'Ten classic and modern platform games of varying levels of silliness'

Back when I was a teenager (and yes, computers had been invented by then, thank you very much), computer games were all platform games with pixelated figures running along platforms and jumping all over the screen.

Here are ten classic and modern platform games of varying levels of silliness. Surefish online games column – wasting time playing games so you don’t have to (but go on, you’ll enjoy them!)

Small but important print: All games are free downloads or free to view online, and need the minimum of equipment. Some games require your browser to have a 'plug in' for Shockwave, Flash or Java.

To play a game, simply click on its name. If you are a parent, we advise you to try the game and the site it's on first before letting your kids play them, to make sure you're happy. When downloading games from the Internet, don't forget to keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date.

Donkey Kong was released in 1981 and is thought to be the first platform game.

Help Jumpman to rescue the Lady (use the arrow keys to go up, down, left and right, and jump using the space bar) and avoid the barrels dropped by Donkey Kong. Hooked? Get your very own copy from Amazon.

Move from world to world with the man in the fancy pants – watch out for things like spiders and something that looked like a mouse with a bazooka…

Move using the left and right arrow keys, open doors using the up arrow key, duck or roll using the down key, jump using the S key and pause with the space bar. Q toggles quality. The aim is to retrieve your ice cream from the giant rabbit who has stolen it. There is a sequel.

Use the left and right arrows to move, up to jump or aim up, down to pick up, swap or aim down, and space to use item or shoot ball.

Solve puzzles, collect items and stop the magician turning people into squares. Faintly surreal and seemed to involve a great many hats.

Rescue your girlfriend from Sir Giant Pink Lizard. You only have one life, and you can’t restart, or even refresh the page, so make the most of the one life you have (and enjoy the sequence if you don’t make it…)

You are Sly the fox. Start by collecting fairyflies to help William reactivate his teleporter. Runestones will keep the darklings away.

There are some invisible paths through the black areas, and climbing trees can get you to new platforms. Move using the arrow keys, and use the shift key to bring up the map. Somewhat addictive.

• Darkness: The Cage

Use the paint balls to reveal the platforms, and then try to guide your ball to the goal. Using less ink scores more points. Move around using the arrow keys and click the mouse to shoot ink.

Complete the tasks – start with finding the lost sheep. Collect animals and watch out for wild animals. Use the left and right arrow to move and the up arrow to jump.

The down arrow makes you duck – add in the space to look down. To flip over, arrow up then down. Adding in a space makes this a martial arts style kick (space alone is an ordinary kick or weapon fire).

Enter switches between weapons. Not entirely sure how biblical it is, but quite fun!

Your aim is to guide the two amnesiac heroes past deadly traps and puzzles as they search for a way out of the Platform Labyrinth.

Switch characters using the space (you need to get both of them to the end if the level), use the left and right arrows to move, and z or > to jump.

Combining the left or right arrow with the jump key will help you climb walls. You might need to install Adobe Shockwave for this game.

Help the superhuman Roy climb to the top of the Prizm Tower to save the world from the invasion of the Void and bring back colour.

A moves you left, D moves you right, and W makes you jump. Collect crayons along the way.

Get any of the boxmen to the floating white box. Use the arrow keys to move and shift to make more boxmen.

The clones will copy what the original was doing when they were made. Use the R key to reset. It’ not as easy as it looks, but it’s fun.

This one doesn’t seem to work in Firefox – try in Internet Explorer.

Suzanne Elvidge is a freelance writer and Surefish Ethical Living Editor

Links

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