Line #38 VideoGame/TheMessenger2018


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/87a59ba6_4a49_4964_abf9_d6b63e593c59.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan's survival.]]
3
4	''The Messenger'' is a 2018 {{Retraux}} {{Metroidvania}} platformer video game developed by Sabotage Studio and published by Creator/DevolverDigital.
5
6	Originally released for the Platform/NintendoSwitch and Platform/{{Steam}}, the game would later be released for the Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/XboxOne.
7
8	When a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja must journey through a cursed land to deliver a scroll that is paramount to his clan’s survival. The game is a retro-styled platformer which allows the player to travel through time between an 8-bit styled game and a glorious 16-bit styled adventure.
9
10	The game itself is a huge homage to platformers like ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' and its influence is very obvious not only from having a ninja as the main character, but also having carefully designed levels with excellent controls and [[NintendoHard being very challenging]].
11
12	A free DownloadableContent expansion called ''Picnic Panic'' was released on July 11, 2019. It involves the Ninja traveling to a tropical island to rescue the Phobekins from Barma'thazël. The area contains three new areas and bosses, as well as a literal MoneySink for extra time gems. Watch the trailer [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtiZwnLiglI here]].
13
14	''VideoGame/SeaOfStars'', a retreaux turn-based RolePlayingGame, was released on August 29, 2023. It is a {{Prequel}} that is set in the same world as ''The Messenger''. Notably, Creator/YasunoriMitsuda was a guest composer for the game.
15
16	Not to be confused with the 2001 French computer game of the same title.
17	----
18	!! Tropes associated with ''The Messenger'' include:
19	* TenMinuteRetirement: [[spoiler:After the Ninja finishes his duty as the Messenger and passes it along to someone else, he becomes the new Shopkeeper... until ''his'' Messenger dies and he has to pick up where he left off, ''literal'' minutes later (at least to him, since he spent those minutes in the shop which exists outside of time and the Shopkeeper states that his personal time is fast-forwarded until something important happens)]].
20	* AdiposeRex: The Demon King is very fat, although he kind of has to be in order to fit [[MultipleHeadCase all four of his heads]] on one body. [[spoiler:This may be a subversion, since it turns out [[{{Oculothorax}} most of his body is actually a massive eye.]] ]]
21	* AdvancingWallOfDoom: [[spoiler:After you collect the note in the Corrupted Future, you have to outrun a giant abomination to the beginning. If you're too slow, it'll kill you in one hit]].
22	* AfterTheEnd: After a great flood, the only land left is a single island. Then there's the multiple demon invasions.
23	* AllTheWorldsAreAStage: The final level of the game, [[spoiler:the Music Box, forces you to use all of your ninja tools (Climbing Claws, Wing Suit and Rope Dart) and master the time travel rift puzzles in order to finish it]].
24	* AllThereInTheManual: The wiki has ''a lot'' of trivia and facts surrounding the game and its characters that are never even slightly hinted at during gameplay. It helps that most of them are WordOfGod.
25	* AlternateUniverse: Serving as the framing device for the [=DLCs=], these exist and the Blue Robes are fighting the demons in them too, because if the demons wins in an alternate timeline it will [[HandWave somehow]] overwrite their victories in the main dimension.
26	* AmbiguousEnding: After the credits, there is a [[TheStinger stinger]] which shows [[spoiler:the Shopkeeper finishing telling the events of the game to a cowboy Messenger who had asked for a story, leaving it ambiguous as to whether the events of the game actually happened (or perhaps ''will'' happen, if the Cowboy was Messenger at some point during the 500 years in between the Ninja's two time periods), or whether the Shopkeeper just made the whole thing up]].
27	* AndThatLittleGirlWasMe: A meta example. The final story the Shopkeeper tells you is pretty much a symbolism-heavy description of how the development team got together to make the game, interspersed with text boxes popping up thanking each member of the team individually.
28	* {{Antepiece}}: The game does a good job at giving the players opportunity to learn how to use their new toys or showcase certain dangers without cheap shots. Whenever a mechanic unique to the area shows up the game also makes sure to have them in safe areas so the players have time to adjust and learn how they actually work.
29	* AntiFrustrationFeatures:
30	** Before boss rooms, there will always be a shop checkpoint flanked by two lanterns that contain a health potion and a ki refill.
31	** During the second stage of the Emerald Golem boss where [[FreeFallFight you have to chase a green core through freefall]], energy shuriken power-ups will repeatedly fly up from below to give you ammo to attack the boss with.
32	** During the second half of the game, you have a two-tier hint system. Firstly, the Prophet's vague messages on where to go next will give some hint on an objective you have to complete. If you can't figure out the Prophet's hints, you can pay the Shopkeeper 300 Time Shards to have her just outright tell you what to do next.
33	** New upgrades will allow you to have the map mark areas with quest objectives, show how many Power Seals are left in the area, and the location to the Power Seals to make tracking them down less of a hassle.
