Let’s not overlook the historical significance of another PC-exclusive (until some much later ports) action-platformer, the Commander Keen series.
The success of the first release inspired the creators to quit their day jobs and start their own company, id software.
I was at a friend’s house playing Utopia: The Creation of a Nation on SNES.
He warned me not to save my game, but I blanked and did anyway. Apparently there was only one save slot, so I overwrote all his previous work. There’s not really anything to fess up to here, since he was sitting right there giving me the most what the fuck look a teenager can give. But for the record, I’m still sorry 30 years later, Rick.
He followed up a few days later, having continued my game, and the aliens absolutely fucked up my (our) colony almost immediately the save point. I didn’t even give him a good mid-starting point to begin from.
There’s a warp zone you can only reach with Luigi, IIRC (but it’s been a long time). So for one level, at least, he’s better if you want to skip ahead.
Wow, I haven’t fired this game up in probably 25+ years. Had no idea it was still being played at all.