There is no shortage of excellent platforming games for you to pick up and give a try, which means that there are even more incredible levels for you to play through. A truly excellent platformer level has to balance a lot of different aspects to go down as one of the best of all time.
Related:The Best Platformers On PS5
The level has to be memorable, provide enough of a challenge without being crushing, have a killer soundtrack, and preferably make use of interesting puzzles and mechanics as well. There’s a lot that goes into even a basic level, leaving plenty of room for subjectivity, but here are the greatest platformer levels ever.
10Super Mario 64 - Bob-Omb Battlefield
This absolute classic level might be fairly easy to get through if you know what you’re doing, but it deserves credit as one of the greatest introductory levels to 3D gaming that has ever been made.
Super Mario 64’sBob-Omb Battlefield gave you an open area to explore, platform, and even uncover a few secrets, all while teaching you how to play a game in a 3D space for what could have potentially been the first time. That’s without mentioning that instantly iconic song that you’re probably already humming to yourself right now.
9Banjo Kazooie - Freezeezy Peak
It’s probably true that most people aren’t the biggest fans of snowy or icy levels, butBanjo-Kazooie’s Freezeezy Peak might be the best of the bunch. Instead of endless frustration, this level gives you a snowy, holiday-themed world to explore.
If you ever need to get in the Christmas spirit, just throw on Banjo-Kazooie and enjoy this overly-spirited level. Whether you’re climbing a snowman, helping with a Christmas tree,or visiting igloos for Jiggies, Freezeezy Peak is immediately memorable for all the right reasons, even if it is an ice level.
8Shovel Knight - Flying Machine
You already know that theShovel Knightsoundtrack goes way harder than it ever needed to, and the song that plays during the Flying Machine stage only adds to how excellent the entire thing is. You’ll love what is one of the bestand trickiest platforming stagesin this great throwback.
Related:The Best 3D Platformer Games For Beginners
You’ll really need to be a master of the jumping and shovel-bounce mechanics if you want to make it to the end of this one. The beautiful stage is then capped off with a thrilling boss fight against Propellor Knight.
7LittleBigPlanet - Skate To Victory
Even though Skate To Victory is still one of the early tutorial levels ofLittleBigPlanet, it’s still one of the absolute best to play through. Much like other excellent stages, you get a taste of the game’s most important mechanics, all while being given the freedom to explore.
The puzzles and enemies in this level are basic, but not every level needs to be brutally difficult to be great. With some bombastic music for much of the level, it ends with you riding down a ramp on a skateboard, making it quite a memorable level for most people.
6Crash Bandicoot 2 - Un-Bearable
This classicCrash Bandicootlevel may be a bit of an odd pick at first since you might remember it as a fairly tricky chase level. While it is exactly that, it’s one of the best in the entire series, and it even offers a hidden area to give some classic side-scrolling action as well.
You need to be on top of your game and have those quick reflexes ready if you want to make it to the end of this level. It wouldn’t be surprising if you got chomped by a polar bear during a few attempts, but trial and error is a key part ofthe Crash Bandicoot games.
5Super Mario Odyssey - Metro Kingdom
While just about every Mario game is a success,Super Mario Odysseywas its own beast of a game. It is packed with excellent levels, and one of the very best has to be Metro Kingdom, the world that lets you explore New Donk City.
There’s a ton to love about the normal level itself, but when you can play a fun boss fight and a unique tribute to Mario, it becomes a thing of beauty. The ordinary people may be a bit offputting, butthat’s just more of that bizarre Mario charm.
4Donkey Kong Country - Mine Cart Madness
It’s actually astonishing just how much fun the tricky Mine Cart Madness level is in the originalDonkey Kong Country. You spend nearly the entire thing tucked in a mine cart, making it quite different from other levels, but it’s so fast-paced your whole body will be jumping with the Kongs.
There are plenty of small secrets for you to find throughout the level, which is even more of a surprise considering the nature of the level. The level will only take you a couple of minutes to beat unless you take a few deaths, but it’ll be one you keep going back to long after you’re done.
3Mega Man Zero 3 - The Final Mission
Mega Man Zero 3might be your favorite game in the sub-series, and a big reason for that might be the excellent final mission. This final mission might just outshine the rest of the Mega Man series entirely when it comes to excellent platforming and combat.
Related:The Best Platformer Remakes Of All Time
Featuring a boss rush that is broken up by different platforming sections, this stage is an endurance test. If that’s not enough for you,the final boss is a three-part fightthat will push you to your limits of pattern recognition and simple platforming skills.
2Super Mario Galaxy - Freezeflame Galaxy
In a game that pretty much never misses, the Freezeflame Galaxy fromSuper Mario Galaxyis a wonderful marriage of occasionally frustrating mechanics. You get to explore a creative and icy world before eventually diving into the more fiery aspects later on.
Once the hot and cold have finally collided, the level is at its absolute best, offering a thrilling challenge that requires you to think quickly as you glide through the stage. This is definitely a level that you’ll want to play over and over.
1Sonic Adventure 2 - City Escape
There are actually a lot of solid levels inSonic Adventure 2, but the cream of the crop might just be the opening stage, City Escape. Whether it’s diving out of a helicopter to that opening guitar lick, sliding down the streets of a hectic city, or running through loops, this stage is a bonafide classic.
It’s one of those stages that you’ll always want to go back to for more than one reason, and it does a good job of avoiding some of the frustration that can come from the later levels. You get out there and escape that city,just try not to sing along the entire time.
