You are Peter Shorts

Good fun, a metroidvania where you beat things up. Lots of creatures with small, satisfying movesets. And what creatures!

I petered in my shorts, 10 out of 10

It's peak. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to create a Smash Bros metroidvania, but ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ go off I guess. Apparently, great idea. Your moveset is simple on the surface, but understanding all the nuances of the game as you push your way through an army of hostile Peters is a gradual process that has you refining your craft throughout the game. So when you start unlocking new forms by beating bosses - Megaman-style - you open up a whole new world of tech that the game pushes you to learn through various side-paths, with a dawning mechanical twist around the last quarter that blows the game WIDE open. And the side-content is RICH as well, as every enemy you've fought becomes a new character to run in various arena and versus modes - plus a Hard Mode that demands mastery of your combat prowess on a second playthrough. I do take some issues with the game. For one, the controls are a bit TOO simple for their own good. Even with online play, I don't think this will ever be the next Rivals, because only one attack button does ultimately limit the breadth of options - as well as crippling some Peters that just don't have any moves they'd need to be competitive. Because of limited buttons, as well, some actions require a sequence of button presses which can be pretty fiddly to pull off. Fortunately, MOST of them aren't necessary to completing the game, but I'm still not a fan. For two...yeah the balance is a little wonky. I haven't really stepped into the Competitive Peter Scene, but I can tell just by looking at some of these guys that the Tier List would likely be about as weighted as Melee. Most attacks from most Peters have stubby range, so spacing can feel like a pointless endeavor. And subsequently, any Peters that ACTUALLY have range (or, like, super armor) can dominate the competition. I would strongly suspect the meta is very zoner-heavy. Unless they didn't ban Kung-Fu Peter. For three, as cool as it is to see the game open up over the course of a playthrough, the transformations gradually go from cool new powers that compliment your moveset and open up new possibilities, to a cumbersome menu of mediocre options you gotta sift through when you're really just looking for Bird Peter. Not to say the end is bad, but Peter Shorts does stumble a bit on the landing. This is a great game, but I hope someday in the distant future that I get to see a sequel that further refines the formula, because I think it could have the potential to be a contender in the Platform Fighting Scene if it locked in. Regardless, buy this game. While you're at it, buy it for your friends. Play 4-player co-op with your friends. It will be one of the best times you've ever had, I'm sure of it. This game SCREAMS "this would be hilarious in multiplayer."