34	** A patch after the release of the game added sparkles to the correct way to the Sunken Shrine in the underwater maze once the player obtains the Shell Horn, as the acoustic solution could be vague as to the correct path, not to mention impossible to navigate for people with hearing disabilities.
35	** Most Power Seals have a [[DoorToBefore safe passage to the beginning of their challenge rooms]] so you're not forced to backtrack through an already tricky area. Most of these let-outs also give you a health and ki refill so you're not forced to limp back to a save point with low health.
36	** Collecting a Power Seal instantly counts it towards your total, even if you die before reaching a save point after collecting it.
37	** Even if you didn't buy the upgrade that allows you to Cloudstep off of projectiles, you'll be able to Cloudstep off of the fireballs of the Cloud Ruins boss, since not having it means the latter part of the fight would be impossible.
38	** If you die during the EscapeSequence in [[spoiler:the Corrupted Future]], the game immediately takes you back to the start of the sequence, skipping the usual death screen with Quarble.
39	* ArbitrarySkepticism: In a world of demons, magic, curses, prophecies, and [[spoiler:time travel]], the Shopkeeper still thinks the idea of [[spoiler:a giant robot butler and a flying sky serpent named Manfred]] sounds utterly ridiculous and the Ninja must be hallucinating due to oxygen deprivation to have ever conceived of such things.
40	* ArcWords: "Do the thing."
41	* ArtShift: The graphics, music, and sound effects change from 8-bit to 16-bit after [[spoiler:the Messenger is sent to the future. After OpeningTheSandbox, the rest of the game involves repeatedly going back and forth between the past and future, thus you repeatedly Art Shift between 8 and 16 bits]].
42	* AudibleSharpness: Ninja's sword makes an audible shing noise when used. [[spoiler:Even more when he travels to the future]].
43	* BadFuture: The Ninja visits a version of the world where the demons won, [[spoiler:the level is aptly named Corrupted Future and the results ''are not pretty''. It features eldritch, cosmic-like horrors that may be even more horrifying than the things you saw in the Underworld, and that's not even mentioning the "boss" of the area itself... What makes it truly terrifying is that even with magic wisps transporting the Ninja 500 years into the past Earth is still in the bad future setting meaning humanity lost to the curse a very long time ago]].
44	* BattleBoomerang: The Windmill Shuriken returns to you after being thrown, which is exactly what you ''don't'' want it to do. Instead, you want to repeatedly dodge its attempts to return to you so that it functions more like an OrbitingParticleShield that continually does damage.
45	* BashBrothers: Colos and Suses. Bonus points for being literal brothers.
46	* BeamOWar: [[spoiler:Between the [[KamehameHadoken Arcane Golem]] and the [[EyeBeams Curse]] in the ending.]]
47	* BeatTheCurseOutOfHim: [[spoiler:Manfred, the Clockwork Concierge, the Butterfly Matriarch, and Phantom. Although in Phantom's case you're really beating the curse ''off'' of him, as it's contained in the mask he wears.]]
48	* BenevolentArchitecture: Many areas would be impossible to reach if it wasn't for all of those conveniently placed lanterns and wall rings everywhere for you to Cloudstep and Rope Dart off of.
49	* BetterThanABareBulb: Many characters in the game waste no time in [[LampshadeHanging hanging lampshades]] on a lot of traditional video game tropes, the absurdity of certain plot elements and even ''stuff the player is likely to do''. Even the ''achievements'' get in on this.
50	* BigBad: The Demon King, who leads the demon invasion on the remaining human survivors. [[spoiler:However he isn't the FinalBoss, and while he did place the curse on humanity, there ''is'' OntologicalInertia in this setting and you still need to enter the Music Box and rescue Phantom to break the curse at its source]].
51	* BigDamnHeroes: The Western Hero arrives in the nick of time to fend off the demon army just before they attack the Ninja, [[spoiler:and as the Western Hero of the next cycle, the Ninja arrives in the nick of time to fend off the demon army just before they attack the Soldier]].
52	* BigLittleMan:
53	** As you make your way through the Catacombs, a mysterious necromancer twice your height regularly harasses you with his minions. When you finally face him, he turns out to be a short little pipsqueak, and was using a combination of levitation and a very long cloak to make himself look taller.
54	** Parodied in ''Picnic Panic'' when it seems like he'll do the same reveal, only to turn around and reveal he's on stilts.
55	* BlackoutBasement: The appropriately named Dark Cave requires a light source in order to see anything but the platform directly in front of the entrance (and two other platforms generating updrafts). There is an achievement for making it through the whole area without any light.
56	* BoisterousBruiser: Colos and Suses. They're very buff and fond of a good scrap, but they are also rather bombastic and hammy.
57	* BossArenaIdiocy: [[spoiler:The Demon King would be impossible to attack if it weren’t for the conveniently placed rockets in his throne room]].
58	* BossCorridor: Almost every boss has this, supplying you with a potion, ki recharge, and access to the shop. The Ninja actually [[DiscussedTrope discusses]] this at one point, though of course when he brings it up there isn’t actually a boss this time.
