History VideoGame / Celeste

''Celeste'' is a {{Retraux}} PlatformGame developed by Extremely OK Games, the studio that created ''VideoGame/TowerFall''. It was released for PC, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on January 25, 2018.

Madeline can jump, dash, and climb walls. With these simple mechanics, the game presents the player with more than 7 worlds filled to the brim with chasms, spikes, and many traps in this tough as nails, fast paced platformer that constantly builds on its mechanics to make the experience more challenging.

On January 25th, 2021, to celebrate the third anniversary of Celeste's release, a small team developed ''[[https://mattmakesgames.itch.io/celeste-classic-2 Celeste Classic 2: Lani's Trek]]'' using the [[GameMaker PICO-8]] engine. It features a new protagonist traveling to Celeste Mountain but features a new style of platforming centered around a [[GrapplingHookPistol grappling hook]] Lani finds. The game ends on a screen with [[SequelHook a mysterious flower bud that has yet to bloom]].

* HundredPercentCompletion: There are 175 strawberries, 8 B-side cassettes, [[spoiler: 24 crystal hearts, and 25 golden strawberries]] to collect. [[spoiler: And with the new Farewell update, there's the elusive Moon Berry and, for true masochists, the golden strawberry for Chapter 9]].

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: Midway through Chapter 5, there's a brief sequence inside Madeline's mind where you play as a Seeker. This serves to introduce their abilities -- which obstacles block them and which they can break through -- for when they show up as enemies later in the level.

** Also, regarding those side-areas, in Chapter 4, the entrance to a side-area will close after collecting all strawberries in that side-area.

** [[spoiler:The C-Sides]] are effectively this, since you need to beat all eight B-Side levels (including Chapter 8's) in order to access them.

** By air-dashing diagonally into the ground and then immediately jumping, Madeline can launch herself forward with great momentum. The move is called "wavedashing," the name being a ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''. Another similar technique called "wallbouncing" can be done by dashing up and then doing a wall jump adjacent to a wall. Both moves are required to complete the last few {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s.

[[caption-width-right:350:"This is it, Madeline. Just breathe. You can do this".]]

->'''Badeline:''' You are many things, darling, but you are not a ''mountain climber''.\\

** Chapter 6 also has a secondary one: complex issues like depression and anxiety can't be solved with EpiphanyTherapy and banishing them, they have to be acknowledged as warped defense mechanisms that're still a part of you, and sometimes even have validity.

** You might have noticed that moving between screens recovers your dash. Do you think it's a programming oversight? Nope -- [[spoiler:obtaining the Chapter 2's Crystal Heart]] rely on you taking advantage of this ability.

** All the blue Crystal Hearts within each chapter's A-Sides are very well hidden, even more so than the B-Side tapes (which also qualify for this), to the point where a player may not know they even ''exist'' until they find themselves gated from entering the Chapter 8 or its bonus stages. The methods needed to get some of these hearts, even if you know their locations, can also be cryptic. Special mention goes to Chapter 4's Crystal Heart, which is [[spoiler:a ShoutOut to a white block trick in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'']] and Chapter 2's Crystal Heart which [[spoiler:requires you to exploit the fact that the dash recharges whenever Madeline goes through a screen transition.]]

** All the blue Crystal Hearts within each chapter's A-Sides are very well hidden, even more so than the B-Side tapes (which also qualify for this), to the point where a player may not know they even ''exist'' until they find themselves gated from entering the Chapter 8 or its bonus stages. The methods needed to get some of these hearts, even if you know their locations, can also be cryptic. Special mention goes to Chapter 4's Crystal Heart, which is [[spoiler:a ShoutOut to a secret in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'']] and Chapter 2's Crystal Heart which [[spoiler:requires you to exploit the fact that the dash recharges whenever Madeline goes through a screen transition.]]

