Why and what is a platformer?

Platforming is a classic gaming genre and concept. So, it makes complete sense that we should look at it. Every gamer will have played one at some point, jumping through the levels, collecting power ups, and defeating the foe with the aim of getting to the end.

Before we dive in, I feel we just need to cover what a platformer is, just in case there are people who are unaware.

A platform game usually involves the player character jumping through a game level, essentially going platform to platform, dodging obstacles, and avoiding traps, such as falling off the edge and out of the game. They can range from simplistic affairs to complex efforts where advanced concepts are involved, such as racing against a clock, having the player perform double jumps or wall jumps, or negotiating movable platforms.

Traditionally, a platform game has the player traveling from the left to the right of the screen in a linear fashion. The screen will follow the player in what is known...