59	* BossRemix: A good number of the boss battles have their own unique theme which is mostly composed after the area they're at.
60	* BottomlessPits: Falling off the screen is instant death.
61	* BreatherLevel: In-Universe and Lampshaded in Bamboo Creek. After the dark, oppressive Catacombs filled with crusher traps, spikes, and undead, Bamboo Creek is a bright and green level with upbeat music, non-threatening enemies, few traps beside bottomless pits, with sparing enemy placement perfect for stylishly cloudstepping through. The lampshades come in with the Shopkeeper's extremely upbeat attitude upon arriving, refusing to tell you a story so you can go out and enjoy yourself, and calling the Ninja paranoid when he cites SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity, finding the idea of a boss in Bamboo Creek preposterous.
62	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Quarble does this quite a bit, questioning your skills as a player, suggesting you blame your death on input lag to avoid embarrassment if anyone is watching you play, and even asking you if you are dying on purpose just to see when his quotes start looping.
63	* CantTakeCriticism: Right before TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, the Shopkeeper reveals that she has been holding a grudge against the Ninja for the entire game for [[spoiler:saying her shop doesn't look like a shop]], but since the Ninja is about to save the world, she has decided to forgive him for it.
64	* ChargedAttack: One of the higher tier upgrades gives the Messenger a charge attack that deals triple damage. Unlike many charge attacks this one is passive, automatically charging as long as you're not attacking. [[spoiler:The first (and only) upgrade that your successor receives from your shop before his untimely death is a standard ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}''-style Charge Beam]].
65	* {{Checkpoint}}: There are few checkpoints per level where player respawns in case of death.
66	* TheChosenMany: Through the Ninja's adventure it's implied that he's not the first Messenger to undertake the journey. [[spoiler:He's also not the first to ''succeed'', either - it turns out the "Western Hero" is the Ninja's predecessor from 500 years in the past, and the Order of the Blue Robes are an entire society of previous Messengers who have undergone the journey and completed their trials. The Shopkeeper herself is implied (and confirmed by the developers) to be the very first Messenger. It just happens that the Ninja is skilled enough and far enough in the cycle that he can finish the work that his predecessors began (also his intended successor is KilledOffForReal, throwing a wrench into things and forcing the Order to rely on the Ninja further), slaying the Demon King and freeing Phantom from the Music Box, and the assembled Messengers at the end (as well as the Phantom) have enough combined power to destroy the Curse for good.]]
67	* CirclingBirdies: Colos & Suses have stars circling above them when defeated.
68	* CollectionSidequest: Collecting the 45 Power Seals is not necessary to beat the game, but unlocks the Windmill Shuriken.
69	* CommonplaceRare: To pass the [[BlackoutBasement Dark Cave]], you need to do a sidequest to get the only available candle in the game. However, the entire game is full of lamps, and the entrance to the Dark Cave has numerous candles standing next to it!
70	* ConvectionShmonvection: You can even ''run on lava'' as if it was solid, harmless ground, assuming you have the right upgrade.
71	* CrapsackWorld: The world has been reduced to one single habitable island as the result of a massive flood. Doesn't sound bad enough? Let's talk about the demons trying to kill all of the few humans remaining. [[spoiler:And let's not even get started on what the ''sheer horror'' the Corrupted Future, where the demons have won, is.]]
72	* CrypticallyUnhelpfulAnswer: The Prophet delivers these when asked where to go [[spoiler:after opening the map to exploration. You can either pay the Shopkeeper for a straight answer, figure it yourself, or look up for a guide]].
73	* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist:
74	** Technically, you never ''actually'' die. A small demon named Quarble has been contracted to use his time-manipulating ring to rescue you from death at the last second and put you back at the last checkpoint. However, he expects to be paid for his work, so every time you "die", he will follow you around for a while, and all Time Shards collected will go to him instead of you. He leaves once his fee has been paid, once he gets bored, or [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere whenever a boss shows up]], whichever comes first. You can buy an upgrade in the shop that cuts his fee in half. Also, even though "death" may be a slap on the wrist for ''you'', the entire process apparently causes the Messenger himself to suffer agonizing pain every time.
75	** The [[spoiler:race against the Dark Messenger]] in ''Picnic Panic'' is ''ostensibly'' supposed to avert this, as the stakes are [[spoiler:the loser of the race having their Greed Demon killed]]. However, if you lose, [[spoiler:Quillble shows up to bail you and Quarble out, rewinding time to the beginning of the race.]]
76	** The NewGamePlus option averts this, you need to have enough time shards on hand to pay Quarble the entire cost upfront or it's game over, adding a lot of stress onto dying, especially if you just bought an upgrade.
77	** If you complete the Voodoo Mask in ''Picnic Panic'' and carry that file over to a New Game Plus, you can sacrifice Quarble to it in return for doubling your health and tripling your attack. But since Quarble isn't there for you anymore, it means that the next death you suffer is permanent with nothing to stop it.
