Steve Coleman‘s Rainbow Walker was first published by Synapse Software in 1983.
It is an unusual, pseudo 3D platform game with a curved track of grey tiles, each of which you (a small, blobby character called Cedrick) have to step on in order to turn into coloured tiles. The aim being: to turn the entire track into a rainbow, by standing on every tile.
International Karate was released in 1986 by System 3 Software.
It was written by Archer MacLean and was one of the first beat ’em ups – ever – to actually feel like a decent game to play and not a ridiculous slug-fest.
David Lubar‘s 1984 classic, Pastfinder, originated on Atari 8-bit home computers.
It’s a strange, vertically-scrolling shoot ’em up with strategic overtones.
Randy Glover‘s classic platform game, Jumpman, was originally developed for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers and first published by Epyx in 1983.
The original game features 30 different levels (ten each on Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced skill settings), with the aim being to run and jump your way through the maze of platforms, ropes, and ladders, and to defuse all the bombs by touching them.
The sequel to Miner 2049er, Bounty Bob Strikes Back, again features the jumping cowboy trying to walk on every piece of platform surface, although this game is much more subtle and challenging than the first one.
The original Miner 2049er fitted into just 16K of RAM, so would run on an Atari 400 (as well as any other Atari 8-bit home computer). It is a very early platform game, written by Bill Hogue in 1982, and featuring the character ‘Bounty Bob’.
Winter Olympiad 88 for the ZX Spectrum was programmed by Derek Brewster, with graphics by Philip Scott. It is a multi-event winter sports game, no doubt created to cash in on the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.
Derek Brewster‘s Jasper is a decent platform game from the early days of the ZX Spectrum. It was first published by Micromega in 1984.
Jasper himself is a yellow mouse, and his raison d’etre in life is: making it home across 22 screens of obstacles.
Firebird Software released BMX Kidz for the Commodore 64 in 1987.
Bubsy (in Fractured Furry Tales, to give the game its full title) is another okay-to-middling platform game that stands out like a sore thumb on the Atari Jaguar.
The King of Grabs 