The greatest video game jumper of all time has to be Mario. He was not the first jumping hero in a video game, but he certainly became the poster child for the mechanic and for the genre that would become known as the platformer. Jumping is easily one of the most common gameplay controls in gaming expanding from platformers to RPGs all the way to shooters.
It's such a common mechanic now that it feels weird when a jump on command button doesn't appear in a game. These eight games in particular are sorely missing the jump ability. They're good as they are, but one can't help but wonder if they could have been better if jumping had been implemented.
8 Bionic Commando
Bionic Commando had a cool gimmick for an NES game. Instead of jumping like in most action platformers, players could use their cybernetic arm to latch on to things. They could then swing around like Spider-Man to try and stop the Nazis. The Western version technically was about a random terrorist organization.
However, the Nazi threat was more apparent in the original version as the game was called Hitler's Resurrection: Top Secret, which is arguably a cooler name. Nazis or not, a jump would have helped and a dedicated button would be added to sequels later.
7 Brutal Legend
Brutal Legend was advertised as the most metal action game from Double Fine. It was certainly that, accompanied by a great voice cast of comedians, talented voice actors, and rock legends including Jack Black, Ozzy Osborne, and Lemmy Kilmister.
Fans probably weren’t expecting the RTS elements in the game as well along with the lack of platforming. Despite the rock/metal infusion, it had the vibe of other platformers at the time but Eddie Riggs, the protagonist, could not jump on command.
6 Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
The point of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is to not have a jump. This game is centered around puzzle dioramas where players have to navigate through puzzles and enemies as the titular hero. If Captain Toad could jump, it would defeat the purpose of many of these puzzles.
It is weird to have a Mario game wherein a character can’t jump though. The puzzles could have been designed differently to incorporate a jump. Either way, the game is good, and probably doesn’t need a jump, but it is fun to think about the what-if scenario.
5 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Final Fantasy 7 Remake borrowed a lot from Kingdom Hearts like the action combat. It could have stolen a bit more from that game’s mechanics such as a jump button. There are times when players will get button prompts to vault over things and a jump command would have made movement more fluid.
Fans can hope that the next installment, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, will have a jump button and more platforming opportunities too. Cloud does a lot of squats, so his jumping ability should be pristine.
4 God of War (2018)
The God of War series, before the reboot, used to have a lot of jumping in it. After the 2018 reboot, Kratos was cemented to the ground to help create a more visceral action game. It’s a great action game that is beloved by fans and critics alike.
Still, one can’t help but think what a jump button could have done to make navigation easier in the reboot and the sequel, God of War Ragnarok. Maybe Kratos or Atreus can jump in the next game if there is one.
3 Lost In Random
Lost in Random is one of the most confusing games in recent memory to neglect a jump button. The game feels like a platformer from the PS2 heyday of mascot platformers and oddball action games. It looks like it came from the mind of Tim Burton or even Tim Schafer who created one of the zaniest platform series of all time, Psychonauts.
Lost in Random, however, is more of an action game with dice-based combat. The lack of a jump button doesn’t hurt the experience but it could have certainly helped the game stick out more.
2 Nioh
Nioh made a big name for itself for being a competent Soulslike when the genre was blowing up. It was different than most in the genre at the time because it had a more Japanese flavor to it with plenty of samurai and demon action instead of typical fantasy-based combat.
It was also a faster-paced game, falling somewhere between Devil May Cry and Dark Souls. Devil May Cry, and other action games of its kind, have jump buttons to help characters get around environments as well as dodge attacks from big bosses. Nioh has plenty of big bosses where a jump button could have helped ease the experience.
1 Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs was a spiritual successor to the True Crime series and even started as an entry in the franchise. The game stars Wei Shen, a cop who goes undercover to help stop a gang family in the Triads.
Part Grand Theft Auto clone, part martial arts movie homage, Sleeping Dogs was a killer action game two generations ago. There hasn't been an open-city game with as fluid combat as this since it came out. Even though Wei Shen is limber, he can't jump on command which is odd.