Seeing as we seem to no longer be talking about PS1, I would have to put my two cents in for Voodoo Vince on Xbox. Quite simply, this is the best platform game I've ever played.
Its not the most original game ever - I could list 20 ideas that were used in other games - but its how they use those ideas. I mean those 20 other games were all single concept games but VV incorporates all these ideas together in the way he moves, interacts and fights as well as the levels. The levels are completely original, not the standard jumping from platform to platform. One level was a huge capture the flag against freaky dancing monsters. A boss level had me riding a giant rat, trying to be squished under falling masonry (he's a voodoo doll so any intentional damage to him hurts the enemies
). Another had me running around a toy train set trying to get run over.
The main objection I normally have to platformers is the way you have to precisely align yourself to land on a platform or you die
. Vince has the ability to float which makes this easy. Also extra lives are freely available so thats not a problem.
Voodoo Vince gets 8.5/10 in the nate_dog game-hall of fame reviews