Hey Skull,
good job, this was fun! Love the minimalistic retro design and difficulty. Really great music and platforms moving to the beat of the music is a nice touch, too. If you had provided a weapon, I would have kicked your skelly butt on Stage 10! ;)
Some criticism:
- ESC leaves the game instead of pausing it! Too bad I realized this when I was on Stage 8 already. :(
- Jumping could use some Coyote Time, i.e. the ability to perform a jump shortly after walking off a ledge/platform (within a short time frame)
- After a jump, there's a time frame when no new jump can be performed immediately. I often landed on a platform trying to jump again right away but it wouldn't work. Could feel more responsive.
- Starting a level only to die right away doesn't feel fair. (e.g. Stage 8) On Stage 5, you can die over and over again on respawn because the cat keeps shooting. I think a Get Ready prompt players need to confirm while they can see the level and its hazards could be a solution, or maybe safe respawn points?
- Hitboxes could be a little more "generous". Spikes kill you without any pixel of the mouse actually touching the spike (most noticable when you approach it sideways)! Again, doesn't feel fair. I usually try to make hitboxes a little smaller than the graphics so there is a little leeway and players don't die of touching air.
If you're going for an authentic retro feel, you can probably disregard my feedback regarding the controls, because your game truly feels like a game from back then. I just think it could feel better and be even more fun than it is already.
While it may be gluten free, which is appreciated, I have to warn about increased blood pressure and high adrenaline levels while consuming your product, though! ;)