78	* DefeatMeansFriendship: [[spoiler:Ruxxtin, Manfred and Queen of Quills become allies of Ninja although all of them under different circumstances-- Ruxxtin simply gives up on evil after being thrashed by the Ninja, Manfred has his brainwash beaten out of him and the Queen of Quills has to have her curse lifted so she becomes the Monk again]].
79	* DelusionsOfEloquence: Colos and Suses have a very [[ComicBook/SinCity Shlubb-and-Klump]]-esque speaking style, right down to addressing the other by name in every single sentence.
80	* DemBones: One of the enemies is a type of skeleton that walks around. There are also skeleton birds.
81	* DevelopersForesight:
82	** Normally when you defeat the Queen of Quills you get an exchange between Quarble and her personal life saver, Quillble. However, if you manage to get to that point without dying once, Quarble won’t show up at all, and Quillble simply shows up, saves the Queen of Quills, and teleports away, leaving the Ninja confused.
83	** [[spoiler:After OpeningTheSandbox]], there’s a two tier hint system where the Prophet gives you a vague message and the Shopkeeper can simply reveal the location needed for a price. [[spoiler:When you access the DefinitelyFinalDungeon, the Prophet’s hint describes the scroll meeting its maker, obviously referring to Phantom. If the player buys the Shopkeeper’s hint, the Shopkeeper will be completely baffled that you would need a hint for this considering all the build-up for the final area.]]
84	* DirectionallySolidPlatforms: Some platforms are solid from above. You can drop down from them.
85	* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Barma'thazël in the Underworld, which only serves as the OpeningTheSandbox point for the game turning into a Metroidvania. The next DOFB comes in the form of the Demon King, who seems to be the final boss but is actually followed by Phantom.]]
86	* DiscOneFinalDungeon: The Forlorn Temple. You find it early on in the campaign and you're told that it's where the Demon King is residing, but you can't get inside it on account of the literal BrokenBridge. [[spoiler:While you do indeed slay the Demon King inside it, the curse besieging the land is still in effect, and the final Music Note is nowhere to be found, meaning your journey still has a ways to go.]]
87	* DoubleJump: The Cloudstep technique allows the Ninja to double jump after striking something with his sword in midair. As long as there is something to hit, he can keep jumping indefinitely.
88	* DragonTheirFeet: [[spoiler:Barma'thazël survives the Underworld collapsing in on him and moves to an alternate dimension (The DLC) with the goal of winning there to override the main universe's victories, usurping the role of active BigBad from the Demon King.]]
89	* DualBoss: Colos and Suses are a subversion; they're sporting enough that you only fight one at a time. The other exercises in the background, and they periodically tag out.
90	* DualWorldGameplay: [[spoiler:After OpeningTheSandbox, you begin using time portals to switch between the past and future]].
91	* DumbMuscle: Colos and Suses, the Oni bodybuilders in the game, have an intellect as uneven as their workout regimen. They'd rather starve to death than eat the cauldron of stew they're sitting right next to without adding a strength-enhancing herb to it. After getting said item that will "save" them from starving the game itself call them idiots.
92	* EldritchLocation: [[spoiler:The Corrupted Future. Everything is as horrific and nightmarish as you'd expect from a world that looks like it wasn't dominated by demons, but rather cosmic abominations. How bad it actually is? The ground seems to be alive, eyes on walls follow you, a shattered moon looms on the back and gigantic tentacles wriggles on the background while what seems to be humans fall to their apparent deaths.]]
93	* ElevatorActionSequence: Bamboo Creek features two of these. In a twist you have to manually make the elevator work while fending off enemies coming and firing projectiles at you.
94	* EmptyRoomPsych:
95	** Discussed. Between the 1.0.4 and the 2.0.2 versions of the game, the sink in the shop was a literal MoneySink which allowed players to dump excess Time Shards into. However, dumping money down the drain did absolutely nothing. The Shopkeeper repeatedly explained that to the Ninja should the player keep doing it, but the Ninja stubbornly refused to believe that there was no reward for it.
96	** The final areas of Bamboo Creek are designed in a way to make you think that a boss is coming, despite the Shopkeeper telling you otherwise. After some long drops and a large room, you go to the next area, and realize that the Shopkeeper was actually telling the truth.
97	* EnergyBall: Certain enemies like floating wizards shoot balls of energy.
98	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Almost every main character and a few minor characters as well, including the Western Hero, the Ninja, the Shopkeeper, the Demon King, etc.
99	* EscapeSequence: [[spoiler:After collecting the Note in the Corrupted Future, you have to outrun a massive invincible abomination back to the portal]].
100	* EternalEngine: [[spoiler:The Music Box]] functions as this, having the obligatory pistons, conveyor belts, and vents spewing hot steam. [[MickeyMousing All synced up to the background music, no less]].
101	* ExpospeakGag: Do a FetchQuest for the Ninja Elder and he will teach you the Power of True Sight. [[spoiler:Or in other words, give you an ordinary candle]].
