(PC, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DSi, Mac, Linux)Ĭave Story is a mandatory inclusion on any list about independently-made action games. In a world that's seemingly miles away from a 2D Metroid game announcement, Axiom Verge is definitely a 16-bit oasis of combat and exploration.
There's also a touch of Contra influence in the form of dozens of weapons you can collect and utilize against your futuristic foes. Not to suggest Axiom Verge is exclusively about exploring moody corridors for personal power-ups that let you delve deeper into the veins of its mysterious world. It was particularly welcomed by fans of the Metroid series, since Samus Aran's one-woman space opera hasn't had a 2D entry in years.
Tom Happ's Axiom Verge turned out to be a very nice surprise when it hit the PlayStation 4 last spring. These particular indie platformers are a great way to cement your love for hopping and bopping, or you can use them to re-connect with the game style you loved as a kid. Triple-A developers like Nintendo and Ubisoft still make top-notch contributions to the genre, but independent developers are the real stars of modern 2D gaming. Thankfully, 2D platformers' population rebounded - and then some. When the 16-bit era gave way to the polygonal 3D worlds presented in PlayStation and N64 games, there was a troubling moment when it seemed like 2D platformers were in danger of going extinct.