* PlayerNudge: The 1.4.0.0 update adds [[spoiler:crouching Madeline statues near [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3 a conspicuous white block]] inside the Chapter 4's Crystal Heart room.]] [[labelnote:Explanation]]You're supposed to crouch on the white block for several seconds, allowing you to climb on the background and obtain the Crystal Heart.[[/labelnote]]

* ChallengeRun: Collecting the 200th strawberry requires you to complete the first chapter without dashing at all, which requires plenty of skill and knowledge of advanced movement techniques like spike-jumping that [[GuideDangit the game never directly teaches you]]. Of course, getting this 200th strawberry is completely optional; you only need 150 strawberries to get the game's best ending.

** You might have noticed that moving between screens recovers your dash. Do you think it's a programming oversight? Nope -- it's a fact that a few extra contents[[note]]namely Chapter 2's Crystal Heart[[/note]] rely on you taking advantage of this ability.

** All the main story blue crystal hearts within each chapter are very well hidden, even more so than the B-Side tapes (which also qualify for this), to the point where a player may not know they even ''exist'' until they find themselves gated from entering Chapter 8 or its bonus stages. The methods needed to get some of these hearts, even if you know their locations, can also be cryptic. Special mention goes to Chapter 4's crystal heart, which is a ShoutOut to a secret in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3''. If you never played that game or just aren't aware of some of that game's tricks, you're not getting that heart. Another special mention goes to Chapter 2's crystal heart, that requires you to notice and exploit the fact that [[spoiler:the dash recharges whenever Madeline goes through a screen transition.]]

''Celeste'' is a {{Retraux}} PlatformGame developed by Matt Makes Games Inc. (now Extremely OK Games), the studio that created ''VideoGame/TowerFall''. It was released for PC, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on January 25, 2018.

** The Chapter 9 DLC [[https://twitter.com/mattthorson/status/1136059613319581696?s=21 is internally called]] [[VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels "LostLevels"]].

* ArrangeMode: If you complete everything, all of the levels, B-Sides, [[spoiler: and C-Sides, then you unlock Variant Mode, which is an extra menu option that allows you to change specific parts of the game, and add challenges.]]
* AscendedGlitch:
** Some of the game's mechanics regarding momentum and dashes lead to glitches that might seem like oversights, but were discovered during development, and accounted for by the developers, with some of the game's ultimate challenges even relying on players using them!
** The biggest examples result from the player gaining more momentum than intended by dashing into a surface and then jumping with the extra momentum from the dash. When used against the ground, it's referred to as a "[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee wavedash]]"; while mostly beneficial to speedrunners, the game mandates them in [[spoiler: the Chapter 8 C-Side]] and Chapter 9, formally teaching you it in the latter.
** A variation on the same interaction, where the player dashes against a wall and then uses the momentum to jump and gain more height (termed a "wall bounce"), is also taught in the Chapter 7 B-Side [[spoiler: and is necessary throughout Chapter 9 and the C-Sides]].
** Due to the way the game handles collision with spikes, if Madeline is moving away from the direction that spikes are facing, she can jump off the wall or floor behind the spikes, in what's termed a "spikejump". [[spoiler: This is necessary to collect a Golden Strawberry from Chapter 1 by beating it without dashing, which is impossible without the technique.]]
** A casual player will likely never notice that it's possible to jump or dash out of the dream blocks in Chapter 2 to gain extra momentum, but it's mandatory to use this property to complete the Chapter 2 B-Side. A little bird even pops up at the start of Chapter 2-B Side with a dialogue box to hint at this.
** It's actually possible to dash, even in mid-air, while crouching to reduce the size of Madeline's hitbox. This lets her dash through seemingly solid hazards that have separate hitboxes, such as walls of crystals, and is called a "demodash". While it's never mandatory, Chapter 9 has a few rooms specifically tailored for speedrunners that require the technique.

* AnAesop:
** Your negative feelings are part of you. Don't let them control you, but also don't try to deny them - when you fully accept yourself, you can work wonders!
** Chapter 6 also has a secondary one: complex issues like depression and anxiety can't be solved with EpiphanyTherapy and banishing them, they have to be acknowledged as warped defense mechanisms that're still a part of you, and sometimes even have validity.
** Chapter 9 has an additional one: [[spoiler: even when you're feeling better, tough events can cause depression and anxiety to pop up again, but the way to get through it is to ask for help and not to try to tough it out on your own.]]

