What are the best features in a platformer

If a game has a functional double-jump, it is almost always a recipe for success. That said, the game still has to be fun, and if the player character moves too slow it won't automatically make for a good game.
 
Double-jump, wall jumping and some sort of optimal path that's not immediately obvious to new players but that REALLY benefits those paying attention.
 
Taking the enemy's weapon/powers and using it against them
 
I value reliable controls and visual design choices that make sense. Alot of platformers struggle with the basics or have bland presentation quirks that robs them of their personality.
 
I like then to be unpredictable, with a lot of variety and creativity in level design. My favorite 3d platformer, Rayman 2, introduces new elements in pretty much every single level. My favorite 2D platformer, Mario Bros 3, despite the huge amount of levels, never feels like it's just repeating itself, with each world having it's unique gimmicks.
 
Simple controls and gameplay. Platformers rely on imagination of game design to give the player a challenge or experience new worlds and power ups. Mario, Sonic, Mega Man are perfect examples of important platformers with excellent gameplay and creative worlds.
 
Since you are making a game, I'll go for more technical caveats:
  • Coyote Timing is a must for most platformers
  • Very little or no acceleration calculations if possible
  • Momentum and slope/sliding
  • Gravity force applied differently depending on states (jumping, wall jumping, sliding, etc)
  • Jumping having variability depending on input (how long you press the button)
 
Interacting with the environment
 
Vertical scrolling levels like climbing a tower, I like how meat boy used this
 
It's not really a mechanic, but I like it when a game's playable areas are split up. Not necessarily worlds and levels, but anything that gets away from the "this stage is just one giant-ass room with ramps and stuff everywhere, and maybe there are required leaps of faith" design that plagued so many 8 and 16 bit games.
 
Grappling hooks or "Fishing hooks", Love the multiple paths the and the physics that something like Umihara Kawase series puts in the table.
 
Bosses that let you kill them as you want instead of the annoying "Wait 664750790456 hours until the boss do a thing that let you attack them only once"
 
I love a good slide jump. Crash 2 & 3 being my example here, just makes level traversal so fun for repeat runs.
 

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