Calling something "one of the best platformers I've ever played" after two and a half hours feels hyperbolic, but I'm going to do it anyway. Everything about Curse Crackers is tight. It's a refreshing change of pace from masocore-oriented design, combining easy levels with a high mechanical skill ceiling, and feels outrageously good to play. The vibe reminds me a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog, despite dissimilar gameplay styles. They both strongly reward mastery while keeping the core experience accessible. The Game Boy Color aesthetics are also flawless, and it's been a wild nostalgia trip. Even the writing is cute.

This is one of the best hidden gems in my Steam library, and it deserves much more attention. There's a robust demo containing the entire first world if you'd like to try it out.