Castlevania is a driving game.
A platform game -LRB- or platformer -RRB- is a type of video game , and a subgenre of action game .. video game. video game. action game. action game. It involves guiding a player character or avatar to jump between suspended platforms and / or over obstacles to traverse their environment .. player character. player character. avatar. Avatar ( computing ). The player controls the jumps to avoid letting their character fall to their death or miss necessary jumps .. The most common unifying element of games of this genre is the jump button , but now there are other alternatives like swiping a touchscreen .. genre. video game genre. Other acrobatic maneuvers may factor into the gameplay as well , such as climbing , swinging from vines or extendable arms , as in Ristar or Bionic Commando , or bouncing from springboards or trampolines , as in Alpha Waves .. Ristar. Ristar. Bionic Commando. Bionic Commando ( arcade ). Alpha Waves. Alpha Waves. gameplay. gameplay. These mechanics , even in the context of other genres , are commonly called platforming , a verbification of platform .. verbification. verbification. Games where jumping is automated completely , such as 3D games in The Legend of Zelda series , fall outside of the genre .. genre. video game genre. The Legend of Zelda. The Legend of Zelda. 3D computer graphics. Platform games originated in the early 1980s , with 3D successors popularized in the mid-1990s .. 3D computer graphics. The term itself describes games where jumping on platforms is an integral part of the gameplay and came into use after the genre had been established , no later than 1983 .. genre. video game genre. gameplay. gameplay. It is not a pure genre ; it is frequently coupled with elements of other genres , such as the shooter elements in Contra , Beat 'em up elements of Viewtiful Joe and Guacamelee !. genre. video game genre. shooter. shooter game. Contra. Contra ( video game ). Beat 'em up. Beat 'em up. Viewtiful Joe. Viewtiful Joe. , adventure elements of Flashback , or role-playing game elements of Castlevania  : Symphony of the Night .. adventure. adventure game. Flashback. Flashback : The Quest for Identity. role-playing game. console RPG. While commonly associated with console gaming , there have been many important platform games released to video arcades , as well as for handheld game consoles and home computers .. console gaming. console gaming. home computers. Personal computer. North America , Europe and Japan have played major parts in the genre 's evolution .. genre. video game genre. Platform themes range from cartoon-like games to science fiction and fantasy epics .. science fiction. science fiction. fantasy. fantasy. At one point , platform games were the most popular genre of video game .. video game. video game. genre. video game genre. At the peak of their popularity , it is estimated that between one-quarter and one-third of console games were platformers .. No genre either before or since has been able to achieve a similar market share .. genre. video game genre. As of 2006 , the genre had become far less dominant , representing a two percentage market share as compared to fifteen percent in 1998 , but is still commercially viable , with a number of games selling in the millions of units .. genre. video game genre. Since 2010 , a variety of endless running platformers for mobile devices have brought renewed popularity to the genre .. genre. video game genre