My favorite part is all the tiny colored squares.
There's not very much game to VVVVVV. It feels a lot like Metroid but without all the weapons and abilities and boss fights, which sounds worse than it is. It's actually a reasonably fun experience which only overstays its welcome a little bit.
Its most memorable characteristic is its slavish devotion to that which came before. The chiptune soundtrack and many of the room names make it perfectly clear that the aesthetic isn't coincidental, making this roughly the eight millionth game in the last decade to bash players about the head and shoulders with its degree from the old school. Nostalgia is powerful, and it appears that developer Terry Cavanagh feels that it's a fine substitute for style and voice. Frankly, the whole experience feels a little barren because there is really absolutely nothing here you haven't seen before.
The game is executed well enough, but it's kind of hollow. There's not much of interest to say except that pixel art (cheap and pragmatic as it may be) doesn't excuse you from creating some kind of visual design. There's no reason you can't have both!
Also, I'm mildly annoyed that it took longer to write this than it did to beat the game.
