Hit the button again exactly when you land and youll be rewarded with a higher, twirlier jump.

Hit it a third time and youll be treated to a triumphant, arcing somersault.

Yes, this is the stuff!

A demon princess and her demon pals sitting by a big pile of gold objects on a tropical island in Demon Tides.

This is the old N64 Mario magic Ive been missing.

Nostalgia is the enemy of critical thinking, you say?

The games industry is a flat circle of corporate iteration, is it?

Cover image for YouTube video

A stifling quAAAgmire from which not even moderate oddballs like New York-based developers Fabraz can escape?

I know, I know, but just, let me have this.

Let me do the let people enjoy things meme, just this once.

Look, I can turn into a bat as well.

I can turn into a fat little frisbee with ground-pound functionality.

I can turn into a spindash-capable snek.

Fortunately, Beebz doesnt really need a ship to get around.

The world, meanwhile, is an infectious jumble of tropical islands and dockyard flotsam and big goofy collectibles.

Theres a graffiti system with online affordances that is portrayed as theJet Set Radioversion of soapstones inDark Souls.

you’re free to also race the ghosts of other players across the islands, and snap photos.

Ah, smell that (Super Mario) sunshine.

The full version of Demon Tides launches this year - read more onSteam.

If you’re wondering why this isn’t a pinball sim, you’re probably thinking ofDemon’s Tilt.

It’s barely lunchtime.