History Main / CollectAThonPlatformer

** ''VideoGame/SpyroSeasonOfIce''

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid-00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-a-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-a-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further unlike the large-scale 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

The core formula is as follows: [[GottaCatchThemAll collect X number of Y things to advance further into the game]]. There are barriers, natural or not, that will prevent the player from just moving on to the next level unless they explore and collect enough of the resident {{Plot Coupon}}s; however, very rarely are those conditions unfair (especially in the early game) and [[FractionalWinningCondition having to gather every collectible possible is never necessary]] in case you just want to beat the FinalBoss and finish the game, GoldenEnding aside.

* ''VideoGame/{{Poi}}''. One of the absolute straightest examples on this page.

In the late [[TheNineties 90's]], [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames 3D polygons were ready to take over the gaming industry]]. A good chunk of the market at the time consisted of 2D {{Platform Game}}s, so developers had the job of figuring out a way for those obstacle courses to properly transition into a 3D space. The answer was to seemingly downplay the "obstacle course" part.

Enter the Collect-a-Thon (short for "Collection Marathon"). A style of PlatformGame that was very popular in that era, inspired by the advent of ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', which sought to take advantage of the new axis provided by 3D polygons through large, explorable worlds where players could move around freely. This, however, led to some new problems: traditional {{Level Goal}}s at the end of linear paths looked a bit pointless in this new open-world reality. 3D perspective also made it harder for players to gauge height and distance during jumping sections, which wasn't helped by the camera now being [[FreeRotatingCamera dynamic]] instead of fixed (player breaks for camera adjusting were frequent back then). The solution was to sideline the actual platforming and turn exploration into a major part of the experience, but that also meant having to incentivize the player with some sort reward that could also function as a goal in order to do so; that's were the collection aspect comes in.

* ''VideoGame/SlyCooperAndTheThieviusRaccoonus'' (Downplayed. Most levels are linear, but the hubs are explorable to an extent, similar to ''Spyro The Dragon''. Sequels would feature open environments, but abandon the mandatory collecting)

** ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie1998''

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the early 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-a-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-a-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further unlike the large-scale 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-a-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-a-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further unlike the large-scale 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the early to mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-a-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-a-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further unlike the large-scale 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-a-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-a-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further unlike the large-scale 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

%%* ''VideoGame/HellPie''

* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'' Zigzagged. The game has loads of collectibles, but progress is mostly independent of them. We say "mostly" because there are many instances with obstacles requiring abilities only obtainable under a specific rank. Collecting figments and challenge markers is necessary in order to rank up in the first place

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' (Infamous for taking the genre UpToEleven)

Enter the Collect-A-Thon (short for "Collection Marathon"). A style of PlatformGame that was very popular in that era, inspired by the advent of ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'', which sought to take advantage of the new axis provided by 3D polygons through large, explorable worlds where players could move around freely. This, however, led to some new problems: traditional {{Level Goal}}s at the end of linear paths looked a bit pointless in this new open-world reality. 3D perspective also made it harder for players to gauge height and distance during jumping sections, which wasn't helped by the camera now being [[FreeRotatingCamera dynamic]] instead of fixed (player breaks for camera adjusting were frequent back then). The solution was to sideline the actual platforming and turn exploration into a major part of the experience, but that also meant having to incentivize the player with some sort reward that could also function as a goal in order to do so; that's were the collection aspect comes in.

Collect-A-Thons are known to fill their worlds with trinkets of various types, [[PickupHierarchy each in their own tiers of importance]]. Primary collectibles are rare and the most important to get, always requiring one or more objectives of relatively moderate-to-hard difficulty to be completed before awarded (they're often shiny and/or gold, to highlight their importance). Secondary and tertiary collectibles, on the other hand, are plentiful and serve to directly or indirectly help the player obtain primary ones, either by outright granting said primary collectibles after enough of them are picked up, [[FollowTheMoney guiding the player towards points of interest]] or being used as "currency" for new moves and weapons that will be necessary in the long run. There are also [[CollectionSidequest "bonus" collectibles]] that are generally optional to a non-HundredPercentCompletion run, meaning they can be either easier or ''harder'' to collect depending on how useful the reward provided is.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-A-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-A-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further unlike the large-scale 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

Reminder that not every 3D Platformer is a Collect-A-Thon (following the modern, agreed-upon definition). They might borrow some elements that are part of the genre, like the ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' games that require collected crystals to progress, but unless they feature enough explorable areas and gated progression under a specific number of objects, they don't count. Similarly, 2D Collect-A-Thons do exist as well, in which case expect several branching paths and side-areas featuring important collectibles.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-A-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-A-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the UsefulNotes/PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further much like the 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-A-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-A-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre. The [[UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames eighth generation]] would see a small-scale revival of the collect-a-thon in some indie circles with games like ''VideoGame/SuperLuckysTale'', ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'', and ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', though the difficulty of developing with the PolygonalGraphics required of the genre compared to sprites has limited the number of indie developers attempting to take it further much like the 2D platformer revival in the previous generation.

The genre would eventually lose popularity somewhere in the mid 00's as games like ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIII'' would expand further on the [[WideOpenSandbox open-world concept]], thus making Collect-A-Thons redundant for the most part. That said, the notion of exploring worlds in order to find and collect things was not lost in many modern games. In fact, it still persists even two decades later. 3D Platformers, however, would fall to the wayside by the late 00's just as 2D ones returned to viability in the market thanks to the success of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'' and other games of the type that thrived on handhelds and even consoles. The term "Collect-A-Thon" itself is relatively recent (back in the 90's, those were just good old Platform Games, except in 3D) and sorta carries a derisive tone to it, but there are many who still utilize it unironically, especially for more modern takes of the genre.

* ''VideoGame/ConkersBadFurDay'' (Downplayed. There are some open areas at the beginning, but, from 1/3rd of the game onwards, it's more or less entirely linear and filled with scripted sequences)

* ''VideoGame/{{Bubsy}} 3D''- Downplayed in that levels are Point A to Point B but the collectables are needed to get a different.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' series (Helped popularize the genre)

** While ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' isn't one, the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch re-release contains a side mode called ''VideoGame/BowsersFury'' that essentially fuses the 2D mechanics of the main game with ''[=64/Odyssey=]''-esque collect-a-thon mechanics and level design.

* ''VideoGame/Croc''