Here's the proof that a game doesn't need fancy 3D graphics or complex gameplay to instill amazement.
Excellent music and environmental sounds backed-up by well-thought colour schemes and level design create a fairytale immersive world, that seems believable despite it's flat blocky 2d graphics. And you're playing as a tiny swift qute-footstep-sounding pixellated thingie (a girl, actually)
If the first game (Knytt) was really good, Knytt Stories is even better. It's more focused. The designer came up with ways of fitting more visual amazemant within the game's limited graphical capabilities. It's got more "thingies" you can find to upgrade your character. Overall, a better gameplay experience. And it ships with a level editor. Don't forget to get the extra maps from the net - they're worth it.
This game is all about appreciating the beauty of minimalism and simplicity. And the kind of things you can't exactly pinpoint with words. Did you ever stopped in a game just to look at the envireonment? Did you ever back-tracked to an area only to listen to the soundtrack? Did you ever thought that the colors used in a game scene belong rightfully to the history of art? Do you think that a master can be recognized by what he can accomplish with few things? Can you appreciate something that is pixel-perfect? -- Then you'll appreciate this game.