this is pretty unique, and a nice challenge. I think it would benefit from being a bit more forgiving when it comes to respawn, especially given the complexity of the controls. it's hard enough already without having to do multiple screens over and over again. I'm afraid I threw in the towel a few screens in the caves section.
tbh, I was almost on the verge of quitting before the game even started due to the excessive story panels!
overall, nice work!