Dedicated to those who perished on the climb: Celeste

[Yimothy]

Celeste is a high-difficulty low-failure-consequence platformer that came out a few years back. Actually it’s a few games - the original release for PICO-8, the remake for everything, and a PICO sequel (not sure if it’s actually PICO or just in the style).

The original version is a flip screen platformer where you’re always moving upwards. You can jump and you can dash. After dashing you need to touch the ground or a pick-up before dashing again. You can also cling to walls to drift slowly down them and do wall jumps off them. Each screen contains a short but precise platforming challenge. Move wrong and spikes or holes are there to kill you, but respawning is instant and you’re only set back to the start of the current screen. I think it took me about half an hour to clear for the first time with two hundred and something deaths.

I’ve just started playing the remake on Switch. It seems pretty good so far. I had a lot of early deaths because I kept trying to jump with the dash button and dash with the jump button, but I seem to have gotten used to it now. I was kind of expecting it to be basically a big level pack for the original game with gussied up graphics, but right off the bat it’s somewhat different. The screen will scroll, for one thing. That obviously opens up what can happen in each sub area, but already I’ve had a few sections where getting sent back to the start is more of a penalty than I’d like. The other big change so far is that you can properly hold onto walls and even climb up them. This seems like a good addition.

I’ve completed the first two areas, the city and the dream sequence. The first was pretty much what I was expecting from the game, but the second mixed things up quite a bit. Probably a good thing, given the original game was tiny and this one is bigger and may need some more variety. I remember the first game having a sort of meditative quality - reach a screen, figure out what you’re going to do, do it. Not being able to see the whole section at once already changes that, but adding enemies that chase you makes things much more frantic. It’s still very enjoyable to play, though.

I think I’ve got something like a hundred and fifty deaths so far, and less than half of the berries. I am mostly trying for the berries and getting most of the ones I’m aware of, but it seems I’m not great at finding hidden stuff in this game so far. If there’s two options for where to go I pick the one that I think is not the way forward, but I’m getting it wrong most of the time.

 

[Yimothy]

I’ve carried on through the third stage, the hotel. Along the way I found the hidden version of original Celeste, so I ran through it. I was hoping, having played it before, to get a good time. I did improve on my previous time, by about four minutes down to 20 minutes. About seventy less deaths, too. Not as big an improvement as I’d hoped for, though.

The hotel seems like a major step up in challenge. Took me longer than the earlier stages combined, and with way more deaths. Got a higher percentage of berries, though, and also a B Side, whatever that is? A more challenging version of the stage, perhaps? If so, I’m not sure I’ll bother unless it’s substantially different. I don’t think I’ll be returning to try for 100% berries, either. Celeste is good, and making progress in it feels great, but not making progress can get pretty frustrating.

 

[Mightyblue]

The B (and later C) -sides are fairly extensive tweaks and remixes of the courses with additional challenges and berries to get.

 

[FelixSH]

Yeah, the B and C sides are basically new levels, in the style of the corresponding A-side.

It's easier to get the berries when replaying a level (you can see them in order, which gives you a handful of screens to look through, if you have, say, berry 4 and 6, to look for 5). But it's just a voluntary challenge, you don't unlock anything with them.

Love the game, maybe my favourite plattformer. Did all the sidees, when it was new.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

Love love love this game, and completing the B- and C-sides is what gave me the confidence to eventually try my hand at kaizo SMW hacks. Incredible gameplay, top tier soundtrack, and a thoughtful story that meshes well with the game’s mechanics. I didn’t enjoy Chapter 9, though, which was added later and has some new obstacles that I found a little janky compared to the rest of the game.

 

[Yimothy]

Just got through I think the fourth or fifth stage. The one with the winds. It’s funny how moving into the wind feels so bad and moving with it feels so good. Just like real life, I guess. I’m getting higher berry percentages now, 25/29 for that area. Maybe I’m getting more in tune with the game, spotting the secrets better? I did notice a hidden area next to one of those white mountain symbols on a wall, in retrospect that’s probably been a clue for hidden areas in earlier stages too, right?

I found a floating blue heart in a hidden area, but I couldn’t figure out a way to reach it. It was too high and there was nothing to facilitate getting up there. There was an odd white box on the ground of the area that I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else, but I couldn’t find any way to interact with it.

 

[FelixSH]

Do you want a hint for the white box and the heart?

 

[Yimothy]

I’m gonna try and figure things out for myself, thanks for the offer.

 

[Yimothy]

The first half of mirror temple was pretty neat, but I’m not a big fan of the enemies that showed up in the second half. I feel like most of the game you can figure out a specific set of moves to get through whatever is going on and then you just have to implement them. The enemies make things much more reactive. I’m also having some trouble identifying the way forwards in some areas and thus avoiding it until I’ve explored everywhere else. Anyways, the plan is to carry on to the end, find what I find, and then go back for secrets if I feel up to it. I did find and get the crystal heart in the mirror temple. Not at all clear what it does, but I got it.

 

[FelixSH]

Most level have some kind of gimmick, like the wind in the last one. Here, it was the open level design.

Just beating the game and comong back for secrets is the best way to play Celeste, imho. The game agrees, I think.

I agree on the enemies. In games like this (Super Meat Boy was similar), you can develop treat muscle memory for most stuff. Except for enemies, which force you to react. They are just not perfectly predictable, like the rest, or more precisely, they make it way harder. Probably my least favourite element.

 

[Yimothy]

About halfway through the PICO version of Celeste you get a second dash charge. I was wondering if it would return in the expanded version, and I just got it. It’s pretty great, no doubt the remaining levels will be absolutely diabolical in what they require me to do with it.

