StarDash is undoubtedly one of the finest platformers available on any handheld beating even Mario in terms of challenge
Stardash is tough, real tough but the stages are no longer than 35 seconds long meaning the bitesized levels don't drive you insane if you die at the end. And die you will, very very often. The challenge comes in that there are no power-ups at all and touch any bad guy you die (unless you jump on them). In this respect it's just like Super Meat Boy in that you're given infinite lives to beat a stage. In each level there are two stars to be earned. One for finishing it in a strict time limit and one for collecting all the coins scattered throughout the level. Beating the time limit means you're encouraged to run full-pelt through the level like Sonic, timing jumps to perfection to beat the stage. But there is no penalty if the time runs out, allowing you to collect the coins at will. Each world has eight stages and in each stage is a hidden key that opens up a hidden temple level if all keys are collected. Finding these keys requires a lot of trial and error and brings even more depth to the game.
The physics are spot on so you can rarely blame the game if you die, though hit detection is, on rare occasions, a little off. My only gripe with the game is that while the style is purposefully 8-bit/Gameboy, it would be nice to have the game in colour. Stardash is fantastic, a true platforming gem that will make you better at games if you can grab all the stars and unlock all the levels. I'm currently at 67% and am using all spare time to press on ahead. Plus, the game is FREE (on Android) so there is absolutely no excuse no to download it. In fact, I want to donate Orange Pixel some money as it is just so good.