If you have just finished a classic Mario, Sonic, Donkey Kong, or similar side-scroller, the best next game depends on what you want to preserve: familiar stage-based mascot action, old-school challenge, exacting movement, exploration, atmosphere, or speed. Rayman Legends is the broadest all-round successor, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the clearest retro homage, Celeste is built around precision, Hollow Knight and Ori and the Will of the Wisps expand the format with exploration, and Sonic Origins returns you directly to classic momentum-driven campaigns.
How to choose your next 2D platformer
Classic platformers do not all deliver the same kind of pleasure. Some are about learning a readable stage, gathering collectibles, and reaching a goal in a few minutes. Others use jumping as the foundation for a much larger adventure with combat, upgrades, puzzles, and backtracking. The most useful choice is therefore not a universal ranking but a match between your preferred play style and the game’s structure.
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- Want the familiar mascot-platformer shape? Start with Rayman Legends.
- Want an intentional 8-bit tribute? Choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.
- Want the tightest, most demanding movement? Choose Celeste.
- Want a large world and discovery? Choose Hollow Knight.
- Want movement, art, puzzles, and emotion together? Choose Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
- Want classic Sonic speed without leaving the original formula? Choose Sonic Origins.
At-a-glance comparison
| Game | Movement feel | Structure | Difficulty profile | Tone and presentation | Multiplayer focus | Platform information established in the cited material |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayman Legends | Traditional mascot-platforming control with an accessible, energetic feel | Stage-driven and immediately legible | Broadly approachable, with room for challenge | Family-friendly and colorful | Not stated in the cited material | Not stated; verify the current listing for your device |
| Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove | Retro action-platforming built around classic timing | Stage-driven action-adventure collection | Designed for players who enjoy old-school challenge | 8-bit retro aesthetic | Not stated in the cited material | Not stated; verify the current listing for your device |
| Celeste | Precision-first movement with tightly authored challenge rooms | Structured around carefully designed sections and rooms | Demanding, with repeated practice central to progress | Focused, personal journey | Solo-focused in the cited description | Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, itch.io, Steam, and Epic Games Store are listed by the official site |
| Hollow Knight | Platforming combined with combat and ability-based traversal | Vast interconnected world with exploration | Exploration and combat create a more variable challenge | Classically styled 2D action adventure | Not stated in the cited material | Not stated; verify the current listing for your device |
| Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Fluid movement integrated with traversal and puzzles | Exploration-led adventure with progression | Balances movement, puzzles, and adventure rather than only precision | Painterly and emotional | Not stated in the cited material | Not stated; verify the current listing for your device |
| Sonic Origins | Fast, momentum-driven movement | Classic campaign collection | Classic Sonic challenge and replayability | Remastered presentation of foundational Sonic games | Not stated in the cited material | Not stated; verify the current listing for your device |
The table deliberately avoids sales figures, review averages, completion times, and universal difficulty rankings: no common cross-game statistics establish those comparisons. Storefront editions, prices, and availability can change, so check the current regional listing before buying.
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Rayman Legends: the closest broad successor to classic mascot platforming
Why it fits
Rayman Legends is the safest first recommendation when you want the shape of a modern classic platformer without committing to a combat-heavy or exploration-heavy adventure. It is stage-driven, easy to understand at a glance, and aimed at the same broad audience that enjoys polished mascot games. PC Gamer identifies it as a strong choice for players looking for the Mario mold, and Nintendo includes it in its 2D-platforming roundup.
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Its appeal is structural as much as mechanical. You select a stage, learn its hazards, read the visual language, and pursue the next clear goal. That makes it a natural follow-up after a classic favorite: there is less conceptual overhead than in a sprawling map, but enough variety to feel like a new game rather than a historical replay.
Choose it if
- You want a colorful, family-friendly platformer that is easy to hand to another player.
- You prefer discrete stages to a world map that requires backtracking.
- You want a modern presentation while keeping the instantly readable rhythm of classic mascot games.
Trade-offs
Rayman Legends is not the best fit if your priority is punishing precision, deep combat, or a single interconnected world. Those qualities belong more clearly to Celeste, Hollow Knight, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Platform availability and current editions are not established in the cited material, so confirm the store listing for your system.
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove: the clearest retro homage
What the collection represents
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the most direct answer to “What modern 2D platformer feels like the classics?” Nintendo describes it as the full Shovel Knight action-adventure series with an 8-bit retro aesthetic. That makes it more than a single throwback campaign: it is presented as a complete collection of the series in one named package.
