Platformers 1980-1985

[AppleQueso]

It has jumping and platforms. Isn't that what makes a platformer?

It doesn't really have "jumping" though. That's just the normal way you move around in the game.

[samsonlonghair]

I never thought of Konami's original Frogger as a platformer. Frogger doesn't play like a platformer.

It has jumping and platforms. Isn't that what makes a platformer?

After you made this comment, I went back to think about it. Why don't I consider Konami's original Frogger a platformer? I think the overhead perspective make for a very different play mechanic. Also, Frogger has no jump button. If there's no button to make the main character jump, it's hard to call that a platformer.

Still, it's an interesting point to consider. It made me re-evaluate how I define "platformer". Thanks for asking this question.

[lisalover1]

As was already mentioned, I would agree that Pac-Land is the closest precursor to Super Mario Bros. that exists, in terms of gameplay mechanics.

[Erik_Twice]

My mind slipped and I wrote "1980-1983" instead of "1980-1985".

Yes, Pac-Land is exactly the missing link, I forgot about it. It's incredible how innovative was Namco back then, most of the millstones in that area was made by them.

[Hobie-wan]

Then there's the Atari stuff like Pitfall and Jungle Hunt.

Jungle Hunt was a Taito game.

As for Frogger, it is not a platformer since you are not timing jumps and having to calculate where you are going to land while avoiding pitfalls. With Frogger, there is no spacial consideration to your movement. There is either a safe block to occupy of there isn't. You don't have to time your jump within the last 5 pixels of the plaftorm in order to make it across the gap and land on the next one.

[Hobie-wan]

Pac-Land was released to arcades in August 1984, and is sometimes said to be a major influence on the early platforming genre. Even had parallax scrolling in some of the backgrounds.

Moon Patrol was the first game with parallax scrolling I believe.

[pierrot]

Pac-Land was released to arcades in August 1984, and is sometimes said to be a major influence on the early platforming genre. Even had parallax scrolling in some of the backgrounds.

Moon Patrol was the first game with parallax scrolling I believe.

Right. I wasn't intending to say that Pac-Land was the first, just one of the few games of the time to use it.

[Violent By Design]

Pac-Land is pretty impressive, never bothered to look up footage of it until now despite constantly reading about it. Is this game any good?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Then there's the Atari stuff like Pitfall and Jungle Hunt.

Jungle Hunt was a Taito game.

Ya know what I mean - games on Atari 2600.

There's also BurgerTime and Montezuma's Revenge.

[marurun]

It has jumping and platforms. Isn't that what makes a platformer?

There's a bit more than that goes into a platformer. Besides, in Frogger the jumping is really just basic movement. There's no actual jumping physics at all. Most of your list is fine, but Frogger doesn't really belong there because it doesn't actually contribute to or inform in any way the development of the classic platformer.