Really fun mechanics! I love the controls and the art is simple and really effective. Great particle effects! It's a simple game, but also original. I can't think of much else quite like it. My one complaint: I did not like the checkpoint system. I guess it has a "Getting Over It" frustration factor that might make for some funny reactions, but I just found it a bit annoying. I didn't like playing through the same sections over again. Once you reach a checkpoint, I think you should be able to stay there, even if you die a bunch.
Make sense! In that case I would say you very much succeeded! Sorry I didn't look more into the jam submissions.
Personally I think this game could totally go for an updated version! Now that the jam is over you could remove the checkpoints and add in more content. I think it could be really interesting to see what other movement mechanics could mesh well with this one.