this post was submitted on 11 Jul 2025
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What was the first water level in a platformer? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 2 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I think Super Mario Bros might have been the first. Might depend on what counts as a "platformer" or a "water level".

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Jump Bug (late 1981) is the earliest. It has an entirely underwater level, and the car moves more slowly in it. It was also one of the earliest platformers, beaten only by Donkey Kong (mid 1981) and a couple others.

Super Mario Bros. (1985) introduced a significantly different mechanic for its water levels from the rest of the game, specifically swimming, and it was about a bajillion times more popular than Jump Bug. But it wasn't the first.