Electronic Super Joy Hard Jumps, Heavy Bass

Over 35 tracks of electronic music drive everything here, and it is the part players agree on: the soundtrack is a highlight. The levels pulse along with the beat, and it is easy to find yourself headbanging between deaths. Even the sound effects join in: activating a checkpoint comes with a moan, male or female, which is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds. One player put it plainly: buy the music, get the game thrown in. If you play platformers with the volume down, this is the wrong game to start that habit with.

Three brutal worlds, more than 45 levels, and almost every one brings a new trick. One stage drops gravity so your jumps float; another rotates the whole world under your feet; elsewhere giant monsters fill the screen and missiles swarm in from every side. Your abilities change too: stomping, double jumps, flying. The difficulty climbs hard and fast, but checkpoints are placed generously, so a death costs seconds, not progress. Collect the hidden stars in each level and a fourth, stranger world opens up. It is short by design, around 8 hours, and built to be replayed for better times and scores.