The animation was nice. The FX for turning and jumping added a lot to it too. I thought I wouldn't like the slight deceleration when you stop moving, but since you can turn instantly and start moving fast, I ended up not even noticing it. The simple tileset I feel was a good choice, it looks simple but complete.
I got past the first boss and died and respawned at the first checkpoint. Not sure if there were others along the way that I missed, but the respawn system felt very oppressive. Especially since the first section of the game is linear, respawning means you go back a long ways.
Combat felt fun. The knockback when the player gets hit is nice. The enemies have are interesting to fight since they can shoot trough projectiles. I literally chuckled when I realized the one enemy could use his little shield. The boss was cool too; jumping is the staple of any good sidescrolling boss fight where the boss isn't a giant background.
Fun game.