This may date me, but there is something about a side-scrolling video game that stands out to me. They have this certain feel. You can see the effort put into each character and level. In no way am I insulting the quality or the efforts put into games such as Batman: Arkham City or Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, those games are for another post. Personally side-scrollers stand out to me because of their simplicity and ability to challenge you in unique ways.
Quick Definition
To those of you that have no idea what a side-scrolling game is, I’ll quickly define it as a game in which gameplay is viewed from a side camera angle. Characters move from left-right and up-down to complete the stage. Pretty straight forward.
My Beginnings
Similar to most gamers my age, I started off playing video games on the SNES gaming system. My first handheld was the GameBoy Color. Needless to say, side-scrollers were all I had to work with. 3D games were starting to make their appearances on Playstation and Dreamcast, both systems I had limited access to.
The Ultimate Test
These games test you mentally, I don’t think stress on your thumbs is considered much of a physical challenge. They push you to the point where “The definition of insanity” is considered a challenge and not a quote.
I can remember attempting the same series of jumps in Super Mario World countless times because I knew eventually I would time everything perfectly, and when I did, the words to describe the satisfaction couldn’t be found because the next series would be just as challenging.
They’re Addicting!
I can honestly say that playing one level of any side-scroller isn’t enough to curb my gaming appetite. I’ll play the same level over again to roam around and try out different tactics, search for hidden “rooms”, or see what objects I can interact with.
Recommended Side-Scrollers
Here is a list of side-scrollers I enjoy playing and hopefully you will too: