sidescroller
Left-to-right adventure
A sidescroller is a video game where the action unfolds from a side-view perspective, with the player character moving left or right across a horizontally scrolling screen.
The genre dominated early platformers like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog: I spent hours playing sidescrollers as a kid.
Also called a side-scroller.
Italian masculine name
- SonicBlue gaming icon
- ContraNicaraguan anti-government fighter
- CastlevaniaGothic action game series
- MetroidFictional parasitic alien species
Prince of Persia · Double Dragon · Battletoads · DuckTales · Rayman · Hollow Knight · Cuphead
Position change from different vantages
- jumpPropel oneself airborne
- runMove swiftly on foot
- platformRaised flat structure
- obstacleSomething blocking the way
checkpoint · level · enemy · boss · power-up · collectible · lives · health
Vintage computing standard
- 16-bitComputing word length
- pixelatedComposed of visible squares
- chiptuneVintage console sound art
- cartridgeSealed container for supplies
NES · SNES · Genesis · Game Boy · CRT · sprites · joystick · gamepad
Leap-based video game
- run-and-gunMobile aggressive attack style
- beat-em-upCombat-focused action genre
- shoot-em-upGun-heavy action entertainment
Two-dimensional
- layersStacked levels or coatings
- backgroundOne's formative experiences
- foregroundNearest visual plane
- landscapeVisible features of terrain
Mario
Italian masculine name
- SonicBlue gaming icon
- ContraNicaraguan anti-government fighter
- CastlevaniaGothic action game series
Metroid · Prince of Persia · Double Dragon · Battletoads · DuckTales · Rayman · Hollow Knight · Cuphead
parallax
Position change from different vantages
obstacle · checkpoint · level · enemy · boss · power-up · collectible · lives · health · spawnpoint
8-bit
Vintage computing standard
cartridge · NES · SNES · Genesis · Game Boy · CRT · sprites · joystick · gamepad · highscore
platformer
Leap-based video game
- run-and-gunMobile aggressive attack style
- beat-em-upCombat-focused action genre
- shoot-em-upGun-heavy action entertainment
2D
Two-dimensional
- layersStacked levels or coatings
- backgroundOne's formative experiences
- foregroundNearest visual plane
landscape · procedural · infinite · animation · autoscroll