Free Platformers: Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games Part 3

Platform Games are among the easiest type of games to produce. Composed of a few sprites for the player and enemies, add a few backgrounds, sprinkle liberally with obstacles. Simple right. Wrong. Platform games are also one of the hardest to pull off successfully. Why is this? Games like Mario have to carefully balance the number of enemies and obstacles to keep the game challenging but not frustrating. They must differ from all that has come before, yet retain the elements essential to the genre. Above all they must be fun to play.

Here are the picks for Open Source Platform Games that do all of that right.

Mario's Children

Why mess with a proven success? Some of the following games stick to the formula laid down by Nintendo, some radically depart, but all of them owe their existence to our favorite little Italian pipe fixer.

Secret Maryo Chronicles

To call SMC a Mario clone is an understatement. Combining several elements from the long list of Nintendo's Mario games roster, SMC is familiar, yet fresh. The graphics pay homage to it's inspiration, and still manage to be original. You'll find everything you loved about Mario in this Maryo, the power ups, turtles, clouds, vines and pipes. It is the little things that make this game stand out as not just another clone. The dust at the characters feet when he slides, the screen transition when Maryo dies, and the many other tiny details added really show he passion of the developers. The music and sounds of Maryo are top notch. If you are a fan of Mario, SMC is a must play, get it here.

SuperTux

Super Tux is a clone of the Super Mario games, replacing the plumber with Tux, the Linux mascot. Tux is a penguin. The environments he explores are tailored to his habitats, lots of ice, fish, etc. SuperTux comes with an in game level editor, giving you the ability to create your own SuperTux adventures. Slide over to grab SuperTux here.

Super Mario War

Its stomp or be stomped in this multi-player Mario game with several unique game modes. Mario with capture the flag, you bet. With a slew of user created content SMW has a long shelf-life. Get Super Mario War here.

The Others

Jump n Bump

What's better than a game with adorable hopping bunnies? A multi-player game with adorable bunnies that lets you jump on your buddy's bunny and explode him in splatters of blood. With 4 players able to play simultaneously, Jump n Bump is a fantastic guilty pleasure. Cautionary note: do not play this game with your young daughter who loves fuzzy bunnies, without warning her. Trust me on this one. Download Jump'nBump here.

xRick

Games from our past often become a passion of an open source developer. Rick Dangerous is that passion for the author of xrick. The Rick Dangerous games from the days of Amiga, Commodore and Atari Computers were very popular and if, through the the timing of your birth, you have never heard of them, go grab xRick from here.

N

Loderunner with physics. N has you playing a very nimble ninja on a quest for gold. Graphics are simple, although death in N is beautiful. N also comes with it's own level editor, Ned. N is definitely old school, if you can get past the graphics and difficulty level, N is a good time waster. Intrigued? Hop over here for your copy.

Blob Wars: Metal Blob Solid

You are Bob, the John Rambo of the blob world. Rescue the MIAs to complete each level. 2d Side scrolling action and fun. There is a certain cathartic feeling you get by blowing away what are basically smiley faced emoticons with a machine gun or grenade. Experience the carnage yourself by downloading BW:MGS from here.

Blob and Conquer: Blob Wars episode 2

Essentially a 3d version of the above. Run, jump and shoot, now in 3 dimensions. Jump over here for the download.

NikWi

Eschewing all the violence typical in todays gaming, NikWi is all about the candy. You can move left and right and you can jump, that is all. A great simple platform game for young children. With a download coming in under 1 megabyte, how can you lose. Get your candy here.

Bub n Brothers

If you played Bubble Bobble in the 90s than you know everything there is to know about bub-n-brothers. Bub-n-Bros is actually a clone of a clone, BubnBob from the mac. Capable of internet multiplayer of up to 10 players, BnB is a blast to play with friends across the country. Get your bubble on by downloading BnB here.

A quick note about the nature of Open Source projects.
Most of the projects listed in this series are done for the fun and experience of game creation. Hosting, maintaining and updating a website with the bandwidth requirements for literally thousands of visitors a day can be costly. Many projects have a donation button on their home page. If you enjoy the fruits of their labor, take some time to go back and drop them a buck or two or click a few ads to help ensure the continuation of the project and show your support.

If you missed parts one or two of the Open Source Gamers Guide to Free Games, Part 1: The Quakers can be found here and Part 2: Real Time Strategy here.
You can also find links to the entire collection at MrCopilot.com.