102	* ExtremityExtremist: Colos only attacks with his arms, while Suses only attacks with his legs (except to whip you with his loincloth), including picking up and throwing things using his feet. This is demonstrated in their designs as well; Colos is a TopHeavyGuy, and Suses is fat but has muscled legs.
103	* EyePop: Quarble does this if he enters a boss room with you, followed by him [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere immediately teleporting away]].
104	* FailedASpotCheck:
105	** It turns out the scroll that the ninja was carrying all this time was a map. The Shopkeeper is incredulous that the ninja never checked what was on it, seeing as how it was the focal point of his quest.
106	** Once the Demon General has been defeated, [[spoiler:the Shopkeeper neglects to tell the ninja the rule of "if your messenger isn't back in ten seconds, it means that they died" until more than ten seconds have passed]].
107	* FairytaleMotif: The FinalBoss is a heroic version of [[spoiler:Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera, complete with an OminousPipeOrgan]].
108	* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler:Despite being compelled to perpetuate the curse, Phantom's true personality was able to push to the forefront long enough to create the scroll and send it out into the world, thereby starting the legacy of Messengers.]]
109	* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:Phantom in the Music Box. Though there's one more encounter right after that, it's a CutsceneBoss]].
110	* FinalDeathMode: In NewGamePlus, if The Ninja accepts 'THE DEAL' from the Voodoo Mask and agrees to sacrifice Quarble [[PowerAtAPrice in exchange for a big stat boost]], Quarble will abandon the Ninja. Should the Ninja die, the game's file will reset and start the beginning again.
111	* FisticuffsBoss: The final boss of the ''Picnic Panic'' DLC has [[spoiler:the Demon General grow into a giant demon, and the Blue Robes and the Messenger Do The Thing in order to fight him - resulting in a VideoGame/PunchOut -esque bout, complete with appreciative audience, appropriate music (the track is named Title Bout, no less!), and rounds.]]
112	* FiveSecondForeshadowing:
113	** The Shopkeeper tells you that "[[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden John Gaiden]]" invented the Climbing Claws, because the game is, so far, [[SpiritualSuccessor similar to Ninja Gaiden]]. [[spoiler:Once you take her spot and the Soldier takes yours, you give him the Charge Beam upgrade and tell him it was invented by "[[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Ray Troid]]", and shortly after that, [[OpeningTheSandbox the world opens up]] to become a {{Metroidvania}}-style map.]]
114	** Also PlayedForLaughs the first time Colos and Suses are encountered.
115	--->'''Colos:''' Mountain life is a blast, but I miss seeing adventurers pass by.\
116	'''Suses:''' I hear ya; remember humans?\
117	'''Colos:''' You bet I do; they were almost as interesting as obvious foreshadowing.\
118	'''Suses:''' (noticing the Ninja) Oh look, a human.\
119	'''Both:''' WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT!
120	* {{Fireballs}}: Orange demons shoot balls of fire.
121	* FlashOfPain: Bosses will flash when you damage them and will constantly flash faster and faster the closer you are to beating them. The flash color is mixture of red, blue and purple.
122	* FluffyTheTerrible: The Chinese dragon-styled serpent that deals 1-hit-[=KO=] damage in the chase sequence and can shoot powerful fireballs is named Manfred. When the Ninja questions this, he admits it's not actually his name, but he would prefer to be called that because he wants to be a butler and Manfred sounds more butler-like than whatever his real name is (which we don't learn).
123	-->'''Manfred:''' Well, you should dress for the job you want, and not the one you have, right?
124	* FollowTheMoney: Collectible currency often are placed in the way to direct the player to a path.
125	* ForcedTransformation:
126	** The bird and caged creature in the Shop turn out to be the Shopkeeper's colleague after a magic accident and a traveler that kept trying to open the Shopkeeper's cabinet. Neither like hearing about their [[NoodleIncident incident]].
127	** The Ninja can be turned into a Quillshroom if the Queen of Quills hits him with a spore. Mashing the buttons will snap him out of the curse.
128	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
129	** The Queen of Quills is stated to be a "previous Messenger". [[spoiler:As it turns out, [[HistoryRepeats there's been many, many other "previous messengers".]]]]
130	** Savvy players will note some oddities in the level design which always leave room for backtracking. [[spoiler:The game becomes a {{Metroidvania}} after a major event and backtracking becomes a necessity.]]
131	* ForestOfPerpetualAutumn: The appropriately named Autumn Hills, the first area of the game that’s home to a [[PlantMooks leaf monster]].
132	* FracturedFairyTale: The shopkeeper does tell stories, which often seem similar to fairy tales found outside the game. Some stories seem either legitimate or plausible, but some are changed such as a gender-flipped version of ''Literature/ThePrincessAndThePea'', which ultimately turns out to be a story about toxic relationships.
133	* FungusHumongous: Mushrooms in Quillshroom Marsh can reach several time the height of the Ninja.
134	* FunnelMouthedCephalopod: Octo and Pi from the DLC Picnic Panic are octopi with funnel-shaped mouths from which they can shoot globs of ink.
