And after the brief change-in-pace that was Pest Control, Nitrome has thrown me right back into the platformer mines. At least this one has a bit more I can say about it. There’s a really fun core mechanic here: using your mouse to pull the platforms like an elastic band to slingshot your guy across the level. It works well: there are a bunch of different platforms that all interact in different ways, a lot of different level types — where the means in how you get to the end is something more than just “use the platforms like slingshots” — and in general the game does great at keeping things fresh as you go through all twenty-five levels. Even the usual Nitrome platformer problem where the levels are extremely long and dying sends you back to the start are… mostly mitigated: while enemies/limited lives/instant death pits exist, a good portion of the game instead measures success on a system… honestly reminiscent of Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy, where while success takes you further into the level… messing a section up has a chance to make you fall backwards, forcing you to do the section you just did as you scramble up to where you just were. It’s so funny whenever it happens, and even if it can be a little frustrating it always feels like there’s a safety net in place, making sure you never lose too much progress, making sure you can easily get back to where you were before… at least for the levels that are like that. The rest… truly, truly suffer for not having checkpoints. Do I really have to go through the first part of the level over and over again just to reach the part where I actually die? Do I really have to do fifteen jumps back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back when messing up even once sends me right back to the beginning? I hate harping on this for every Nitrome game I review but it’s easily one of the weakest parts of all of their platformers: taking a fun concept and then stretching out the runtime by making you replay entire levels upon failure like it’s a NES game. I know these games don’t really stay that way forever — I don’t think it’s particularly long before they eventually do start putting checkpoints in — but as is it is rather sad to consistently see games with a lot going for them get drawn back by their issues. Long levels and no checkpoints are a rough combo, especially when you don’t have any tools to really sidestep it.