Sometimes the best way to unwind is by throwing on one of those fantastic, andusually kid-friendly, 3D platformers. Characters like Mario may dominate the genre these days, but that doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been a ton of unique attempts at kicking off the next big 3D platformer series.
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The unfortunate truth is that not every character can beMario, so many 3D platformer series,just like a few fighting game series, can end up being forgotten. Just because a series is forgotten doesn’t mean it was bad. In fact, some forgotten 3D platformers have a small community of devoted fans always hoping for the series to come back.
10Croc
For a while, it seemed like there was a lot of promise for the Croc series. The original game came out back in 1997 and received pretty solid reviews. That success led to a sequel a few years later that also ended up being met with a warm reception.
Despite Croc actually being a proposed Yoshi game, the series found a lot of fans in the late nineties. Unfortunately, Croc 2 was the series’ last console release with only a few mobile games seeing a release in 2005 and 2006. Maybe one day Croc will return to save Gobbo Valley again.
9Gex
While the Gex series is filled with mixed reviews on the various titles, it is often considered to be a classic series from the originalPlayStationera. You control the sassy gecko Gex as he battles against the villainous Rez.
The series wasn’t always a 3D platformer, but it became more loved when it switched to that style. Sadly, the series hasn’t seen an entry since 1999, but if recent revelations are to be believed, it’s possible thatthe always-excellent Square Enixcould be behind a Gex game in the near future.
8Conker
People may recall seeing the classicRarecharacter Conker popping back up as recently as 2015 and 2016, but unfortunately, those appearances really felt more like afterthoughts. The last true main Conker game was the remake put out on the Xbox in 2005.
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Somehow, the characterand his many cheatsjust haven’t received the love that his most devoted fans feel he deserves. He did appear in Project Spark and on the Hololens, but one really felt like it was meant more to advertise the Rare Replay for Xbox One and the other felt like a cheap cash grab, an opinion most gamers shared.
7Prince Of Persia
Considering the most modern iterations of thePrince Of Persiagames,a pair of critically panned mobile games, are mostly ignored, and not counting remakes, there hasn’t been a new console entry in the series since 2010. While it can be argued as an action series, its roots in platforming have remained strong even in the most action-packed entries.
The most surprising thing about the forgotten nature of this series is that while developers have forgotten it, fans sure haven’t. It’s not uncommon to hear fans of the series reminisce about their favorite games, hoping to get a fantastic modern entry for the latest systems.
6Tak And The Power Of Juju
Even reading the name Tak And The Power Of Juju is likely to take a lot of people back to the old days. The series kicked off properly in 2003 and 2004, and even with mixed reviews across the installments, the games proved quite popular.
The games were so popular in fact that an entire television series was made. Unlike many other forgotten 3D platformers, this series is one that is likely to remain forgotten due to the nature of properties aimed toward kids always being a moving target.
5Chameleon Twist
In this instance, Chameleon Twist is a forgotten series because it never managed to get much love from anyone. Essentially, the game featured the standard 3D platforming action anyone would expect, with the twists one would expect from playing as a chameleon.
Only having two mainline games released from 1997 to 1999, the series was seemingly forgotten in a hurry due to the issues each game had. To be fair, these games did come out during the early days of 3D, but when games like Super Mario 64 are around, it was probably hard to pick Chameleon Twist.
4Chibi-Robo!
For a lot of people, Chibi-Robo was that odd game you rented because there wasn’t much else to choose from. Luckily, all those same people immediately fell in love with the quirky and fun littleGamecubegame back in 2005.
The series has had fairly sparse releases over the years, andwhile a 3DS game came outback in 2015, the series hasn’t had a home console release since the original. With the Nintendo Switch acting as a handheld and home console, it’s possible the launch of a new Chibi-Robo game is only a matter of time.
3De Blob
De Blob was releasedas a hidden gem for the Wiiback in 2008 with a sequel coming out in 2011. Both games received fairly solid reviews from fans and critics alike, so it was a surprise that the series didn’t morph into something bigger.
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The 3D platformers were colorful and unique games with a lot to appreciate. While the series has mostly been forgotten in favor of other modern platformers, the games did end up getting a rerelease on the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, though just how much attention the games received after years of neglect is anyone’s guess.
2Blinx
The Blinx series was one of the originalXbox’sattempts to cash in on the beloved 3D platformer genre. Sadly, due to less-than-stellar reviews for the two games in the series, the Blinx games were forgotten about in a hurry.
The fact that the game featured a cat as the main character and some unique time-travel controls (at least for that era) almost makes you wonder how Blinx was forgotten at all. Either way, it’s a series with the kind of promise that would allow for a modern revival attempt any day now.
1Epic Mickey
With how much Mickey Mouse fans love the Epic Mickey games, it’s surprising that there wasn’t a bigger attempt to keep the series at the top of gamers’ minds. The formula was simple; one part Mickey Mouse, one part blast-from-the-past story, and one part refreshing and fun mechanics.
Somehow, after the second entry, the series pretty much ended. The true culprit seems to be the fact that sales weren’t where the team behind the game was hoping, but with the kind of power Mickey Mouse andDisneyhas, this forgotten series might just be due for another try.
