Top 10 Worst 3D Platformer Games
Top 10 Worst 3D Platformers of All Time
Top 10 Video Games Where the Main Character is Having the Worst Time
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst 3D Platformers of All Time. For this list, we’ll be looking at some of the laziest and most poorly designed 3D platformers ever created. They may be playable, but that doesn't mean you should play them. And speaking of playing, let us know in the comments which of these 3d platformers are your least favorite and why!
#10: “Frogger: The Great Quest” (2001)
With games like "Swampy's Revenge," "Frogger" showed it could adapt to more modern systems while retaining the charm of its original incarnation. Unfortunately, "The Great Quest" tosses everything that defined "Frogger" in favor of a traditional 3D platformer akin to "Rayman 2" or "Pac-Man World," although with none of the charm of those games. "The Great Quest" has wonky physics and unpredictable controls, leading to many unfair deaths and frustrating moments. While the world and levels are colorful enough, that means nothing if the game is not fun to play. The story is also pretty terrible, even by the standards of early 3D platformers.
#9: “Shrek” (2001)
DreamWorks' ogre has a couple of decent games under his belt, although anything will seem like a masterpiece following the original "Shrek." A 3D platformer primarily inspired by "Super Mario 64," at least in level structure, "Shrek" is a bland game that only has decent visuals going for it, a positive that's not even that much of a factor in the GameCube version. The precious few moves at Shrek's disposal are performed with all the fluidity of a lumbering ogre still coming to grips with the act of running. The humor largely sticks to aping the most juvenile parts of the movie, which means Shrek can fart at the click of a button.
#8: “Ratatouille” (2007)
There have been plenty of Pixar games over the years, but they haven't all been as good as "Toy Story 3." "Ratatouille" is not an unplayable mess or the worst thing to happen to gaming; it's just a run-of-the-mill platformer that seems happy to settle for mediocrity. Considering the game is an adaptation of one of the most inspiring, funny, and charming animated movies of all time, "Ratatouille's" unwillingness to rise above the minimum is depressing. Most of Pixar's movies can be enjoyed by all ages, but even little kids might find themselves growing bored of "Ratatouille" within a few hours.
#7: “Tonic Trouble” (1999)
Another Ubisoft game released just a few months before 'Rayman 2," "Tonic Trouble" shares just enough things with its much better sibling that it ends up feeling a bit redundant. Although somewhat better on PC than the Nintendo 64, "Tonic Trouble" is let down by awkward controls, lackluster visuals, and uneven level design. A heavy focus on puzzle solving is not a bad thing, but "Tonic Trouble's" challenges are too simplistic to be anything more than time-wasters. "Tonic Trouble" is a forgettable game that does very little to stand out from the crowd.
#6: “Blues Brothers 2000” (2000)
Like its source material, "Blues Brothers 2000" is a derivative disappointment that apes better projects without capturing most of their strengths. "Blues Brothers 2000" wants to be "Super Mario 64" and a whole host of other Nintendo 3D platformers; in theory, this isn't the worst idea ever, but the game replicates the shells of those classics without any of the filling. "Blues Brothers 2000" also highlights some of the biggest criticisms of early 3D platformers, mainly an unruly camera, rough graphics, and pointless collect-a-thon distractions. Now, the only question that remains is whether the game is worse than the movie.
#5: “Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly” (2002)
Top 10 Spyro Games
With Insomniac Games moving on to "Ratchet & Clank," "Spyro" entered the sixth console generation with a lot to prove. Despite mostly copying the blueprint of the PS1 trilogy, "Enter the Dragonfly" is a disaster of a game that makes "Crash Bandicoot's" PS2 era look golden in comparison. Riddled with technical issues that make the game feel clunky at times, "Enter the Dragonfly" is underbaked in nearly every area, most of all in its level design and depth. "Enter the Dragonfly" ruined Spyro's” reputation, a stink the franchise would not begin to properly shake off until 2018's "Reignited Trilogy."
#4: “Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric” (2014)
Top 10 Worst Sonic Games: Best of Watchmojo
Sega's blue blur has produced a couple of great 3D platformers, but when "Sonic'' drops the ball, the franchise leaves a crater in its wake. "Sonic 2006" is so broken that it can be fun to mess around with, a tiny defense that "Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric'' can't even muster. Incorporating various playstyles that simply serve to slow down the game's pacing, "Rise of Lyric'' isn't even terrible in an ambitious way, as "Unleashed" had already done melee combat and the "Adventure" games did a far greater job of utilizing different playable characters. Worst of all, "Rise of Lyric'' doesn't even get "Sonic's" fast-paced platforming right.
#3: “Balan Wonderworld” (2021)
Why is Balan Wonderworld SO BAD?
Published by Square Enix and directed by Yuji Naka, whose portfolio includes most of the best 2D "Sonic the Hedgehog" games, "Balan Wonderworld" is an ill-conceived failure of baffling proportions. Uninspired levels, a nonsensical storyline, and boring hub worlds are just minor issues when compared to "Balan Wonderworld's" greatest flaw: this is a platformer that blocks jumping. For whatever reason, "Balan Wonderworld" maps a single action to every button, forcing players to unlock basic moves by swapping costumes. That means, depending on the outfit, there will be instances when Balan cannot jump. The game doesn’t manage to justify this gimmick.
#2: “Bubsy 3D” (1996)
A mascot does not need to star in a great game to reach legendary status, and this wisecracking Wooly is the perfect example. There are plenty of bad 3D platformers, but "Bubsy 3D" exists on its own floating platform far above most of its contemporaries. Released three months after "Super Mario 64," "Bubsy 3D" is lightyears behind Nintendo's classic in terms of aesthetics, controls, and level design. This masterpiece of awfulness looks ugly, plays horribly, and even grates on the ears if the option to mute Bubsy's stand-up routine is not selected. While not as intended, "Bubsy 3D" has brought plenty of joy to the world. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Bionicle” (2003)
Because Even Fans of “Bionicle” Will Find Little to Enjoy Here
“Barbie: Explorer” (2001)
Because Lara Croft at Her "Angel of Darkness" Worst Still Puts Barbie to Shame
“Earthworm Jim 3D” (1999)
Because It’s a Poor Imitation of 3D Platformers & A Terrible Follow-up to the 2D Era
#1: “Ninjabread Man” (2005)
With shovelware like "Anubis II" and "Myth Makers: Trixie in Toyland," Data Design Interactive left quite a mark on the mid-2000s' platforming scene, and those two games do not compare to the studio's magnum opus. "Ninjabread Man's" creativity starts and ends with its name, as any hope of something resembling a competent platformer disappears the second the game boots up. A lifeless menu gives way to a haphazardly pieced together sugary wonderland and a playable character who treats button inputs as mere suggestions, particularly in the Wii version. "Ninjabread Man" exists to confirm that, yes, a game can always be worse.
