Pixel's legendary freeware classic gets a controversial port with slightly more content. I won't cover that here, just Google the drama between Pixel and Nicalis if you're interested in that. On to the game.
Gameplay: The original freeware release ran at 50 FPS, but this version is locked at 60 FPS. This caused issues for me as even on Easy mode the game felt harder. Way harder. The controls didn't feel as tight either. They were still passable, but I'm willing to chalk that up to the joy con's not being the best designed controller for 2D platforming applications. The game was always hard, but this feels harder. Prepare to get good or die trying.
Aesthetic: The overall tone and feel of the world, characters, and music is what makes this game resonate so much with players. Even if this kind of game isn't your thing, I believe you would be hard pressed to not enjoy these elements for how good they are. It truly is exceptional and I consider this to be the primary reason the game has the reputation and fanfare that it rightfully deserves.
Story: For a 2D platformer, this story is deeper than most. It gets a little silly in a couple of spots, but that doesn't detract from the experience so much as it adds to the overall charm of the game. I found myself pleasantly surprised. I definitely liked the expanded interactions with Curly Brace. Those alone may be the best argument to play this version, or at least watch them on YouTube.
Design: The game sports a fairly stout learning curve while accomplishing to keep it manageable until the endgame. Without giving anything away, just know that once you reach the point where the game informs you there's no going back the design goes full on artificial difficulty mode. We're talking no save points for what is around an hour of endgame content which features numerous multi-stage boss fights. It's absolutely absurd and will always remain one of the primary reasons I refuse to laud this game as much as some do. I simply can't commend that type of design.
Overall: Personal gripes aside, this is still a brilliant game and I highly recommend it to platform or retro enthusiasts. There's a lot to like here and it's well worth your time. Just be aware of what you're getting into with a little research and try to enjoy the experience. Games like this are what paved the way for something like Celeste to be created and get a wide audience, and that's perhaps the best compliment I could ever pay this title.
Gameplay: The original freeware release ran at 50 FPS, but this version is locked at 60 FPS. This caused issues for me as even on Easy mode the game felt harder. Way harder. The controls didn't feel as tight either. They were still passable, but I'm willing to chalk that up to the joy con's not being the best designed controller for 2D platforming applications. The game was always hard, but this feels harder. Prepare to get good or die trying.
Aesthetic: The overall tone and feel of the world, characters, and music is what makes this game resonate so much with players. Even if this kind of game isn't your thing, I believe you would be hard pressed to not enjoy these elements for how good they are. It truly is exceptional and I consider this to be the primary reason the game has the reputation and fanfare that it rightfully deserves.
Story: For a 2D platformer, this story is deeper than most. It gets a little silly in a couple of spots, but that doesn't detract from the experience so much as it adds to the overall charm of the game. I found myself pleasantly surprised. I definitely liked the expanded interactions with Curly Brace. Those alone may be the best argument to play this version, or at least watch them on YouTube.
Design: The game sports a fairly stout learning curve while accomplishing to keep it manageable until the endgame. Without giving anything away, just know that once you reach the point where the game informs you there's no going back the design goes full on artificial difficulty mode. We're talking no save points for what is around an hour of endgame content which features numerous multi-stage boss fights. It's absolutely absurd and will always remain one of the primary reasons I refuse to laud this game as much as some do. I simply can't commend that type of design.
Overall: Personal gripes aside, this is still a brilliant game and I highly recommend it to platform or retro enthusiasts. There's a lot to like here and it's well worth your time. Just be aware of what you're getting into with a little research and try to enjoy the experience. Games like this are what paved the way for something like Celeste to be created and get a wide audience, and that's perhaps the best compliment I could ever pay this title.