135	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In Quillshroom Marsh at certain parts of the music you may see the lantern quillshrooms and background ones with faces "singing" to the music.
136	* FusionDance:
137	** The Order of the Blue Robe members can "do the thing" to become the boss of the Tower of Time. [[spoiler:It is an ability that all Messengers share and is what it is used to defeat the Curse for good]].
138	** At the end of ''Picnic Panic DLC'' [[spoiler:Barma'thazël, ''does the thing'' with the Dark Messenger and becomes a gigantic version of himself aptly named Barma'thething. Naturally the Ninja and the Blue Robes also do the thing to fight him on equal footing]].
139	* GagDub: The game includes all the requisite language options, including standard french. However, in addition to these, it also includes a seldom-seen "Québécois" version (Sabotage Studios is based in Québec City). This makes an already funny game that much more hillarious by giving every single character an exagerated french-canadian accent, rife with FunetikAksent and TotallyRadical. There are even a few Québec-specific pop culture references that are absent from all other versions of the game.
140	* GangOfHats: [[spoiler:From how the Ninja hails from a traditional Japan-esque town of village and the Soldier comes from a futuristic military outpost, we can extrapolate that each Messenger has their own motif and hometown; monks, cowboys, and Mongolian archers form the basis for three other generations of Messengers.]]
141	* GelatinousTrampoline: From Glacial Peak and beyond, there are some places where jelly bounces player into the air.
142	* GenreShift: A downplayed example. The game shifts from a straightforward platformer into a more open-ended adventure [[spoiler:after completing the Underworld]], but it still maintains the general gameplay structure of the games it homages.
143	* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: [[spoiler:The Sun and Moon gods in the Sunken Shrine are very weak after centuries without anybody worshiping them, and use the last of their strength to create one of the Music Notes you need to break the curse and save humanity.]]
144	* TheGoomba: Green demons do nothing but walk slowly.
145	* GreenHillZone: Bamboo Creek. A (mostly) peaceful and verdant area, as the Shopkeeper herself says: "[[BreatherLevel This is as sunny as it gets in this here cursed world.]]"
146	* HailFirePeaks: What Searing Crags and Glacial Peak are together. Fire at the bottom and ice at the top.
147	* HarmlessFreezing:
148	** Manfred somehow gets frozen at Glacial Peak, though his head is unfrozen so he can still communicate.
149	** Ruxxtin’s staff also freezes due to [[spoiler:staying at the top of Glacial Peak for 500 years, though seeing how it was already immobile, it’s more annoyed by the cold than anything.]]
150	* HaughtyHelp: Quarble wastes no time in mocking Ninja's (consequently the player's) skill, or rather the lack of it, after saving him from death. The few times he (sort of) apologizes is if the Ninja dies via crushing because apparently that's a pretty horrible death even for him.
151	* HaveANiceDeath: Every death is met with a new comment from Quarble, at least until he runs out of unique lines. At one point he gets his identical co-worker Quibble to fill in for him just so Quibble can see for himself how bad you are. (Or so "Quibble" ''claims''...) He also sometimes comments on the exact way you died ("Hey I'll be visiting the shopkeeper later, should I grab something to reduce spikes damage for you?").
152	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After Ruxxtin is defeated, he realizes that evil just isn’t working out for him, and promises he won’t do the world any more harm. True to his word, he actually helps you in the future, leaving behind an amulet that allows you to access the Cloud Ruins again and a note that describes the hidden entrance to the Dark Caves. Oddly, he continues to wear his necromancer outfit despite it being designed for an evil look.]]
153	* HeroOfAnotherStory:
154	** [[spoiler:As it turns out, many Messengers have taken the journey to carry the scroll eastward. The Soldier ''could'' have had his own sprawling adventure to deliver the scroll to the Glacial Peak. Unfortunately, he perishes not too far in, forcing the Ninja back into action]].
155	** Additionally, [[spoiler:at least two Messengers managed two great feats: one of them recovered the Music Box from the Forlorn Temple and another found the first two Musical Notes in order to break its curse]].
156	* HighAltitudeBattle:
157	** Happens naturally against the boss of Cloud Ruins.
158	** [[spoiler:In the battle against the Demon King you must ride rockets upwards to leave him vulnerable to attacks and to deliver the finishing blow]].
159	* HistoryRepeats: At the beginning of the game, [[spoiler:the Ninja given a scroll by the Western Hero of the prophecy, who names him the Messenger and tells him to deliver it to the top of Glacial Peak. It is eventually revealed that this is the endgame of ''all'' Messengers. The Ninja travels 500 years into the future, where he becomes the Western Hero of the next cycle and gives the scroll to a futuristic soldier in the exact same spot where he received it himself, names the Soldier the new Messenger, and tells him to deliver the scroll to the top of Glacial Peak. Meanwhile, the Ninja takes over as the new Shopkeeper of that cycle. However, the Soldier eventually dies on his journey (because the previous Shopkeeper neglected to tell the Ninja he was supposed to keep tabs on his Messenger with the shop's Scrying Orb and manually send out Quarble to rescue him from death), forcing the Ninja to become the Messenger again]].
