Best games
Best Platformer games of 1991
The 17 best Platformer games released in 1991, ranked from 1,782 critic and player ratings.
The best Platformer game of 1991 is Super Castlevania IV, with a critic score of 100/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1991.
- 17 games are listed on this page, carrying 1,782 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 17
01
Super Castlevania IV
A century of Transylvanian tranquility is about to come to a shocking end. Once again the mortifying screams of helpless villagers shake the ground as they huddle against new nightmarish horrors unleashed by the Duke of Darkness, Count Dracula. And this time he has a tombstone with your name on it, Simon Belmont. You must descend into Castle of the Undead and its gruesome ground, accompanied by the most chilling sound effects to ever tingle your spine. Inside, a freshly dug 11 levels maze features the treacherous Terrace of Terror, the dangerous Rotating Dungeon, the Sunken Ruins of Lost Spirits, torture chambers and creature filled caves. Use your whip like a grappling hook and swing past hundreds of traps and a host of ghost freaks, living corpses and hidden goblins. All while dodging or destroying the unpredictable spitting lizards, carnivorous coffins, and more. Find the concealed weapons needed to defeat everything from eerie phantoms to haunted furniture. Then prepare to find yourself face-to-thing with hideous torments like the Tongue Lasher, the Darkest Knight, the Bone-Afide Horseman and the Granite Crusher. When your nerves get shot, use your password and take a breather. But forge on, Simon Belmont, because if you though Dracula was down for the count, he's only just begun to fright!
100
/100
02
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds and sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds.
85
/100
03
Out of This World
Out of This World (Another World in Europe) is a cinematic platformer that uses vector-based graphics and rotoscoped animations to deliver a minimalistic yet expressive visual style. It features a combination of action, platforming, and puzzle-solving mechanics, with a deliberate lack of HUD and textual guidance. Gameplay emphasizes trial-and-error, timing, and exploration, with a limited checkpoint system. In 2005, a homebrew port of the Atari ST version was released for the Game Boy Advance, officially allowed by Éric Chahi to be published with the original assets.
84
/100
Super Castlevania IV
A century of Transylvanian tranquility is about to come to a shocking end. Once again the mortifying screams of helpless villagers shake the ground as they huddle against new nightmarish horrors unleashed by the Duke of Darkness, Count Dracula. And this time he has a tombstone with your name on it, Simon Belmont. You must descend into Castle of the Undead and its gruesome ground, accompanied by the most chilling sound effects to ever tingle your spine. Inside, a freshly dug 11 levels maze features the treacherous Terrace of Terror, the dangerous Rotating Dungeon, the Sunken Ruins of Lost Spirits, torture chambers and creature filled caves. Use your whip like a grappling hook and swing past hundreds of traps and a host of ghost freaks, living corpses and hidden goblins. All while dodging or destroying the unpredictable spitting lizards, carnivorous coffins, and more. Find the concealed weapons needed to defeat everything from eerie phantoms to haunted furniture. Then prepare to find yourself face-to-thing with hideous torments like the Tongue Lasher, the Darkest Knight, the Bone-Afide Horseman and the Granite Crusher. When your nerves get shot, use your password and take a breather. But forge on, Simon Belmont, because if you though Dracula was down for the count, he's only just begun to fright!
100
/100
02
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2D side-scrolling platformer developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds and sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds.
85
/100
03
Out of This World
Out of This World (Another World in Europe) is a cinematic platformer that uses vector-based graphics and rotoscoped animations to deliver a minimalistic yet expressive visual style. It features a combination of action, platforming, and puzzle-solving mechanics, with a deliberate lack of HUD and textual guidance. Gameplay emphasizes trial-and-error, timing, and exploration, with a limited checkpoint system. In 2005, a homebrew port of the Atari ST version was released for the Game Boy Advance, officially allowed by Éric Chahi to be published with the original assets.
84
/100
04
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (1991)
Thrilling new cinema screen! Follow the story of Ryu's epic adventure through Tecmo's movie-like Cinema Screen Animation. As you complete each level, a new part of the story unfolds. Exciting new powers and weapons! Over the years Ninja Ryu's fighting skills have improved to include fantastic new powers and weapons. Action-packed Ninja adventure! Can you get Ryu through his most challenging adventure as he battles the hideous ancient forces of darkness to save mankind? The Ultimate Ninja Challenge!
84
/100
05
QuackShot Starring Donald Duck
QuackShot starring Donald Duck is a steady Disney run-and-jump platformer, with a little puzzle-solving element. Characters are mostly based on Disney's cartoon series Duck Tales. Donald and his three nephews get their hands on a treasure map and set out to hunt the big prize. Donald travels throughout the world, to places like Egypt, India, South Pole, and even Transylvania, while his nephews fly an airplane. As a weapon Donald uses plungers that can freeze the enemies or stick to walls which can then be used for climbing. Other wacky weapons are popcorn and bubblegum.
80
/100
06
Sunset Riders
Sunset Riders is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed and released by Konami in 1991. It is set in the American Old West, where the players take control of bounty hunters who are seeking the rewards offered for various criminals. Each bad guy has a big reward on his head, and they're helped by hordes of bandits, gunslingers, and horse thieves, so pack loads of lead.
79
/100
07
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1991)
As dauntless knight Arthur you are caught up in the most dangerous of quests! A spell has been cast upon the kingdom. Your fair maiden, Princess Prin Prin has been snatched up by the evil emperor. Only as Arthur can you get her back from the creatures of the undead that haunt the land. Test your courage and skill to the limit. You must keep up the quest. On your journey, your mightiest weapon of all awaits you... MAGIC!
