Platformer
video game where the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment
A platformer (or platform game), also known as a jump 'n' run, is a subgenre of an action video game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels with uneven terrain and suspended platforms that require jumping and climbing to traverse. Other acrobatic maneuvers may factor into the gameplay, such as swinging from vines or grappling hooks, jumping off walls, gliding through the air, or bouncing from springboards or trampolines.
Space Panic (1980), which has walkable platforms and ladders but not jumping, is sometimes seen as the first platformer. Donkey Kong, released in 1981, established a template for what were initially called "climbing games". Donkey Kong inspired many clones and games with similar elements, such as Miner 2049er (1982) and Kangaroo (1982), while the Sega arcade game Congo Bongo (1983) adds a third dimension via isometric graphics. Another popular game of that period, Pitfall! (1982), allows moving left and right through series of non-scrolling screens, expanding the play area. Nintendo's flagship Super Mario Bros. (1985) and the subsequent Super Mario series were the defining games for the genre, with horizontally scrolling levels and the player controlling a named character, Mario, which became Nintendo's mascot.
“Platformer” enters the record as video game where the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Platformer, video and game can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Platformer” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Platformer, video and game provides the most credible route into that argument.
The entry’s evidential value lies in the named roles, institutions and publications that can be tested against primary documentation. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q828322. The first chronological checks are 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
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Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Platformer”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Platformer primary sources, Platformer archive and Platformer research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Platformer” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.