160	* IaijutsuPractitioner: The late-game ChargedAttack ability appears to function this way, since it works by ''not'' pressing the attack button for several seconds in order to unleash a single, powerful blow.
161	* InconvenientlyPlacedConveyorBelt: Music Box has many conveyor belts, dragging Ninja along. There are even vertical conveyor belts, should the Ninja stick to a wall.
162	* InfoDump: [[spoiler:After you collect all of the Notes, the Shopkeeper goes into a long exposition about the backstory, giving context to everything you've been doing]].
163	* InterfaceScrew: The Butterfly/Bat Matriarch's [[SuperScream sonic scream]] doesn't do any damage, but reverses your controls.
164	* InnBetweenTheWorlds: More of a shop, really, but it’s still capable of connecting its entrance to all over the world. It’s even in two separate locations in the building it’s physically in somehow.
165	* InvisibleBlock: The Butterfly/Bat Matriarch flies above you and can only be reached to damage her by jumping on invisible platforms. After dodging enough of her attacks, she will sprinkle pollen that reveals the location of the platforms, but if you already know where they are, you can still jump on them to make the fight go much faster.
166	* IronicName: The Phobekins are named after their phobias.
167	* {{Irony}}: The Ninja openly states he hates boring lectures and history lessons. One of the things he can do during his journey? Ask for the Shopkeeper to tell him stories. This is surprisingly not lampshaded at any point.
168	* ItsALongStory: How every Phobekin describes their situation on how they arrived at the location of their greatest fear.
169	* LaserHallway: Plenty of these in [[spoiler:Tower of Time.]]
170	* LegacyCharacter: The Messengers, of which the Ninja is the latest. [[spoiler:The latest one that's still alive, anyway]].
171	* TheLostLenore: [[spoiler:The death of his beloved Muse at the hands of the demon army is what drove Phantom to go after the Demon King by himself, carrying the Music Box that his wife created as a TragicKeepsake. The Demon King felt such stupidity deserved to be punished with a FateWorseThanDeath, and placed the curse on humanity, then sealed Phantom inside the Music Box and turned him into the ApocalypseMaiden that maintains the curse]].
172	* LockedOutOfTheLoop: The Ninja isn't made aware of nearly anything until it becomes relevant. This reaches a head when, before entering the final dungeon, the Shopkeeper reveals she did it out of spite [[DisproportionateRetribution because the Ninja said her shop didn't look like a shop]]. She then proceeds to tell The Ninja the entirety of the game's setting, backstory, and the purpose of the Messenger journey over a nearly nine-minute long info dump.
173	* TheLostWoods: Autumn Hills. Where your journey starts, in a secluded place of the world. It's also a ForestOfPerpetualAutumn as its name implies.
174	* MalevolentArchitecture: Expect to see plenty of spikes, crushing traps, and bottomless pits pretty much everywhere but your cozy Ninja Village.
175	* MeaningfulName: The Phobekin are a double example. Their species is named as such because they all have a severe phobia of some sort, while on an individual basis they are all named after their respective phobias.
176	* MediumAwareness: The Shopkeeper definitely knows she is in a video game, and will make meta-jokes about various games and make remarks like "if you fought the final boss already, we wouldn't have much of a game", which usually confuse the Messenger. However, the Messenger can apparently see the dialog boxes and hear the game's music, and is also GenreSavvy enough to pick up on the fact that a shop with a lantern on each side containing health and ki refills means there is a boss fight in the next room (except that when he points this out, there isn't actually a boss in that area and the Shopkeeper calls him crazy for seeing patterns that aren't there). [[spoiler:When he briefly takes over as the new Shopkeeper for the next Messenger, his level of medium awareness increases appropriately.]]
177	* MercyInvincibility: You get a moderate amount after being hit by anything that isn't a one-hit kill.
178	* MickeyMousing:
179	** The [[spoiler:machinery of the Music Box]] is synced up to the background music. It's also inactive during the music's intro, so you can {{exploit\|edTrope}} this trope by entering and exiting a shop to reset the music and give you a few seconds to easily get past the next few obstacles.
180	** The giant mushrooms in the background of Quillshroom Marsh "sing" along with a certain section of the background music.
181	* MoneySink:
182	** In NewGamePlus runs, reviving after death requires paying Time Shards up front, so keeping enough on hand still serves a purpose.
183	** Between the 1.0.4 and the 2.0.2 versions of the game, the sink in the shop was a [[LiteralMetaphor literal sink]] that you could dump your Time Shards into. It did absolutely nothing other than literally flush your money down the drain. The Shopkeeper repeatedly tried to explain that to the Ninja, who [[EmptyRoomPsych stubbornly refused to believe there was no reward for putting enough money in]].
184	** After verision 2.0.2, the sink becomes clogged. It's possible to "fix" it via a side-quest so that it actually leads somewhere when examined... and it turns out it's the place where you can buy toys of your enemies for ridiculous prices.
