One of my favorite entries so far when it comes to theme interpretation. The shooting mechanic does a great job creating a sense of progress and player power, not to mention the sounds and feedback make it very satisfying to use!
I'm a big fan of the visual style and the music as well. The art might have seemed simplistic at first, but I was very impressed with the way it managed to paint different biomes with such a limited palette. The complete shift in tone and ambience in the dark zone was one of my favorite parts of the game. I also adore the main character and the little room we start and end in!
The difficulty ramped up quite nicely over the course of the game. Some parts were pretty tough at first, but it was satisfying to get to a point where I could zoom through parts that used to give me trouble, and the snappy controls definitely helped. That said, I gave up pretty quickly on both of the bonus rooms (and did also encounter the softlock near one of the secret flowers).
One thing that I felt was missing was a straightforward fighting section or two, since for all its versatility and how powerful you feel with a bunch of upgrades, you don’t actually get to use the shooting mechanic against enemies much! Though I guess the moving crystals could kinda count as enemies? Either way, it’s just something I thought could help tie the game together, but of course a more puzzle-oriented game is perfectly fine too!
Regardless, a super fun and memorable game with a distinct style, great controls, and I’d say a perfect implementation of the theme!