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The 8-bit presentation is not merely a visual filter. It establishes the expectations of a retro action-platformer: compact stages, deliberate jumps, recognizable hazards, and a challenge curve that rewards learning. If the reason you loved a classic favorite was the feeling of mastering one room or stage at a time, Treasure Trove is the most focused continuation of that tradition in this guide.
Choose it if
- You want the strongest connection to classic 8-bit presentation and stage-based design.
- You prefer action-platforming over a large exploration map.
- You want a complete series collection rather than a single isolated campaign.
Trade-offs
Its retro identity is also its boundary. Players seeking painterly visuals, emotional storytelling, or a huge interconnected world should look to Ori and the Will of the Wisps or Hollow Knight. The cited material does not establish current platforms, editions, prices, or multiplayer details, so those should be checked in the storefront for your region.
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Celeste: precision movement for players who want a demanding climb
Why movement comes first
Celeste is the choice when the jump itself is the main event. Its official site calls it a “super-tight, hand-crafted platformer” and describes Madeline’s journey to the top of Celeste Mountain. That wording captures the design priority: movement is precise, authored, and central to every challenge rather than simply a way to travel between combat encounters.
The game is built for players who enjoy trying a short sequence, identifying the mistake, and immediately attempting it again with a better plan. Its tightly authored rooms make progress feel measurable: you are not waiting for a random drop or grinding an upgrade; you are improving your control and understanding of the route.
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- You want the most exacting movement in this group.
- You enjoy challenge rooms that can be practiced repeatedly.
- You prefer a focused solo journey to collecting equipment across a large map.
Where you can play it
The official site lists Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, itch.io, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. Storefront editions and regional availability can change, so use the current listing for the platform you intend to use.
Trade-offs
Celeste is not the gentle, low-pressure follow-up to a classic platformer. Its precision-first design asks for patience and repeated attempts. If you want to relax with broad mascot action, Rayman Legends is a better starting point; if you want speed and momentum, Sonic Origins is more appropriate.
Hollow Knight: a 2D platformer that becomes a full exploration adventure
How it expands the formula
Hollow Knight changes the question from “How do I clear this stage?” to “What is beyond that passage, and what will let me reach it?” Nintendo describes it as “a classically styled 2D action adventure across a vast interconnected world.” The platforming sits inside a larger loop of exploration, combat, discovery, and ability-driven access.
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That structure suits players who want the visual language of a 2D platformer but the scale of an adventure game. Progress is less linear than in Rayman Legends or Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. You may encounter an obstacle before you understand how to overcome it, then return later after discovering a new ability or route. The reward is a stronger sense of place and discovery rather than simply moving from one numbered stage to the next.
Choose it if
- You want a large, interconnected world instead of a sequence of self-contained stages.
- You enjoy combat alongside jumping and traversal.
- You like discovering abilities and using them to open previously inaccessible areas.
Trade-offs
Hollow Knight requires more orientation than a traditional stage-based platformer. Exploration, combat, and backtracking are part of the experience, so it is not the immediate answer for someone who wants short, clearly bounded levels. Its cited description does not establish platform availability, multiplayer details, prices, or a common completion time.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps: fluid movement with puzzles and emotional weight
Why it feels different
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is suited to players who want platforming to carry an emotional adventure as well as a mechanical challenge. Nintendo includes it among its platforming recommendations, and its defining combination in this guide is fluid movement, painterly presentation, puzzles, and a more emotional tone.
Compared with Celeste, which isolates precision and repetition, Ori places movement inside a broader audiovisual journey. Compared with Hollow Knight, its emphasis is less about a starkly classically styled world and more about the combination of traversal, puzzle-solving, visual atmosphere, and feeling. It is therefore a strong bridge for someone who has finished a classic favorite but wants the genre to deliver more mood and narrative texture.
Choose it if
- You value graceful movement and visual presentation as much as raw challenge.
- You want puzzles integrated with platforming and exploration.
- You prefer an emotional adventure rather than a purely retro or score-focused experience.
Trade-offs
Ori is not the most direct continuation of an 8-bit stage formula. Players looking for a strict retro homage should choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, while those seeking the most demanding room-by-room precision should choose Celeste. Current platform and edition details are not established in the cited material.
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Sonic Origins: return to classic speed and momentum
What you get
Sonic Origins is the choice for players who do not want a reinterpretation of classic platforming yet. Nintendo describes it as a remastered collection of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and Sonic CD. Instead of moving to a new character or a new structure, you get a refreshed way to revisit the foundational Sonic campaigns.
