Though it was the 5th generation of consoles that brought the 3D platformer to life– with games like Super Mario 64, Spyro the Dragon, and Banjo Kazooie the genre flourished on the 6th generation of consoles. While the mascot platformer wasn’t as prevalent as in previous generations, there were still many great games from the genre that stood as some of the best games on their respective systems.

RELATED: 10 Best Launch Games For The PS2, Ranked (According To Metacritic)

The PlayStation 2 was home to many great 3D platformers, spawning legendary franchises like Naughty Dog’s Jak & Daxter, Sucker Punch’s Sly Cooper, & Insomniac’s Ratchet and Clank. To shine a light on 3D platformers on the PlayStation 2, here are some of the best the console had to offer– 1 game per franchise to ensure the previously mentioned series’ don’t dominate the entire list.

10 Tak: The Great Juju Challenge (74)

Tak: The Great Juju Challenge is the third game in the series and follows Tak, a jungle boy with the ability to communicate with animals which can help him progress through the game. In Tak: The Great Juju Challenge, you go through a series of timed obstacle courses. Tak is accompanied by Lok to try and reach the end of the course & get the highest score. Scores are not only based on time but also items collected and enemies defeated along the way. You can either play single-player, switching between Tak and Lock, or play two-player mode when each player takes control of either character.

9 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (75)

For some reason, SpongeBob SquarePants was a very big deal in the early 2000s. Its oddball humor and expressive characters were frequently integrated into video games, with the game in question, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, being based on the 2004 movie of the same name.

SpongeBob SquarePants Movie was ported to every system available at the time, the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, and Game Boy Advance. The game was so well received, it was later ported over to the PlayStation 3 in 2012, 8 years after its initial release.

8 Ape Escape 2 (82)

The Ape Escape series made its start on PlayStation 1 and was the first game to use the then-new dual analog sticks which have become an industry standard. Like its predecessor, in Ape Escape 2 you control Hikaru as he goes through various levels trying to catch monkeys.

RELATED: Every PS2 Classic Currently Available On PS4

Throughout the game, you unlock many different gadgets, some returning from the original and others that are new to the series. The return gadgets are the monkey net, dash hoop, and the stun club. New gadgets introduced in the game are the bananarang, water cannon, and electromagnet.

7 Maximo: Ghosts To Glory (84)

The Maximo series of games is a continuation of the Ghost n’ Goblins series that was incredibly popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s. In Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, you play as the titular character who is on a quest to save his lady, Queen Sophia from King Achille.

Similar to the games the series originated from, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory is very hard. You have a sword and shield but can also pick up armor and other power-ups that will help you progress through the game. Also like the series it originates from, when Maximo takes too much damage, he is stripped down to his underwear.

6 Psychonauts (86)

Psychonauts was designed by Tim Schafer who also designed Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, and Brütal Legend. The game stars Raz, a young boy with psychic powers who is going to Rock Psychic Summer Camp, a camp for young psychics looking to hone their abilities.

In Psychonauts, you make your way through summer camp by going into the mind of different characters and relieving them of their emotional baggage which is represented as suitcases within the mind. You gain different psychic abilities to help improve your skills and give you more tools when platforming or in combat.

5 Sly 2: Band Of Thieves (88)

The Sly series takes the 3D platforming most are already familiar with and adds stealth elements. The game has a cel-shaded look which gives it a unique aesthetic from others in the genre. In Sly 2: Band of Thieves, not only can you play as Sly, but you can also play as Bently who's more attack oriented or Murray the turtle who relies more on gadgets. The game was well-received, getting the great hits treatment and later being ported to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

4 Rayman 2: Revolution (90)

Rayman 2: Revolution is a remake of Rayman 2 which was originally released on the PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, and more. Unlike the original game which had a more linear approach, Rayman 2: Revolution was restructured to have more of an open-world feel. In addition, new cutscenes, dialogue, characters, powers, items, and abilities were added, giving players a reason to pick up the enhanced version. Rayman 2: Revolution’s plot revolves around the invasion of the Glade of Dreams by a band Robo-Pirates led by Admiral Razorbeard. Rayman must stop Razorbeard and also collect Lums in order to save his home.

3 Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (90)

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy star Jaks the mute and the once human ottsel– a combination of an otter and a weasel– Daxter. Daxter was turned into an ottsel at the start of the game after falling into dark eco, and both he & Jak set out to try and find a way to revert him back into his human form.

RELATED: 10 Hilarious Jak & Daxter Memes Only True Fans Would Understand

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the start of a series that brought some of the best games on the PlayStation 2. The first game is a typical 3D platformer while the next 2 games in the series follow a structure similar to the Grand Theft Auto series.

2 Ratchet And Clank: Up Your Arsenal (91)

The Ratchet and Clank series takes a traditional 3D platformer and adds a variety of crazy, over-the-top guns to play with. Each weapon you have is leveled up the more you use it, similar to the Elder Scrolls series. By the end of Ratchet And Clank: Up Your Arsenal, you have a large ‘arsenal’ of guns at your disposal, from a gun that makes enemies dance to a flame whip that destroys anything in its path.

RELATED: Ratchet & Clank: 10 Hilarious Ratchet Memes

At the time of writing this, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart has been announced for the upcoming PlayStation 5, the first original game in the series since PlayStation 3’s Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus in 2013.

1 Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil (91)

While not technically a 3D platformer, Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil is a 2.5D platformer that doesn’t get enough love these days, even though it is the highest-rated PlayStation 2 platformer on Metacritic. The Klonoa games play almost like a puzzle game as you must use enemies to double jump as a way to progress through stages.

The Klonoa series had its start on the PlayStation 1, where it was also mostly overlooked. The games were developed by Namco and Klonoa wears that fact with pride as he has Pac-man, who is essentially Namco’s mascot at this point, on his hat.

NEXT: 5 PS2 Classics That Need Full-On Remakes (& 5 That Shouldn't Be Touched)