Got all the berries for the first time in that stage, I think. Zero out of zero. Managed to pick up the b-side, too.

 

[Ludendorkk]

I’m gonna try and figure things out for myself, thanks for the offer.

This puzzle does require knowledge external to the game, for fair warning

Spoilered hint: Do you remember how to get the warp whistle in Super Mario Bros. 3?

 

[Yimothy]

Just looked up my first solution to a puzzle in this. This one. I’d forgotten that the blocks could be steered, and had made it to about where the block reaches at 13 seconds in that video without it, but couldn’t get further despite I’m pretty sure losing more lives on this screen than any other so far. I was starting to think it was impossible and the ending of Celeste is just the player giving up.

 

[Yimothy]

I reached the summit! 109/175 strawberries, 2053 deaths, eight hours and forty minutes. So roughly one death every fifteen seconds. I think I found three b sides and a couple of jewels.

Now there’s the core apparently. I think I’ll save that for another day.

 

[Ludendorkk]

There's also free DLC! It's insanely hard!

 

[MCBanjoMike]

Yeah, I would definitely leave chapter 9 for absolute last, if you do it at all. The B- and C-sides are much more rewarding.

 

[FelixSH]

Congrats!

I hope you try to get the other B-sides, or at least try out the ones you have already found. Just stop, when it gets too hard and you stop having fun. But it's definitely worth a try. Can only agree with Mike, the B- and C-sides are really fun, if you enjoy this kind of challenge.

 

[Yimothy]

I think I might be done with Celeste. I went to the core but couldn’t get in, because I only have one crystal heart. I went and took a shot at the b side of the hotel level and gave up after about twenty attempts at the second screen. I like Celeste a lot, and I’ve enjoyed it, but I was getting pretty well challenged by the end of the a sides. I think if it gets much harder I’ll just get frustrated with it.

I did go back to the first stage to try to find the crystal heart, though. I got all twenty strawberries and the b side, but no heart. I’m not really interested in replaying all the stages looking for stuff I missed. If the core is really good and not like substantially harder than the rest of the a sides maybe I could look up some heart locations and give it a shot, I suppose. Is it worth it?

Spoilered hint: Do you remember how to get the warp whistle in Super Mario Bros. 3?

I was a sega kid, so I don’t unfortunately.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

I think the core is a fine level, and not that much harder than the rest of the game. Finding the crystal hearts is fun, at least if you’re in the mood for a puzzle. As for the B/C sides, they do indeed get MUCH harder than the main game, so don’t worry about them unless you really want to push yourself. I really enjoyed the process, but I also died thousands of times clearing them!

 

[FelixSH]

Yeah, agreed. Get the hearts and do the core, it's a decent, final challenge.
Maybe look up where to find the B-side tape of the first world. That one is still hard, but not too bad, I think. But yeah, if you feel frustrated, just stop. You did beat this challenging game already, after all.

 

[Yimothy]

I wound up looking up crystal heart solutions, because I didn’t feel like scouring the levels looking for them. On the road to picking them up I did find a bunch of strawberries and a couple b sides that I’d missed the first time, though. I’m currently in I think the third section of the core, where you’re chased by rising lava/ice, which I feel is kind of pushing my limits. The screen I’m on at the moment is pretty lengthy, so it takes a bit of work to get back to the point I’m stuck at and try to figure it out. My plan is to stop when I finish the core, but I did say I was done already and came back so maybe that’ll happen again.

 

[Yimothy]

I wound up finishing the core, then I took a look at the ninth stage, got a few screens in, and decided this was the point at which I was no longer having fun. It’s an excellent game and I’ve enjoyed my time with it, but I don’t need any more of it for now. I rarely play the post game of anything anyway, so I don’t feel I’m missing out here.

I recently heard Celeste described as “the best Mario game”, which I’m sure is a controversial opinion. I have very little Mario experience post ‘92 or so, does Celeste as a Mario hold up?

 

[Ludendorkk]

Celeste is frankly a terrible Mario game, no idea why someone would say that

 

[FelixSH]

Stage 9 was added later, I think, and is as hard as the hardest C sides. Maybe even harder. If you want to try the next thing after the Core, try the B side of Chapter 1. That should be roughly as hard as the Core.

 

[Mightyblue]

Yeah, Stage 9 was added last year(?), and is definitely intended for people who have cleared the whole base game + optional stuff.

 

[MCBanjoMike]

Celeste is an excellent platformer, but it’s a little more gameplay-focused and less whimsical than most Mario games are. It strikes me as a weird statement when there are like half a dozen Mario games that I would place among the top 10 platformers of all time. Maybe whoever said that just doesn’t like Mario?

 

[FelixSH]

Dunno, Mario games are very different from something like Celeste. They might both be platformers, but I feel like comparing them doesn't really work? The focus is just way too different, I think.

 

[muteKi]

If anything I'd compare it more with post-Adventure 2 Sonic with its focus on precision

 

[lincolnic]

I wound up finishing the core, then I took a look at the ninth stage, got a few screens in, and decided this was the point at which I was no longer having fun. It’s an excellent game and I’ve enjoyed my time with it, but I don’t need any more of it for now. I rarely play the post game of anything anyway, so I don’t feel I’m missing out here.

For what it's worth, this was the point where I stopped playing too. My only regret is not being able to see the end of the story, which I've just realized upon typing this out that there's no reason I can't just look that up on Youtube.

As far as Celeste/Mario comparisons go, I agree with everyone else. They're both great, just focused on very different things.

 

[karzac]

I think the biggest difference between Celeste and Mario is that Mario levels tend to be continuously scrolling, while Celeste levels are broken up into discrete chunks, often of just a single screen.