itch.io

Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked the checkpoint system. It was a challenge to build because I wanted that seamless arcade flow where the player never spawns into a death trap. I totally understand being on the fence regarding the genres - and it’s probably more like a tightrope than a fence. My goal was a seamless hybrid inspired by a NES game called The Adventures of Dino Riki. That game was a bit of a diamond in the rough that pioneered the mix of vertical shmup and platformer. I see massive potential in that combo and tried to rework it. I used the bomb/bullet dodging and shooting for the shmup half, then integrated the jumps over fences, rocks, landmines and a river for the platformer half. The boss was then designed to test both skills at once. Thanks again for the detailed look and the kind words.