Todd's Adventures in Slime World (Lynx, 1990/MD/PCE CD, 1992)

• Password save anywhere (displayed when pausing), Pretty frequent checkpoints and unlimited lives in most game modes - lose all inventory items besides the map if you die though, Pretty frequent healing points (water pools) and you can create more with the cleanser item

• Decent map system (auto-mapper which shows explored rooms and your position+pools of slime and water and hidden paths if you explore close enough to them; can't place markers on it and it doesn't show found items like jetpacks; can't move while checking the map+it takes a while to draw+gameplay doesn't pause+can't view it while climbing, can't browse the map - only displays part of the world). On MD it is always displayed but still zoomed in like a mini-map

• Some interesting tools (jetpack - can't pick things up or shoot while using it though, enemy bait, pool cleanser - turns a slime pool into water (some hidden paths are placed underneath these pools); can only carry one of each in an inventory) - these are all single use power ups however they can be carried in an inventory

• Hidden doors (invisible ones and breakable walls that look like regular surfaces - you use the map to find these rather than look for clues in the in-game view)

• Temporary gun upgrade - only one level though and it's also removed if you die, Temporary shield power up

• Some branching paths through the levels

• Cool how some rooms are more dynamically shaped and connected than in many other maze platformers or platform adventure games of the era which tend to have more of a square grid-shaped room layout

• Some decent puzzles (spatial awareness - going back to use the jetpack where you couldn't jump or climb, luring enemies away from a narrow path, some timing puzzles)

• Decent sense of vulnerability in Logic mode

• 10-way aiming (slow though)

• In-game manual

• Some resource management (can't farm for items)

• Suicide/pop command (always there in the item inventory - having it there means you can accidentally pick it if in a rush as there's some delay if you tried to pick up an item you already have there where the game says "you already have one" in the same spot as the item inventory display)

• Some instant death hazards (red boogers (from flying red enemies) - they also go through a shield) and various enemies kill almost instantly with contact damage

• Creates a more seamless world with fog of war over rooms you're not currently in (Rogue?)

• Red gems (best gems) can be destroyed and they shoot out red boogers if you do which kill on hit

• Some rooms with infinitely respawning worm enemies spewing forth all over the place (trap rooms basically). Levels are otherwise persistent in that enemies and items don't respawn and altered pools stay altered

• No bosses besides a mini-boss like enemy in action mode

Some notable cons:

• Various control issues (see the mini review)

• The ability gating would've worked better with permanent inventory items and/or being able to carry 2+ items at once - especially since you can't just farm for new ones if you don't have what you currently need but have to backtrack or sidetrack instead and in some cases you can't go back to where you wanted to use an item due to energy barriers destroying your inventory items+since items don't respawn after dying you might have to go quite far

• Each mode is pretty short compared to a full maze platformer or platform adventure game (about 30-40 mins for Easy, 1h+ for Exploration and Action; the zoomed in view forces you to play slower on Lynx)

Playthrough (Lynx) - Video Review (MD) - Mini-Review

Influenced by: Possibly Exile (UK), Rogue

Influenced: