There are already many impressive modern-day platformers on the VIC-20, but this is without a doubt one of the top ones. It’s expansive, both in terms of spatial size and features, and it’s also well-designed — both in the overall layout of the rooms and in how the controls feel and are used to navigate the layout.
My only criticism would be that the game might be
too large and demanding for the present day, where easily accessible games and other distractions are just a click away. But back in the more isolated 80s, it would of course have been a dream to explore and map out this world, which is convincingly interconnected — at least as much as, say, the mansion in Jet Set Willy. The outlines of the large windmill and the well leading down into the underground provide a grounding sense of reality while still fuelling the imagination. The sheer size of the game almost gave me a sense of anxiety, like I was venturing too far from home to ever find my way back

So, it was a relief when I reached the windmill's right wall, recognized the pool from my initial venture to the left, and realized that the game world wraps around!
The dash feature really adds a lot to the controls and how you approach enemies and platforms. It’s very clever how you have to (I think) bounce on a skull to get up through the Skullery passage. But it could also have been quite frustrating — if I hadn't been playing on easy mode and occasionally resorting to snapshots on VICE. I’m not 100% sure how the dash works, but it seems like you can reach the same distance whether you dash before jumping or while already in the air?
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that it’s also a very visually appealing game. Great colors, a tasteful mix of modes, well-defined graphics, and expressive animations
