An Untitled Story (PC, 2006)

• Partially non-linear structure (can explore above the cannon segment near town before the third boss, various optional upgrades, can open a second yellow gate near the beginning as the first becomes accessible, can go to either the underwater area or the lava area at one point, can do the white wobbly area or the dark cave area after getting the ice shot in the underwater area and the ceiling walk ability near the beginning of the desert area, can do the rainy mountain area or the pink area after the lava cave boss+beginning of desert area, can do the wobbly white area before finishing the underwater area, can go to rainy mountain or the stone castle eye boss after all jump upgrades+yellow energy point ability)

• Frequent save points overall (one slot per game) which also heal you - these become less frequent in the late game

• Can teleport between found save points (ability gained early on)

• Some good puzzles and some decent ones

• Some interesting gimmicks (red mid-air energy points give you an extra jump but then disappear for a few seconds - similar to bouncing on enemies in SMB3/Sonic/Monster World 3), blue energy points temporarily turn into platforms when shot, heart gates - have to beat the current room or segment leading up to it without taking damage to get to the health upgrade, the blue ghost enemies)

• Decent map system (shows basic layout, where you are and save points+boss rooms, named areas), Doesn't mark room exits that you haven't used yet and doesn't mark items or other points of interest, Can't place map markers

• Generally good challenges leading up to items

• Completion numbers and stats screen (deaths, saves, damage taken or dealt) in the menu

• Some environmental storytelling (cave paintings, signs - could've been notes though which are actually used later on)

• Invincible flying enemy appearing on random screens after its first appearance (it kidnaps some NPCs you meet along the way) adds to the sense of vulnerability - similar to the ghost in Bubble Bobble

• Difficulty options (easy-masterful/very hard, affects how many gold orbs are needed to enter the final area (10 on very hard))

• Can farm for money from pots though it's kinda slow

• Money/crystal magnet ability

• Spikes don't do that much damage though it does increase over the course of the game and you sometimes can't get out of a spike pit without taking several hits

• Minor money grinding (yellow gates, can find a blue orb that increases money drops - SotN?)

• Can escape from some boss fights but not most of them

• Some mini-games (Rainbow catch - catch stars while falling and bounce on some objects+shoot to catch all of them, space invaders-like - decent, pseudo TP runner - ok), Two gambling mini-games (one hidden one which lets you win a money magnet and a health upgrade)

• Frozen enemies are destroyed instead of restored after the ice melts/breaks - enemies respawn when re-entering a screen

• Slow rate of fire and getting close to the object or enemy doesn't help - can't upgrade it

Some notable cons:

• Gets very hard towards the end with fewer save points and a bunch of trial & error where a couple of mistakes means you have to restart from the last save

• Double jump isn't 100% reliable

• Unforgiving hit detection on the mid-air energy points you use to jump again in the air at various points

• Some trial & error tied to gaining one progression ability due to vague hints and various optional paths pretty much require a guide to find

• Some movement upgrades are too minor (slightly improved jump height and slightly improved double jump height) or feel like you should've had them from the beginning (ducking)

• Some annoying music (can turn it off though)

• Some bosses have overly long invincibility periods

• Unskippable cutscenes

• Invisible walls to the west and the east as well as in the "the bottom" area+invisibile roof in the sky at mountside area and pink area

• Some difficulty spikes and dips

Playthrough w/ Commentary - Review - Mini Review

Influenced by: Probably Metroid and Zelda series, possibly Yoshi's Island, Knytt or La-Mulana? (flip screen)

Influenced: Celeste, Wuppo?