The 3D platformer is quintessentially Nintendo. As famous as games like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Astro Bot are, they all live in the shadow of (and often owe a debt of gratitude to) the big N.

From the moment 4-year-old Cameron first stepped out into Glimmer in Spyro 2, he knew video games were going to play a central role in the rest of his life. Though he never planned to make it the ...