** The [[https://www.instagram.com/theounderstars/?hl=en Theounderstars instagram page]] contains some things regarding the characters not shown otherwise in the game such as a look into Theo's friends and family (including Alex's design) as well as Madeline taking up archery after the game's events.

** The B-Side of a chapter can be unlocked about halfway through an A-Side. If you decide to abort the level at that point and directly play its B-Side, the game will still unlock the next chapter just as if you had finished the normal A-Side level. Speedrunners exploit this is chapter 5.
** The [[spoiler: secret strawberry]] in Chapter 9 requires you to die and respawn in a new area. Death usually costs you the Golden Strawberry if you're going for it, but if you're [[SelfImposedChallenge mad enough]] to go for the Golden Strawberry ''and'' the [[spoiler: Moon Berry]] at the same time, it will temporarily detach in the room with the required death, letting you pick it back up when you respawn.

* AdvancedMovementTechnique: By air-dashing diagonally into the ground and then immediately jumping, Madeline can launch herself forward with great momentum. The move is called "wavedashing," the name being a ShoutOut to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''. Another similar technique called "wallbouncing" can be done by dashing up and then doing a wall jump adjacent to a wall. Both moves are required to complete the last few {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s.

* AscendedGlitch: Some of the game's mechanics regarding momentum and dashes lead to glitches that might seem like oversights, but were discovered during development, and accounted for by the developers, with some of the game's ultimate challenges even relying on players using them!

* AnAesop: Your negative feelings are part of you. Don't let them control you, but also don't try to deny them - when you fully accept yourself, you can work wonders!

* BigBoosHaunt: The second level of the game takes place in some ancient abandoned ruins, with a suitable creepy atmosphere. This chapter also features an enemy that follows Madeline, destroying her if they make contact.

* {{Bookends}}: Both the prologue and the epilogue take place at Granny's cottage.

* ProductionThrowback: Chapter 7 has Madeline discard her pack with her hair constantly billowing in the wind, much like the original freeware version of her design.

** The hair color of Madeline's sprite reflects whether she can dash. If it's red, she can; if it's blue, she can't. [[spoiler: When it's pink, she can dash twice.]]
** The Crystal Heart collectibles are different colors depending on where they're found. The ones hidden in the regular levels [[spoiler: excluding Chapter 9]] are blue. The ones at the end of the B-Sides are red. [[spoiler: The ones at the end of the C-Sides are yellow. Finally, there is a light grey one in Chapter 9.]]

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Dying takes you back to the last entrance you used in roughly a second. The game makes it a point that dying is simply a temporary setback rather than something to be shamed for; one of the pre-chapter postcards even tells you to "be proud of your death count!"

*** The penultimate section of Chapter 7 also features upward wind for the first time in the game. [[spoiler: After challenging her for so long, the Mountain is helping Madeline reach the end after she's dealt with her personal problems. ]]

* GoombaStomp: Jumping on snowballs, certain enemies or bosses temporarily puts them out of action, gives you a little air and resets your dash.

* IronicEcho: The first conversation with Badeline ends with her ominously stating:
--> '''Badeline:''' ''Let's go home... together.''

--> [[spoiler: '''Madeline:''' ''Let's climb out of here... together.'']]

* MoodWhiplash: Chapter 6. [[spoiler:The chapter starts off on the high note set by the end of Chapter 5, with Theo and Madeline taking the time to get to know each other better. Then Madeline has a dream where she flies up to see the ''aurora borealis'' via golden feathers, sees Badeline, and tells her that she doesn't need her anymore. This seems like it would lead to something good, but it [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes HORRIBLY wrong]] with Badeline furiously holding Madeline captive, mocking her panic attack treatment feather trick, and tossing her back down to the base of the mountain.]]

--> [[spoiler: Wavedashing and You: A Practical Guide to Catching Birds in Space]]

On January 25th, 2021, to celebrate the third anniversary of Celeste's release, a small team developed ''Celeste Classic 2: Lani's Trek'' using the [[GameMaker PICO-8]] engine. It features a new protagonist traveling to Celeste Mountain but features a new style of platforming centered around a [[GrapplingHookPistol grappling hook]] Lani finds. The game ends on a screen with [[SequelHook a mysterious flower bud that has yet to bloom]].

