I think you should get something down. You like 3D Platformers. This is what you like. Or so it seems. 2D Platformers just don't make you feel "adventurous", I guess. (Which is odd, but like you said, this is your opinion.)

Also, I think there are some nostalgia factors thrown about when you're thinking of the great adventures you used to have while playing a Platformer. Especially since you mentioned a now defunct (well... close to) series as your example. 

Anyhow, it is all about opinions and nostalgia.

super mario galaxy made me feel like I lost motor skills.
NSMB made me feel bored.
Little Big Planet made me feel like I was drunk.
Kirby's Epic Yarn made me feel like I was 2 years old.
Super Mario Bros 3 made me feel happy.
Rayman Origins made me feel happy.

you win.

Rayman Origins was amazing man

galaxy gave me everything I ever wanted from a game not just a platformer..they pretty much nailed it a true 3D Mario game that felt like old classics and beyond..it gave the WOW moment which I thought wasnt possible anymore..

I never really felt that way with 3D platformers with the exception of Banjo Kazooie. But every time I play Super Mario Bros. 3, I just get sucked into the game and I feel that sense of progression with every level beat.

Every single player game is about how you feel to an extent. Atmosphere is always important, even if its not a serious atmosphere.

Heh. Im the exact opposite. Loved my R&C 2 and 3 but didnt like the original. Though Im a bit coloured by the fact that I played R&C3  first.

In response to the OP, I tend to agree. My fav platformers (or any genre of game) are ones with good stories which is why I tend to prefer 3d platformers over 2d ones. Also why most of the nintendo plats dont interest me. 

The gameplay has to be smooth to make you feel like being on an adventure and not a messy bondage that you don't enjoy.

Or don't you think gameplay (or game mechanics) affects how you feel?

Agree completely. This is what people don't get about games. The rules of play evoke a sense of feeling.

Add a lifebar to a platformer instead of the one-hit kill, and reduce the sense of mortality, which dulls the edge of the game, but might be considered more relaxing if that's the tone you want.

Add a timer and you create a sense of urgency. You have to clear the level before time runs out. Take away the timer, and the player is free to explore the map.

Use big, floaty double-jumps and little inertia, and decisions don't feel like they matter so much. Any given jump carries little risk because the player has plenty of time to correct a mistake.

The list goes on with every little game design decision that players barely even notice. They all fine-tune the game's mood, tone, and excitement level.

i am not saying gameplay isnt important, i never said that and i never believed that, im saying its not the only thing that is important. if a game doesnt play well i will throw it right away, honestly my tolerance towards bad gameplay is very little.

gameplay certainly does effect how i feel, but good gameplay doesnt mean a good game, and it isnt just what a game should be about, thats my point

ill reply to the other posts in my thread tomorrow hopefully, sorry for taking a lot of time to relpy