Suggest me some relaxing platformer exploration adventure-like games

[mr_lou]

So back in December 2012, I created a thread asking for suggestions for relaxing CPC games.
Suggest me some relaxing games

Some good suggestions came up back then.

I've since found out about myself that I really like slow-paced platformer exploration games. I.e. rather semi-large worlds that you can explore while taking care of various relatively easy tasks. Having good relaxing background music can be good, but silence + sound effects often creates an equally good atmosphere too.

Some examples of such games:

Radzone
Teodoro who can't fly
Frostbyte
Bruce Lee
Joe Gunn (C64)
Within a deep forrest (Windows)

Some of the things that makes these relaxing slow-paced platformer exploration games in my opinion, are: Nothing moves insane fast. Nothing respawns right after it's been killed. No timer is counting down. And the world is cosy and inviting / interesting.

I've of course tried searching both cpc-power.com and lemonamiga.com, but there's no "Platformer exploration" search category option. LemonAmiga has "Platform" as genre, but as sub-genre I can only choose e.g. "Scrolling", which lists all the arcade platformers too of course.

Regarding scrolling, I actually imagine it would be best if the game didn't scroll, but rather had static screens, like all of the above examples.

So I'm asking here now. Can you suggest me more games in that style, for the Amstrad CPC or Commodore 64 or Amiga? Thanks! 


Examples of games that almost has these things:

Obsidian - awesome, but sadly gets too complex later in the game
Wriggler - great, but sadly gets too difficult later in the game
Zorro - cosy, but sadly gets too difficult later in the game (underground)
Super Sleuth - ruined by customers constantly bouncing into you.
Caves of doom - too difficult and slightly too fast
Roland in time/space - world just too uninteresting, and movement annoying

[EgoTrip]

Probably too obvious, but I'd suggest the Dizzy adventures. Chuckie Egg 2 is pretty cool, if a little on the difficult side.

[Token]

Indeed Dizzy...
Twinworld

[sigh]

Samurai Warrior: The battles of Usagi Yojimbo. It moves at a very sedate pace and there is no time limit.

Depending on how you approach the game, Turrican needn't be too hectic. I'm not a fan of these games, but I remember there being lots of exploring to do.

Prince of Persia?
The Scout Steps Out?

Not to sure what your idea of relaxing is for you....

[reidrac]

On the homebrew side of things, what about two Mojon Twins' titles:

- Sir Ababol
- UWOL 2

[mr_lou]

Probably too obvious, but I'd suggest the Dizzy adventures. Chuckie Egg 2 is pretty cool, if a little on the difficult side.

Yes, the Dizzy games definitely belong in this category, but they are somewhat difficult. The problem with adventure-games in general are the often illogical puzzles you have to solve, or needing to jump from 3 screens up from a certani place in order to land a certain other place.....

That's why I like "Teodoro" and "Caves of Doom". It's simply "Found a yellow key? Then go find the yellow door".

Minimal puzzles should be fine too though.

Samurai Warrior: The battles of Usagi Yojimbo. It moves at a very sedate pace and there is no time limit.

Depending on how you approach the game, Turrican needn't be too hectic. I'm not a fan of these games, but I remember there being lots of exploring to do.

Prince of Persia?
The Scout Steps Out?

Didn't know Samurai Warrior, so I checked out a YouTube video. It doesn't look too much like an exploration, since you can only go in one direction all the time.
The Scouts Steps Out does belong on the list yes, although it's a bit too difficult in my opinion.
Prince of Persia also fits the category nicely I think.

On the homebrew side of things, what about two Mojon Twins' titles:

- Sir Ababol
- UWOL 2

Yes, I've actually enjoyed both of those in recent years.

[mr_lou]

Indeed Dizzy...
Twinworld

Hm, I tried Twinworld for the CPC earlier, didn't appeal to me.
I'll try the Amiga version.

[sigh]

There are multiple paths in Samurai Warrior:)

[qbert]

Some examples of such games:

Radzone
Teodoro who can't fly
Frostbyte
Bruce Lee
Joe Gunn (C64)
Within a deep forrest (Windows)

Well, since you're giving in you list some classics among the classics like "Bruce Lee", I'll remind one of the french classics of that time (1985) : Infernal Runner on the CPC.

Depending on your personnal history you may already know the well known Infernal Runner on the C64, but the CPC adaptation is actually a completely different game with its own level design and playability.

The animations, in particular, are gorgeous for the time, since the CPC version was made by Eric Chahi, who produced later the awesome "Another World" (1991) and "Heart of Darkness" (1998).

Not an adventure-game at all, in fact, but a great movie-like ambience, very much like "Bruce Lee".

[mr_lou]

Well, since you're giving in you list some classics among the classics like "Bruce Lee", I'll remind one of the french classics of that time (1985) : Infernal Runner on the CPC.

I actually tried Infernal Runner a while back, but gave up fast because I thought it was too difficult.
Will give it another go.

[qbert]

I actually tried Infernal Runner a while back, but gave up fast because I thought it was too difficult.
Will give it another go.

