Editing Platformer (section)

{{Short description|Video game genre}}
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[[File:Supertux010.jpg|thumb|''[[SuperTux]]'' is a platformer inspired by ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'']]A '''platformer''' (also called a '''platform game''', and sometimes a '''jump 'n' run game''') is a subgenre of [[action game]]  in which the core objective is to move the [[player character]] between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels with uneven terrain and suspended platforms that require jumping and climbing to traverse. Other acrobatic maneuvers may factor into the gameplay, such as swinging from vines or grappling hooks, jumping off walls, gliding through the air, or bouncing from springboards or trampolines.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What is a Platform Game? {{!}} 10 Design Types & Video Game Examples|url=https://www.idtech.com/blog/10-types-of-platforms-in-platform-video-games|access-date=2021-03-29|website=iD Tech|language=en-US}}</ref> 
 
The genre started with the 1980 arcade video game ''[[Space Panic]]'', which has ladders but not jumping. ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]'', released in 1981, established a template for what were initially called "climbing games". ''Donkey Kong'' inspired many clones and games with similar elements, such as ''[[Miner 2049er]]'' (1982) and ''[[Kangaroo (video game)|Kangaroo]]'' (1982), while the [[Sega]] arcade game ''[[Congo Bongo]]'' (1983) adds a third dimension via [[Isometric video game graphics|isometric graphics]]. Another popular game of that period, ''[[Pitfall!]]'' (1982), allows moving left and right through series of non-scrolling screens, expanding the play area. [[Nintendo]]'s flagship ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' (1985) and the subsequent ''[[Super Mario]]'' series were the defining games for the genre, with horizontally scrolling levels and the player controlling a named character, [[Mario]], which became Nintendo's mascot. The terms ''platform game'' and ''platformer'' gained traction in the late 1980s.

During their peak of popularity, platformers were estimated to comprise between a quarter and a third of all console games.<ref>This estimate is based on the number of platform games released on specific systems. For example, on the [[Master System]], 113 of the 347 games (32.5 percent) listed on vgmuseum.com are platform games, and 264 of the 1044 [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] games (25.2 percent) are platformers</ref> By 2006, sales had declined, representing a 2% market share as compared to 15% in 1998.<ref name="detailed cross-examination">{{cite web | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/a-detailed-cross-examination-of-yesterday-and-today-s-best-selling-platform-games | title=A Detailed Cross-Examination of Yesterday and Today's Best-Selling Platform Games | website=[[Gamasutra]] | date=2006-08-04 | access-date=2006-11-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027033801/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1851/a_detailed_crossexamination_of_.php | archive-date=2007-10-27 | url-status=live}}</ref> In spite of this, platformers are still being commercially released every year, including some which have sold millions of copies.