78
/100
08
Mega Man 4 (1991)
For a year the city has been quiet, but a new robotic terror has gripped the city! That scheming scientist, Dr. Cossack has arrived in town with eight new metal maniacs who are bigger and badder than anything Dr. Wily dreamed of. It's going to be a cybernetic showdown as the streets of the city erupt with the sizzling sounds of molten metal! Armed with the new Mega Buster, Mega Man runs, jumps and dodges his way through mazes of metallic munchkins on his way to the Siberian citadel of Dr. Cossack for the final cataclysmic clash!
77
/100
09
Battletoads
Battletoads is the first game of the Battletoads series. The game is a platform scrolling beat 'em up, with varying elements of racing, climbing and vehicle-based obstacle courses. Players start with three lives each time the game is started, which get replenished every time the player continues after getting defeated. The game contains no saving system or password features. The player has a maximum of six hit points that can be replenished by eating flies. It is by some considered to be one of the hardest games of all time, and it have previously been listed at 8th place in IGN's "Top 10 Most Difficult Games to Beat."
76
/100
10
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll
Snake Rattle N Roll features two snakes, Rattle and Roll, as they make their way through eleven 3D isometric levels. The object is to navigate the obstacles in each level and eat enough "Nibbley Pibbleys" to ring a weigh-in bell located in the level, which will allow the snakes to exit. The game can be played by a single player or by two players simultaneously. It was later re released as part of Rare Replay collection on Xbox One.
76
/100
11
Tiny Toon Adventures
75
/100
12
Prehistorik
70
/100
13
Adventure Island II (1991)
69
/100
14
The Little Mermaid
67
/100
15
Metroid II: Return of Samus
60
/100
16
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants
59
/100
17
James Pond 2: Codename - RoboCod
50
/100
Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (1991)
Thrilling new cinema screen! Follow the story of Ryu's epic adventure through Tecmo's movie-like Cinema Screen Animation. As you complete each level, a new part of the story unfolds. Exciting new powers and weapons! Over the years Ninja Ryu's fighting skills have improved to include fantastic new powers and weapons. Action-packed Ninja adventure! Can you get Ryu through his most challenging adventure as he battles the hideous ancient forces of darkness to save mankind? The Ultimate Ninja Challenge!
84
/100
05
QuackShot Starring Donald Duck
QuackShot starring Donald Duck is a steady Disney run-and-jump platformer, with a little puzzle-solving element. Characters are mostly based on Disney's cartoon series Duck Tales. Donald and his three nephews get their hands on a treasure map and set out to hunt the big prize. Donald travels throughout the world, to places like Egypt, India, South Pole, and even Transylvania, while his nephews fly an airplane. As a weapon Donald uses plungers that can freeze the enemies or stick to walls which can then be used for climbing. Other wacky weapons are popcorn and bubblegum.
80
/100
06
Sunset Riders
Sunset Riders is a side-scrolling run and gun video game developed and released by Konami in 1991. It is set in the American Old West, where the players take control of bounty hunters who are seeking the rewards offered for various criminals. Each bad guy has a big reward on his head, and they're helped by hordes of bandits, gunslingers, and horse thieves, so pack loads of lead.
79
/100
07
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (1991)
As dauntless knight Arthur you are caught up in the most dangerous of quests! A spell has been cast upon the kingdom. Your fair maiden, Princess Prin Prin has been snatched up by the evil emperor. Only as Arthur can you get her back from the creatures of the undead that haunt the land. Test your courage and skill to the limit. You must keep up the quest. On your journey, your mightiest weapon of all awaits you... MAGIC!
78
/100
08
Mega Man 4 (1991)
For a year the city has been quiet, but a new robotic terror has gripped the city! That scheming scientist, Dr. Cossack has arrived in town with eight new metal maniacs who are bigger and badder than anything Dr. Wily dreamed of. It's going to be a cybernetic showdown as the streets of the city erupt with the sizzling sounds of molten metal! Armed with the new Mega Buster, Mega Man runs, jumps and dodges his way through mazes of metallic munchkins on his way to the Siberian citadel of Dr. Cossack for the final cataclysmic clash!
77
/100
09
Battletoads
Battletoads is the first game of the Battletoads series. The game is a platform scrolling beat 'em up, with varying elements of racing, climbing and vehicle-based obstacle courses. Players start with three lives each time the game is started, which get replenished every time the player continues after getting defeated. The game contains no saving system or password features. The player has a maximum of six hit points that can be replenished by eating flies. It is by some considered to be one of the hardest games of all time, and it have previously been listed at 8th place in IGN's "Top 10 Most Difficult Games to Beat."
76
/100
10
Snake Rattle 'n' Roll
Snake Rattle N Roll features two snakes, Rattle and Roll, as they make their way through eleven 3D isometric levels. The object is to navigate the obstacles in each level and eat enough "Nibbley Pibbleys" to ring a weigh-in bell located in the level, which will allow the snakes to exit. The game can be played by a single player or by two players simultaneously. It was later re released as part of Rare Replay collection on Xbox One.
76
/100
11
Tiny Toon Adventures
75
/100
12
Prehistorik
70
/100
13
Adventure Island II (1991)
69
/100
14
The Little Mermaid
67
/100
15
Metroid II: Return of Samus
60
/100
16
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants
59
/100
17
James Pond 2: Codename - RoboCod
50
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Platformer game of 1991?
Super Castlevania IV currently tops the ranking with a score of 100/100 across 98 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.