As one of the oldest and most beloved genres in all of video games, platformers hold a special place in many gamers’ hearts. Whether it’s the nail-bitingly precise platformers of gaming’s illustrious past or the colorful 3D experiences that bring you back to simpler times, there’s something for everyone.
Unfortunately, not all of these cherished games received sequels, no matter how well deserved or desired by fans. Whatever the reason, players are lucky to have experienced such excellent platforming games over the years. Here are some of the very best platformers that have yet to get a sequel.
10 Mark Of The Ninja
Mark of the Ninja is a 2D game that was released at the height of the Xbox Live Arcade indie game era. It is a rare 2D game that takes its stealth very seriously - as soon as you’re detected it’ll lead to certain death. It has a beautiful art style with gorgeously animated cutscenes and the platforming is just as stylish and slick.
It feels great as you move effortlessly from wall to rooftop, skulking above your victims before you swoop down for a gruesome undetected kill. Unfortunately, it never received a sequel, but thankfully Klei Entertainment did eventually release a remastered version of this, one of the best 2D stealth platformers ever made.
9 Cave Story+
Harkening back to the 8-bit platformers of yesteryear, Cave Story+ brings a fresh lick of paint and a revamped soundtrack with the remastered version of this indie masterpiece.
It’s a charming action-adventure platformer where you wake up in an underground cave surrounded by strange rabbit-like creatures, with no memory of how you got there. What ensues is a charming action adventure with great level design and a delightful story. The game’s sole creator, Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya, has expressed no interest in making a sequel, though players would more than make do with at least a spiritual successor.
8 Braid
Braid is a revolutionary side-scrolling platformer that kicked off on the popular Xbox Live Arcade service on the Xbox 360 and was ahead of its time in more ways than one. It merges 2D platforming gameplay with fascinating time-manipulation mechanics in each of the game’s cleverly designed worlds and levels.
Players can rewind, pause, forward and warp time itself in order to solve puzzles and unravel Tim’s personal motivations. Although no direct sequel was made, the game’s single developer, Jonathon Blow, later went on to produce another critically acclaimed puzzler, The Witness.
7 A Boy And His Blob
The classic 1989 NES puzzle platformer, A Boy and His Blob, is a delightful adventure that was re-imagined and updated for the Nintendo Wii in 2009. You take control of a young boy who develops a loving and carefree relationship with his best friend, who happens to be a rather large blob.
You must feed your new blob acquaintance a series of magical jelly beans so that they may transform into a variety of useful objects to help you solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. The story is emotionally evocative and is depicted in a wonderful hand-drawn art style. Though there was a Game Boy follow-up to the original NES version, there has been no sequel to Wayforward Technologies’ beautifully animated remastered version of this touching platforming classic.
6 A Hat In Time
When A Hat In Time was released after a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2017, it seemed to fill a hole in the gaming space for an adorable 3D platformer that we were sorely lacking at the time. Luckily, this colorful and magical top-hatted adventure did more than recapture the golden years of platforming games, as it proved to be highly imaginative with expertly crafted levels and tight controls.
Despite adoration from its fans and expressed interest in a follow-up title, there is still no word on a potential sequel for the game that brought Nintendo 64-era 3D platformers back into the fold.
5 Conker’s Bad Fur Day
The violence, profanity, and more mature themes of Conker’s Bad Fur Day were certainly a departure from most of Rare’s lineup on the Nintendo 64. It sees Conker on a grand adventure to unravel how he caused such a mess during his alcohol-infused antics the night before. You’ll get involved in a bunch of wacky scenarios, including taking part in a parody of Saving Private Ryan and fighting a giant singing poo.
It was adored by critics and went down as one of the funniest games of all time. Despite its positive reception, the game flopped at launch due to it being released at the end of the N64’s life cycle. After Microsoft purchased Rare in 2002, it was remade for the original Xbox with Conker’s Bad Fur Day: Live and Reloaded, but never received a proper sequel.
4 Shovel Knight
Despite multiple ports and re-releases, four expansions, and multiple spin-offs, there is currently no direct sequel to the esteemed puzzle platformer, Shovel Knight. The original game was a throwback of sorts to the glory days of platformer games, showcasing colorful graphics and great level design.
The best way to play the complete package of Shovel Knight and all of its campaigns is with Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. In this compilation, you get to experience four different themed knights as they use their unique abilities and weapons to traverse through a variety of 8-bit NES-inspired stages. Thankfully, Yacht Club have repeatedly expressed their interest in making a direct sequel, so hopefully, fans don’t have to wait too much longer.
3 Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong has starred in his fair share of outstanding side-scrolling platformers, most notably with the Donkey Kong Country series. Coming off the success of Banjo-Kazooie, Rare decided to bring the giant hulking ape over to the third dimension with Donkey Kong 64 as their last Kong game for the Nintendo 64.
It was a fun collectathon platformer where you could solve puzzles and engage with entertaining minigames, all in large 3D levels - a first for the series. You control five characters from the Kong family, and could even play a fun little multiplayer mode with friends. As this was Rare’s last DK game before being acquired by Microsoft, there’s disappointingly still no word on a sequel.
2 Cuphead
Don’t be fooled by Cuphead’s cutesy characters and lighthearted Saturday morning cartoon vibes - this is one of the most brutally difficult indie platformers out there. It’s a run-and-gun side-scrolling platformer with a huge focus on hard-as-nails boss encounters and frantic shooting gauntlets where you must face a ridiculous onslaught of enemies.
The beautifully crafted hand-drawn 1930s-inspired cartoon visuals were so painstakingly difficult to pull off that Studio MDHR themselves have expressed little to no interest in making a sequel at this time. Fans will have to look to the game’s content-rich DLC, The Delicious Last Course, or the surprisingly popular Netflix spin-off for more Cuphead goodness for now.
1 Celeste
Celeste is a wonderfully charming indie title that sees the game’s brave heroine, Madeline, courageously climb up a mountain in order to reach the summit. As a platforming game, it’s a delight to control. You have the ability to jump and climb up walls and can dash midair in any direction you see fit. It’s a speedrunner's dream, as it’s all about maintaining a solid momentum by timing your movement and dashes while avoiding traps and obstacles.
It is a groundbreaking experience with atmospheric pixel art graphics and contains a poignant message about accepting and overcoming the difficult challenges that life throws at you. Despite its universal acclaim, Extremely Ok Games have stated that it would be difficult to do a sequel justice, which is understandable considering the significant impact Celeste has had on the gaming community.