Abandonware DOS title

Platformers: jumping and running

Platform games, also known as platformers, are a genre of video games characterized by gameplay focused on navigating a protagonist through a series of platforms and obstacles within a 2D or 3D environment. The main objective in platform games is to progress through levels, often reaching the end or completing specific objectives.

In platform games, players typically control a character who possesses the ability to jump or perform other acrobatic moves. These movements allow the character to traverse platforms, avoid obstacles, and defeat enemies or overcome challenges.

The genre originated in the early days of video gaming, with iconic titles like "Super Mario Bros" and "Donkey Kong" shaping the foundation of platformers. The success of these games led to the growth and diversification of the genre, resulting in a wide range of platform games with unique gameplay mechanics, art styles, and level designs.

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Zeliard

DOS1990 Game Arts
Zeliard is a fantasy platformer/RPG hybrid that has all the trappings of a classic quest: a brave knight, an evil demon, a princess in distress, and an unreasonable number of bats. With charming pixel art and a hauntingly catchy s...
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Zool

DOS1992 Gremlin Graphics / Gremlin Interactive
Forget Sonic. Forget Mario. Zool is a ninja from the Nth Dimension, which is apparently a place where hyperactive insects fight sentient sweets. Speed is the name of the game, and Zool never walks—he zips, spins, and somersa...
zool2-2

Zool 2

DOS1994 Gremlin Graphics / Gremlin Interactive
The ninja ant is back—and this time, he brought a friend. Zool 2 doubles down on the sugar-fueled mayhem of the first game with more levels, more enemies, and even more inexplicable candy-based architecture. Choose between Z...
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Zorro

DOS1995 Capstone Software
From the dusty archives of 1995 DOS gaming comes Zorro, a side-scrolling platformer that asks the question: what if the legendary masked hero had the reflexes of a hungover sloth? With clunky controls and combat that’s more ...