Wow. I finally finished this game. My 11 year old self would be proud. I love this game, it really does mean a lot to me but now that I actually completed it I can see its flaws. This game isn’t perfect, for example the repeated bosses in the final stage felt a bit like filler and some of the controls feel a bit clunky (man grabbing ladders was really hard for me😭) but there also is a lot of really great stuff. The character design is SO COOL, the music is just iconic for me, the level design is very good and the gameplay mechanics are nice. The power ups you get through the adventure really make you feel like you are getting stronger along the way and are very fun and creative.
As for the flaws, the game is extremely hard, probably the hardest game I have ever played. I like hard games and I felt challenged through the entire experience, the point is that there were a lot of moments where the bosses put you in inescapable positions where your only option is to take damage. Another complaint I have is against some bosses I didn’t really like: the spider and the final boss’s first form. They are pretty long to get through and they just feel like a chore.
In conclusion I really like this game and I know the review is probably shit but I am so emotionally attached to this game that I just can’t really critique it how it should be done.