Twisted familiarity: The game levels generally fit the classic settings of the game they're based on, and theme their deathtraps and challenges appropriately.Difficulty as parody/ deconstruction: These games take well-known video game challenges, such as Mega Man's disappearing blocks, to completely unreasonable conclusions.Self-awareness: The aforementioned comedy often comes from the game knowing exactly what the player is going to do, and catching them when they least expect it.Difficulty as a Running Gag: The difficulty never, ever lets up, and after a while, becomes ludicrous in its persistence.The player engages in self-aimed Comedic Sociopathy. Difficulty as slapstick comedy: these games try to make their sudden and completely unfair deaths so ridiculous as to be hilarious.The first item block? Falls and crushes you when you hit it! The pit spikes? Shoot freaking lasers that slice you to bits when you jump over them and that's if they don't move themselves to where you would originally land! The safe platform at the other end? Suddenly tilts sideways for no reason at all! The harmless bush you just walked past? Grows teeth and bites your head off! The tiny white cloud that you thought was part of the background? Just blasted you with lightning! The secret Warp Zone you found? Sends you back to the first level of the game!Īs a rule of thumb, a Platform Hell game should meet several of the following criteria: It may be fiendishly difficult, but it's still par for the course. It's not uncommon to have to Double Jump between Floating Platforms over spiked pits, dash between three sets of synchronized fire vents, then bounce off a flying enemy to hit an item block, all while dodging those Goddamned Bats and Demonic Spiders. Video game protagonists often have bad days. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a plumber jumping into an invisible coin block and falling to his death, repeatedly- forever.
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