In fact, It's actually one the most playable platform games to this day : there are absolutely no random deaths on any of the screens. Each screen is tricky in its own way because you have to find the right way for avoiding specific traps. That's what made each screen unique in that game.

If you find the later "Prince Of Persia" a difficult game, then, "yes", you'll find "Infernal Runner" as well. But are there seriously some people ont Earth that find "Prince Of Persia" a difficult game ? ? ? 

PS : By the way, the original C64 game is way harder. The CPC version is more an "explore and puzzle out" game... pretty relaxing really, if you like real-time puzzles.

[mr_lou]

Each screen is tricky in its own way because you have to find the right way for avoiding specific traps.

But that makes the game not so much a platform exploration game, but rather kind of a platform puzzle game, imho...

[Puresox]

Moontorc, by Alternative
Elven Warrior- Players ( Just have to get used to the Jump Mechanic, Cannot jump at an angle? only straight up, very odd)
Metal Army- Players- MIght be too hectic
Lop Ears- Players

[qbert]

But that makes the game not so much a platform exploration game, but rather kind of a platform puzzle game, imho...

I'll admit that real-time puzzles are not, by definition, slow-paced puzzles.
By the way, "Bruce Lee" with some of its  "projectiles and double reversed conveyor belt traps", is not either a slow-paced game.

[mr_lou]

Moontorc, by Alternative
Elven Warrior- Players ( Just have to get used to the Jump Mechanic, Cannot jump at an angle? only straight up, very odd)
Metal Army- Players- MIght be too hectic
Lop Ears- Players

Judging from screenshots, these look very promising. Will check them out soon. 

"Bruce Lee" with some of its  "projectiles and double reversed conveyor belt traps", is not either a slow-paced game.

I agree there's one screen in Bruce Lee that is very difficult. But that's just one screen out of many.
With Infernal Runner it felt more like it was all screens, but I'll try it out again.

[Puresox]

Oh one more game , that I bleat on about a lot, have you ever given 'Triaxo's' by Ariolasoft ago ? If you haven't and would like a clever game to work out, this is not your normal Isometric style game and is fairly unique. I find it really compelling game , and I am forever trying to work out how to map it , which is a tough job because you are working inside of a cube , which can be revolved around. Hard to explain and even harder to map. I love it and the Amstrad version is far better than the C64 version too.

[qbert]

With Infernal Runner it felt more like it was all screens, but I'll try it out again.

Just make the effort to stay away of walkthrough/longplay videos on youtube for a good moment.  If not, youtube'll certainly and completely steal your pleasure more surely than any too tricky trap. 

[dodogildo]

Does Rick Dangerous (2) count?

[Shaun M. Neary]

By the way, "Bruce Lee" with some of its  "projectiles and double reversed conveyor belt traps", is not either a slow-paced game.

This! Seriously, is there a technique to that pox of a level after the first belt, or is it just trial and error?
Because if there is, I'm damned if I've worked it out after almost 30 years!

[Puresox]

Personally didn't find it too difficult , It was one of those screens where I didn't over think it, I just got a feel of each different sequence and just went for it . I'm gonna have to play the game again and check it out , to see how it is now.

[Shaun M. Neary]

Personally didn't find it too difficult , It was one of those screens where I didn't over think it, I just got a feel of each different sequence and just went for it . I'm gonna have to play the game again and check it out , to see how it is now.

Nine times out of ten, I can make it to the bottom belt... then it's either pass or die, I can't find any logic behind it at all.

[qbert]

then it's either pass or die, I can't find any logic behind it at all.

That screen is abolutely not random. You have to learn each belt independently. Of course you need a cheat or snapshot mode for this, but once you know the sequence for each belt by heart, you're able to repeat the whole screen as often as wanted.

That's what I like with these games : random death does not exist, apart from the 2 minions, who bring a bit of unpredictability (and fun !).

Vintage coin-op arcade games, in comparison, are sometimes random and unfair (obviously not the best ones : Pac-man, Galaxian, ....).

[CraigsBar]

Platforms, exploration and relaxed?.. Sounds like Spindizzy to me!

[OCT]

Platforms, exploration and relaxed?.. Sounds like Spindizzy to me!

In a similar vein, beauty & calm, Magnetic Tank (Speccy or CGA PC video I guess, more colorful on CPC, MGT for short, cf. J'ai rejoué à... M.G.T. - Game Box in French; OK you can get killed).

Even Knight Lore is rather slow-paced and not all that mortal.

Then the Cauldrons of course (in particular part 1 a/k/a Hexenküche famously rewritten to PC by Devilmarkus), Glider Rider, and very non-violent Bad Cat.

More towards Point'n'Click, ERE's Eden/Doomsday Blues and on a lighter note: MegaBucks.

[Ast]

Your YT video is crap (PC EGA). Amstrad Cpc's one is better !!! Try this one :
Bruno Masson was really a great artist (my favourite), maybe the best graphist on Cpc....