RELATED: Most Fun Jumping Mechanics in Gaming
A good double jump is one that feels good to perform and has a fun, bouncy animation. This is especially true when a game gives the player a ton of platforming challenges to make the most of this ability and make it truly shine. The best jumps can even become iconic, helping to define the franchise they’re from and the character they’re attached to.
10 Levitation (Psychonauts)
One of the psychic powers that Raz can obtain as the protagonist of Psychonauts is the power of Levitation. However, rather than the power of flight, he instead summons a literal thought bubble that can be used for a variety of different moves.
While Raz is introduced to the power with its ability to be rolled on, providing greater momentum, it can also act as a glide, as Raz holds it like a balloon. Most importantly, this bubble can be summoned in midair to allow Raz to launch himself off it for a double jump with a satisfying bounce in the process.
9 Leap Stone (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night)
The best moments in a Metroidvania come when the player unlocks new powers that drastically improve traversal, and naturally, a double jump is one of the key abilities for this. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s new abilities come from relics, one of which is the Leap Stone, which does exactly what its name suggests.
RELATED: The Best Vampire Games (That Aren’t Castlevania)
Castlevania being what it is, the Leap Stone’s double jump ability doesn’t just open up a huge portion of Dracula’s Castle,; italso gives the power a vampiric flavor for protagonist Alucard. His jump is powered by temporary bat wings that provide a little extra lift to reach new heights.
8 Floating (Kirby Series)
Kirby is an adorable pink ball best known for sucking in enemies and absorbing their powers. This ability also provides Kirby with a unique ability for traversal, as it also allows him to suck in air and inflate himself. With this, he can float around like a balloon, although he loses his ability to do anything else, only able to shoot air bubbles that cause him to fall.
This ability to float goes a little further than a simple jump, as Kirby can usually float indefinitely, but it’s a unique method of traversal that he even retains into the Smash Bros series, although there he will get tired and drop fairly quickly.
7 Double Jump Upgrade (Ori & The Blind Forest)
Ori & The Blind Forest is a game where traversal is king. As Ori unlocks new abilities as he ventures the forests, his traversal options open up until, eventually, the player is flying through levels, barely touching the ground. The double jump ability is a big part of this, naturally.
RELATED: Best Xbox Series X/S Games That Will Make You Cry
Unlike other double jumps, it doesn’t provide Ori with much upward momentum. However, it can drastically improve his horizontal distance, clearing wide pits with ease, and the faster Ori is going into the initial jump, the further he’ll go with the double jump. It’s one of the most satisfying actions in a game already full of satisfying movements.
6 Lightning Shield (Sonic 3)
Shield powerups have existed in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise since the very beginning. Initially, they simply provided Sonic with an extra hit point, one where he didn’t lose any of his rings. With the third game, though, the standard shields were replaced with three new variants, which each gave Sonic a new ability – the Flame Shield, the Water Shield, and the Lightning Shield.
The Lightning Shield’s special ability is an extra hop in the air, one which also gives out a little jolt of electricity that damages nearby enemies. It makes jumping even more enjoyable, and its extra damaging capability is a bonus.
5 Double Jump Powerup (Crash Bandicoot 3)
The Crash Bandicoot games initially started with a limited moveset, with Crash only able to jump and spin his way through the first game and gaining a slide and body slam in the second. In the third game, Naughty Dog expanded his moveset with a set of unlockable abilities; each one gained after defeating a boss. The ability unlocked for defeating the second boss, Dingodile, was a double jump power.
This hugely enhanced Crash’s jump ability, making him much more agile, all accompanied by a fun little splits animation as he hoists himself up for the extra jump, adding to the bounciness of it. It even returned in multiple games, including the most recent, Crash Bandicoot 4.
4 Madama Butterfly Wings (Bayonetta)
There are many ways that Bayonetta’s demonic patron, Madama Butterfly, shows herself through the Bayonetta series. From Bayonetta’s unusual shadow to the Wicked Weave attacks that appear in her combos, one especially distinctive element is Bayonetta’s double jump.
RELATED: Things That Hold Up Well About Bayonetta
When Bayonetta jumps in midair, she will sprout a pair of colorful patterned butterfly wings, courtesy of her patron, and gain a little extra lift. It’s a useful technique for hopping up to do additional air combos on enemies and for some of the game’s trickier platform challenges. The wings just add an extra layer of coolness to the animation.
3 Air Dash (Celeste)
Celeste is built almost entirely around its air dash move. Every level features a series of tough platforming challenges where the air dash must be used effectively to cover distances and give protagonist Madeline a push in the right direction.
The air dash is versatile, as it can be guided in eight directions, but it also has hidden depths that allow for complex expert strategies in tackling the game’s challenges, a boon to speedrunners everywhere. Much like the rest of Madeline’s movement, it also has a lot of squash and stretch in its animation that helps to add to its satisfying feel.
2 Flutter Jump (Yoshi Series)
When Yoshi starred in his own game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island for the SNES, Nintendo needed to find ways to differentiate him from Mario. Among his egg-throwing and tongue-grab abilities, they also gave him an extra jump, but rather than just a simple extra hop, they added an extra layer of cuteness to it.
Yoshi’s second jump is called the Flutter Jump, where he kicks his legs extremely fast to propel himself upwards. From Yoshi’s Story onwards, it’s been accompanied by a cute grunt of exertion to emphasize just how much effort he’s putting into kicking his little legs.
1 Screw Attack (Metroid Series)
The Metroid series is generous with jump upgrades, from abilities to give Samus higher jump abilities to a simple double jump. The Screw Attack, usually obtained as the last upgrade in most of the series, is the king of all of this, as it takes the double jump ability, expands its ability to keep Samus in the air and the force of it causes damage to any enemy caught in Samus’ jump arc.
With proper timing, the Screw Attack can turn Samus into an unstoppable airborne ball of death that can breeze through the environment without issue. Perfect for seeking out the last few energy tanks and missile upgrades before heading to the end of the game.
MORE: Games on PlayStation with the Best Parkour Mechanics