Its defining axis is speed. Sonic’s momentum-driven design asks you to read slopes, loops, obstacles, and alternate routes while maintaining forward motion. That is a different skill from Celeste’s deliberate precision: the challenge is often in controlling speed and recovering from a mistake without losing the flow of the stage.
Choose it if
- You want classic Sonic campaigns rather than a modern platformer inspired by them.
- Speed, momentum, and replaying familiar stages are your main priorities.
- You are specifically looking for a collection that includes the four games named above.
Trade-offs
Sonic Origins preserves the classic speed-focused design, so it will not provide the large-world discovery of Hollow Knight or the tightly authored precision of Celeste. The cited material does not establish current platform availability, pricing, multiplayer modes, or edition differences.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Decision paths for common “what should I play next?” questions
After a classic Mario game
Start with Rayman Legends if you want another polished, family-friendly stage-based platformer. Choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove if the retro feel itself was the attraction. Choose Celeste if you are ready for a substantially more demanding movement challenge.
After a classic Sonic game
Choose Sonic Origins first if you want more of the original speed-and-momentum formula, presented as a remastered collection. If you want a new game rather than more classic Sonic campaigns, Rayman Legends offers the most straightforward stage-based alternative; Ori and the Will of the Wisps offers a more exploratory and emotional change of pace.
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After Donkey Kong or another traditional side-scroller
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is the clearest retro continuation, while Rayman Legends is the broadest modern successor. If you want to turn a familiar side-scroller into a larger adventure, Hollow Knight is the most significant structural step away from discrete stages.
If you are unsure about difficulty
Begin with Rayman Legends for the most approachable all-round fit. Move to Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove for a stronger old-school challenge, or Celeste when precise repeated practice is exactly what you want. Hollow Knight and Ori and the Will of the Wisps distribute challenge across exploration, combat, puzzles, and traversal rather than concentrating it solely in short precision rooms.
What is not safe to compare across all six games
There is no common evidence base here for a definitive ranking by sales, review average, completion rate, or playtime. Those numbers are often presented as if they make one game objectively “best,” but they would not answer the more useful question of which design matches your habits. Platform listings, prices, bundles, and editions are also volatile; confirm those details in the relevant regional storefront before purchase.
The reliable comparison is qualitative: stage-driven versus interconnected structure, momentum versus precision, solo focus versus unspecified multiplayer support, and retro presentation versus painterly or emotionally oriented presentation. Those distinctions are enough to make a practical choice without inventing a cross-game scorecard.
A simple selection checklist
- Identify your preferred structure. Pick stage-driven games (Rayman Legends or Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove), a classic campaign collection (Sonic Origins), or an interconnected adventure (Hollow Knight or Ori and the Will of the Wisps).
- Identify your movement preference. Choose momentum with Sonic Origins, precision with Celeste, or a broader mascot-platforming feel with Rayman Legends.
- Decide how much challenge you want. Celeste places the greatest emphasis on repeated precision; Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove emphasizes retro action-platforming; Rayman Legends is the safer broad-audience choice.
- Choose the tone. Select an 8-bit retro aesthetic, a classically styled adventure, or Ori’s painterly and more emotional presentation.
- Verify the current platform listing. Celeste’s official site lists Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, itch.io, Steam, and Epic Games Store. For the other games, the cited material does not establish a complete current platform list.
Final recommendation by player type
| If you are looking for… | Best match | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The closest modern follow-up to a classic mascot platformer | Rayman Legends | Stage-driven, colorful, family-friendly, and immediately legible |
| A complete retro-style collection | Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove | Full series package with an 8-bit retro aesthetic |
| The strictest movement challenge | Celeste | “Super-tight, hand-crafted” platforming built around precision |
| A huge world with combat and discovery | Hollow Knight | Vast interconnected 2D action-adventure structure |
| Fluid traversal, puzzles, and emotion | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Combines platforming with painterly presentation and adventure |
| Classic Sonic speed and replayability | Sonic Origins | Remastered collection of four foundational Sonic campaigns |
For most players leaving a classic favorite and wanting something new but immediately understandable, start with Rayman Legends. Choose Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove for the strongest retro connection, Celeste for precision, Hollow Knight for exploration, Ori and the Will of the Wisps for atmosphere, or Sonic Origins when the original speed-focused formula is still exactly what you want.
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