10 Forgotten Platform Game Gems You Should Be Playing

1. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

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Developer: Nintendo Year: 2006 Availability: Gamecube, Wii It may seem crazy for a game with such a recognizable character to go largely unplayed, but DK Jungle Beat was released at a bad time. Since it was released at the end of the Gamecube's lifetime when the Wii was already on the horizon, Jungle Beat fall between the cracks; and that is a real shame. The first thing you notice about the game is the unique control scheme; you control Donkey Kong using the Nintendo Bongo controller. Hitting the bongo in the direction you want to move and clapping to jump and attack, you guide Donkey Kong through the world to collect fruit and get a high score. The game has to be played to be really understood, but once you learn how to play it is a blast: the fast paced game play and music make every level exciting, and building up combos is hugely addictive. The team behind Jungle Beat went on to make the Super Mario Galaxy games, and many great elements of the level design carried over.The boss fights are one of the highlights of the game, changing up the style of the game. The game deserved a better release window than it got and would no doubt have sold much better at a different time. Jungle Beat was later re-released as part of the New Play Control series for Wii, hopefully many more people will get the chance to play it that way. Did we miss any classic underloved platform games? Share your own picks below...
 
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David Ochart is a born and raised enthusiest. The offspring of a Trekkie and a History buff, and the middle child of 7 equally avid siblings, he has spent much of his life firmly entrenched in nerd-culture. From Batman to Godzilla to The Legend of Zelda, if David is not reading watching or playing, he's contemplating and analyzing. Follow him on Twitter @DavidOchart and check out his Blog at AnIllustratedLife.Tumblr.Com