* BlindIdiotTranslation: The original Japanese translation had a variety of issues up to the inclusion of slurs towards the mentally ill... in a game about coping with mental issues... in a context where it made no sense to begin with. The developers were initially unaware of this as none of them spoke the language, but eventually a new localization team was hired to translate the game again from scratch while the old version was quietly scrapped.
** To be more specific, the word that was used was "気ちがい" (Kichigai), which is an outdated term that literally means "Insane", "Crazy" and "Madness". In modern times, it's more often used as a slur to insult mentally ill people, part of a group of highly discriminatory and abusive insults known as "差別語" (Sabetsugo). It's EXTREMELY rude to call someone who speaks Japanese that way, as its closest equivalent in English would be calling someone a lunatic, or a retard.

** In a fundamental way, the approach ''Celeste'' takes towards solving puzzles and platforming [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo7FaVLET3k mirrors that of actual rock climbing]].

** The epilogue is slightly different depending on how many strawberries you've collected. If you manage to complete the game [[MinimalistRun with very few]] [[spoiler:Madeline's "strawberry pie" is just an empty pie crust.]]

''Celeste'' is a {{Retraux}} PlatformGame developed by Extremely OK Games, the studio that created ''VideoGame/TowerFall''. It was released for PC, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch on January 25, 2018.

* LovecraftLite: [[spoiler:Chapter 5 has the Mirror Temple, featuring statues of tentacled eyeball monsters--and then the Temple starts reflecting Madeline's subconscious, and similar monsters attack you. However, no one winds up dead or insane, since this is ultimately a metaphor for dealing with depression, not a story about mankind's insignificance.]]

** Each chapter has a "B-Side", which is unlocked by finding hidden cassette tapes in each chapter. B-Sides are extra-difficult levels that each require mastery of the chapter's respective gimmick. Collecting all the crystal hearts and beating all the B-Side levels unlocks [[spoiler:the ''[[UpToEleven even more brutal]]'' C-Side levels and the Golden Strawberries. The C-Sides are difficult enough, but collecting all of the golden strawberries requires you to beat every single chapter '''[[NoDamageRun without dying]]''', '''[[CheckpointStarvation not even once]]'''. Yes, this includes the B-Sides and C-Sides. Good luck.]]

** Each chapter has a "B-Side", which is unlocked by finding hidden cassette tapes in each chapter. B-Sides are extra-difficult levels that each require mastery of the chapter's respective gimmick. Collecting all the crystal hearts and beating all the B-Side levels unlocks [[spoiler:the ''[[UpToEleven even more brutal]]'' C-Side levels and the Golden Strawberries. The C-Sides are difficult enough, but collecting all of the golden strawberries requires you to beat every single chapter '''without taking any damage'''. Yes, this includes the B-Sides and C-Sides. Good luck.]]

** Heavily [[AvertedTrope averted]] with the golden strawberries, where you need to complete the entire stage without dying once. One death, and it's back to the beginning. [[spoiler: The only exception to this is if [[SelfImposedChallenge you're insane enough]] to collect the Moon Berry and the Golden Berry at the same time in Chapter 9, as a death is required in one room to get the Moon Berry. However, bringing the berry to said room would [[DevelopersForesight make the berry temporarily detach from you]] while you perform the [[ResurrectionTeleportation death warp]], and it'll be waiting for you in the place where you'll respawn.]]

** Assist Mode can make you invincible and grant you infinite dashes, letting people beat the game without throwing controllers over the difficulty.

* VariableMix:
** The soundtrack in general transitions as you progress through the game.
** In Chapter 8, the background music will shift between "hot" and "cold" versions as the Lava/Ice switches are activated.

** Sometimes a stage will split off in all directions into different side-areas that contain collectibles, such as Chapters 2 and 4. In these instances, the way that leads to collectibles will have light shining through it.

* VariableMix: In Chapter 8, the background music will shift between "hot" and "cold" versions as the Lava/Ice switches are activated.