Recent reviews by Tala

Summary: A refreshing game that *could* have come out on the SNES or Genesis, yet took its sweet time, all the way 'til 2009. Consistent, excellent design; plenty of variety, no hand-holding, and a keen sense of humor. Precise controls make this a joy to play, even with a keyboard, and invariably 90% of your deaths will be YOUR fault—the best kind! A grand adventure; a sublime lesson in the value of persistence and the glory of failure.

Let's be honest: Spelunky is *hard.* Tough as nails. The good "hurt me more!" kind of hard. Expect to rack up deaths in the hundreds or thousands before it's over. (Assuming, that is, you've fully beaten it by then. Casual players need not apply.)

However, it's also that rare breed of game where I feel hard-pressed to say "ah, I but would've designed it some better way" ... because things fit together so disastrously well. I'm strongly reminded of that Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin desparately daydreams about his school being blown up by three or four different things at once... dying in Spelunky is frequently every bit as ridiculous. After all, getting nibbled to death by a lowly bat isn't nearly enough when you can also set off the nearby explosives, get knocked into spikes, have an angry NPC put a bullet through your head for good measure, *and* have him stomp on your corpse as long as you'd care to watch!

Being a quasi-roguelike, the replay value is sky-high and there's a number of unique situations to run into. But rest assured that the randomness is well-controlled, such that you can still learn from them. (Although I don't suppose I'll ever know how the damsels get themselves into such helpless spots... good grief!)

Tight physics do a lot to help with the randomness, offering plenty of near-misses and dodge potential if you have nerves of steel. Which you will certainly need, because just about everything in Spelunky, no matter how adorable, is exceedingly dangerous, and can spawn in "you must be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ me" style situations. Lest you start to think this is unfair, though, these mechanics are finely tuned, oozing with attention to detail. For example, the required fall distance gradually increases every four levels, in a way that forces you to learn how to climb safely, and then to budget for items and shops so you can survive later on. And, like most if not all enemies, this kind of thing is predictable... in isolation. It's the hilarious combinations that combine to generate large amounts of rage, cursing, wonderment, determination—and, ultimately, curiosity. That feeling when you hit the next world... amazing.

(Those feels when you die 15 seconds later? Indescribable.)

Which brings me to the final part, the one everyone hates at first. Probably because, like me, they nearly jumped out of their seat the first time. (I know, you thought the tension was quite enough already, right?)

As with old-school Mario, this game has a timer. No, you can't see it, and won't need to, because this is a "soft" limit with a meaningful purpose: to teach you to pick your battles. Fact is, most levels in Spelunky can be completed in under 1:30-2:00, and you're not going to be able to squish every monster or collect every treasure, as many first-timers would be tempted to do. To try would be frustrating and counterproductive, as you'd both run out of supplies for later levels and want to ragequit when you lost everything. The point of the timer is to improve the pacing, facilitate learning, and cure you of your gamer OCD. So while I might have liked to grab that last gem, puppy or damsel, I have to conclude that the game is much more satisfying for it.

Highly recommended, especially for people who love old-school difficulty—and can keep their emotions in check! (Or, at least, are willing to kiss and make up afterwards.)

Note: While well worth it at full price, those not convinced to part with their $15 can play the entirety of the original over at http://www.spelunkyworld.com/original.html for free. Yay!