Games for Lunch: Knytt Stories

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0:20 There are a lot of harmless little creatures in the foreground. It's hard to tell if they're enemies or not, which is a little annoying.

0:22 Got my high jump back. Now I'm backtracking to a former dead end that I can now get by. Again, Metroid.

0:23 I stumble upon a little town full of little people! I can't talk to them, though. Boo.

0:24 My first real platforming challenge -- a room that requires some tough jumps from the edge of floating blocks. I fall and return all the way back to where I started the game. ARGH! This is a fate literally worse than death. If I had died, I'd go right back to a recent save point. Luckily, I can kill myself quickly to get back.

0:26 LASERS! They flicker on and off periodically. It takes me seven tries to get the timing right and get by.

0:27 The double jump is back! Oh frabjous day! They should call this part of the game "How Juni Got Her Double Jump Back."

0:28 Er, now what? I'm wracking my brain for a place where I needed a double jump, but none comes to mind. Oh well, it's fun just exploring and double-jumping around for now.

0:30 The reverse-Thwomp isn't a problem now that I can jump high above it. SO LONG, SUCKER!

0:31 Going left from the start is a gap I need to double jump across. Onward, into a dark forest with spooky trees.

0:32 "I'm glad you received my letter! I think you'll need a special power to pass the creature to the west," says my pen pal. Like the power of the courts?

0:33 Seems he's right -- a big spiky enemy blocks my path whenever I get close to him. Where's the hologram from the tutorial?

0:37 Retracing my steps, I finally find another area that requires the double jump to advance at the end of a cave.

0:38 This new underground area quickly branches off into a variety of paths. I'm never really sure if I'm going the "right" way, but I assume I'll reach a dead end if I'm not. Still, a map function would be nice.

0:39 The sheer variety shown in the backgrounds and creatures is astounding. I suppose it's easier making a large variety of pixel art than it is creating highly realistic 3-D models out of thousand of polygons, but still, it's a nice change of pace.

0:41 The newly-acquired eye-of-invisible-stuff-seeing shows a bunch of new enemies and blocks blocking my return path. But I walked right through these things before. Were they just invisible, or truly nonexistent before? If the latter, then huh?

0:42 Giant spiked columns keep growing up from the ground as soon as I get close. The difficulty is definitely ramping up.

0:45 I get stuck looking for a way out, until I figure out I can climb through the ceiling in a certain room. It's tough to figure out when both the floors and the ceiling are all pitch black.

0:46 Dark caves give way to an outdoor yellow sky and red waterfalls that looks like cherry cola. Why aren't there more games this vibrant and endearing these days?