Nintendo is easily the king of platformers because of their mascot, Mario. Having Super Mario Bros. Be a pack-in game for the launch of the NES in the West was pure genius. Mario became a household name overnight along with the console itself.
Over time Mario has redefined the genre with depth-defying 3D words as well. Super Mario Galaxy, for example, is a fun game on the Wii. However, the Wii also had some good 2D platformers on it. Some are Mario-based, some come from other Nintendo-exclusive series, and others hail from third-party partners. Even though it has been over a decade for some of these games, they are still classics.
8 Klonoa
Klonoa is a remake for the Wii which was released in 2009 in North America. It updated the visuals and added some mechanics from the sequels. The unique gimmick of this game allowed the titular character to grab enemies with a magic ring and then use them to either jump higher or hit other enemies.
All in all, it is a pretty faithful remake of an underrated PS1 classic. No one wants to dig out the Wii in 2023 but thankfully this game, and its sequel, were combined in the remastered collection called Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series. It’s available on Switch along with a few other platforms.
7 Sonic Colors
Sonic Colors was the first good Sonic game in a while according to reviews and fans. This series went through a drought around the mid-2000s in the HD era with entries like Sonic and the Secret Rings and Sonic and the Black Knight. There was also the infamously weird kissing scene in the 2006 game simply titled Sonic the Hedgehog.
So, it was nice to see Sonic get back on his feet for a classic platformer on the Wii that went into both 2D and 3D perspectives. Like Klonoa, this game can be enjoyed thanks to a remastered edition, Sonic Colors: Ultimate, which came out in 2021 for a bunch of systems including the Switch.
6 Mega Man 9
The Xbox 360 had Xbox Live, the PS3 had PSN, and the Wii had the eShop. All three platforms dabbled in online distribution and the Wii got some unique revivals of classic NES games. Mega Man 9 was a big deal in 2008 because it had been over a decade since a numbered sequel came out.
To see Mega Man come back in his original pixel form was a dream come true for fans. This was followed up by Mega Man 10, which also used the nostalgic art style. Both games can be enjoyed via Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2 on almost every platform out there today.
5 Donkey Kong Country Returns
Like Mega Man 9, Donkey Kong Country Returns was a revival from Nintendo’s past. Rare was given the keys to the kingdom regarding Donkey Kong and they decided to give the big ape his own platformer series.
There were three Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES and then that was it, not counting Donkey Kong 64. So, the wait between the finale on SNES and Donkey Kong Country Returns was fourteen years. It was as challenging as ever with catchy music, unique levels, and a solid co-op option.
4 Kirby’s Epic Yarn
Kirby’s Epic Yarn was an adorable platformer that transformed the wholesome-looking Kirby into a craftwork project. The entire game was made out of yarn and other craft materials such as buttons and zippers.
It ventured on the easier side of platformers to help cater to the casual crowd, which was not for everyone. Kirby as a series though has always been a bit easier than other Nintendo platformers like Mario. There is nothing wrong with simple games especially if they look as magical as this.
3 Rayman Origins
Rayman Origins brought the character back with full force after being absent for generations. The series was overtaken by Rabbids for years which was not necessarily a bad thing. It was good to get back to the platforming roots here although Rayman and his friends never controlled this well before so it was almost like a reboot.
They had never looked this good either as everything and everyone looked like they were hand-drawn. It was part of Ubisoft’s new UbiArt Framework project and other games including its sequel Rayman Legends, Child of Light, and Valiant Hearts: The Great War.
2 Wario Land: Shake It
Wario Land: Shake It had a similar art style to Rayman Origins with its anime-like aesthetics. It’s the only game in the series to look like this on the Wii either internally or externally. Treasure, the developer, can be thanked for coming up with the unique look for Wario along with the fun shaking mechanic.
Other than shaking enemies and treasures to pieces, it played like the rest of the series. It was even parodied in an SNL sketch with Alec Baldwin and that’s a sincere form of flattery. Sadly, it remains trapped on Wii and there has never been a Wario platformer since this arrived in 2008.
1 New Super Mario Bros. Wii
It’s an obvious pick for number one but New Super Mario Bros. Wii was a breath of fresh air. It was preceded by New Super Mario Bros. On the DS which was the first mainline 2D game in ages. This sequel was more of that but it featured a four-player co-op as well.
This was a first for the series and it allowed players to choose between Mario, Luigi, or two different colored Toads. Thanks to the success of this game, Nintendo goes back and forth between 2D and 3D for the mainline games. Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the next installment in the 2D arena.