Shifting gravity is not an uncommon idea in platformers nowadays, but I have never seen it explored as thoroughly as in VVVVVV. Every screen builds on and twists the mechanics with such genius and unpredictability that it's impossible to get bored. The difficulty is high, but made manageable by abundant checkpoints and the platforming being centered around creativity instead of precision. My only nitpick is that there were a few times I was lured into activating a checkpoint that was placed after a trinket, with no easy way to backtrack. This meant I would have to return later and redo some of the platforming to collect it. I don't agree that the game is too short. There's no filler and plenty of replay value with the trinket collecting, time trials, secret achievements, flip and no death modes, and level editor.

When indie platformers are brought up, Shovel Knight and Celeste receive the most attention. VVVVVV should be part of that discussion. It's a perfect example of how a platformer focused on a single mechanic can still surprise players in unexpected ways. I'm shocked indie devs don't do this more often since designing several dozen unique mechanics is not only very demanding, but it also invites comparisons to games that often do it better, like Mario 3 and Yoshi's Island.