nostalgia of fathers and mothers, and it is not only because the essence of the classic is respected, but also because it brings within itself the original game with its 100 levels. Available exclusively for Nintendo Switch and ideal from 5 years.
Rayman Legends
Here we are talking about one of the best 2D platform games in history and an authentic Masterpiece that is also a claim for all members of the family. Rayman Legends, unlike other geniuses such as Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, the two Ori or Celeste, does not shine for its high demand and difficulty, but for the ingenuity of its mechanics and the perfect fusion between control and what we see and hear. We like to say that it is like Disney Fantasy, and it manages to be a tremendously intelligent game without playing in the league of big platforms that are challenging in terms of difficulty.
Its cooperative to four allows us to play as a family without many problems, since the deaths of the companions are infinite as long as they do not all die at the same time. Its mechanics flow based on jumps, being able to plan with the characters, hold on to all places – including jumping from wall to wall – and hit. Murfy's help to lower the difficulty of certain moments, such as the movement of platforms and annoying enemies, also make everything more bearable. And modes like the fusion of soccer and Kung Fu enchant the little ones, as well as unlock new characters. In escape and musical phases they will suffer more, but it has so much content (including the best levels of Origins) that nothing happens. Available on PS4, Switch, Xbox One, PC and Wii U. Ideal from 5-7 years and just reduced to 9.99 euros on Switch.
Sonic Mania Plus
Another of the games that stands out for quality is Sonic Mania, and a title that is somewhat more demanding than the ones we've reviewed so far. Its possibility of playing with two characters can provide some light in the most complex moments, and if we have already played it before, it is sure that Super Sonic can be a source of joy for the little ones. The ingenuity and level design make this title arguably the best ever made for the blue hedgehog, so it's also fine to offer something in good taste for the whole family.
The Plus version that came out a year later, also adds new characters that make the experience even more accessible for some players, especially in the case of Mighty, who thanks to his armor does not receive immediate damage when he falls into areas of skewers, for example. The presence of the competitive mode for two players and the novelty of being able to change character control when we are playing can be a way to face the different phases of the title with greater solvency. Available on PS4, Switch and Xbox One (also in Game Pass). Ideal from 7 years and less than 20 euros in digital, as in the Microsoft store.
Super Lucky’s Tale
We make the leap to 3D platforms, which are always more complicated for the little ones but to which they are gradually getting used to. Super Lucky's Tale was born as one of those experiences that mix the concept of adventure platforms that we saw with Super Mario 64, with a nice fox and a game that is based, yes, more on overcoming challenges and platforms than on exploration, too Present when we look for the letters LUCKY, a classic in games of the genre of the collectathon type. We are facing a game with a well-measured difficulty curve, with a lot of variety and the possibility of enjoying phases in lateral advance with others of fully 3D exploration.
Level design is not overly complex, making it a good way to get into 3D games without suffering from the complexity of mechanics or actions, nor from overly difficult challenges. It is undoubtedly a game focused on boys and girls who are close to 10 years old, or somewhat less with the help of their elders, and an entertaining experience without too much fanfare. Available on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
LittleBigPlanet 3
We close the report with another game that we already highlight as ideal for the family and that fits into the concept of platforms for all audiences. Surely it does not have the impact that the first two parts had for Playstation 3, but its experience and news, also allows us to enjoy an endless number of community creations to find, also by difficulty filters, missions and phases that are simply entertaining , that they are a small audiovisual show and especially holidays. It is something that is linked to the adventures of the sackboys, as well as the fact of being as demanding as we consider and as far as our imagination goes.
It happens a bit like Mario Maker 2: its editor can be a double-edged sword and another focus of entertainment, although this one is a little more complex especially for the little ones, although it is sure that the use of the DualShock 4 ends up interesting you. Having cooperative for up to four players again makes it an ideal experience for the family. Exclusively for Playstation 4 and ideal for an age between 7-10 years and at 9.99 euros in the store.