185	* MultipleHeadCase: The Demon King has four heads, although only the one wearing the crown ever speaks.
186	* NeverTheSelvesShallMeet: The Order of the Blue Robes wear the robes to avoid this.
187	* NiceGuy: Even in a world full of demons and death lurking at every corner the Ninja still finds some nice people.
188	** The Wisp inside the Emerald Golem is actually a fairly nice guy, he politely accepts Ninja's apologies and holds no grudges to the point he waits the Ninja to be out of his sight to mourn the loss of his golem so he won't upset him.
189	** Colos and Suses, the Cyclopses are rather nice guys who bear no ill will against the Ninja and only fight him in order to test him. After defeating them they aid him in reaching the Glacial Peak. And later in the game they help the Ninja find another Music Note after he helps them by growing their Power Thistle.
190	** Manfred, the Dragon is quite a chill dude. He's nice and kind and will be very grateful for the Ninja helping him [[spoiler:by saving his life after the Underworld collapses and taking him back to the Ninja Village]] also offering a ride for him to help save the Elemental Skylands.
191	* NinjaRun: The Ninja, naturally! [[spoiler:Later in the future, The Soldier also has a more or less ninja-esque type of run too.]]
192	* NobleDemon: The Queen of Quills. [[spoiler:If you return after defeating her she begrudgingly admits your victory but doesn't try to attack you anymore. Though she will admit her quillshrooms will still try to get you]].
193	* NothingIsScarier:
194	** The lack of a boss in Bamboo Creek can throw you for a loop, especially since there’s two rooms after the BossCorridor that would be perfect for a BossRoom.
195	** Late-game, a stage functions like this. [[spoiler:The Corrupted Future. There is never an actual explanation of what happened there, whether there are any survivors (or any sane being) alive. Besides one brief exposition from the magic wisp there are no lines of dialogue here]].
196	* NotQuiteFlight: The Wingsuit allows the Messenger to glide in the air by holding Jump, allowing him to ride air vents and slow his descent. An upgrade also allows him to do a down slash attack while gliding.
197	* NoNameGiven: All of the game's human cast with the exception of [[spoiler:Muse and Phantom]] are only ever referred to by their titles, with bosses and non-human [=NPCs=] being the ones to get names.
198	* NumericalHard: Each run of New Game+ increases enemies' damage and bosses' health. The one non-numerical change is that you now have to pay Time Shards up front if you want to continue after dying; otherwise, it's game over.
199	* OneHitKill: Pits, crushing and a few other things will instantly make Quarble show up to save Ninja's ass.
200	* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:The Demon King transforms into a [[{{Oculothorax}} giant floating eyeball]] after you deal enough damage to him.]]
201	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
202	** The Shopkeeper gets uncharacteristically panicked [[spoiler:when she realizes she messed up and forgot to tell Ninja (acting as the Shopkeeper) that he ''must'' send Quarble to save the current Messenger, or else the guy dies for real]]. This even allows Ninja to get some jabs in which the Shopkeeper has no dry or witty comebacks for him.
203	** The Ninja tends to have some lines of dialogue after every part of his quest is done but he's almost catatonic after returning from his experience in [[spoiler:the Corrupted Future]]. He also engages in some serious jabs with TheDragon and the BigBad.
204	* OddlySmallOrganization: In spite of being formed out of [[spoiler:uncountable Messengers across many millennia]], the Order of the Blue Robe at the time of the game consists of precisely three members (plus one [[ItMakesSenseInContext hiding inside the sink]]). No real explanation is ever given about what happened to the rest.
205	* OnlySaneMan: The Shopkeeper is clearly exasperated with her fellow Blue Robe members, as one constantly yells out ambiguous prophecies, while the other won’t shut up about "[[FusionDance doing the thing]]". The Ninja, meanwhile, plays this role to ''the Shopkeeper;'' he's forced to put up with her repeated abuse of the fourth wall, general snarkiness, and her [[spoiler:ridiculous grudge over being told her shop doesn't look like a shop]].
206	* OurOgresAreHungrier: Colos and Suses fit most of the stereotypes around ogres to a tee; they're even introduced sitting by a big cauldron. However, they aren't actually villainous and show no signs of wanting to eat people - the cauldron is for making soup, and they only fight the Ninja for fun and exercise.
207	* OverlyLongGag: If you repeatedly attempt to open the cabinet in the shop, the Shopkeeper will have a seemingly endless amount of dialogue as she attempts to discourage you from opening the cabinet, eventually trying to bore you with a long and philosophical speech that you can’t fast-forward through. She even has ''three'' unique cabinet rants over the course of the game depending on the situation, the last one even parodying the first rant when [[spoiler:you are ''supposed'' to open the cabinet but try to leave the shop instead. The cabinet returns in a secret area in the ''Picnic Panic'' DLC, with even more of the same.]]
208	* PaintingTheMedium: The past era is rendered in an 8-bit style, but the future era is rendered in a 16-bit style.
209	* PassingTheTorch: [[spoiler:What eventually happens to every Messenger that succeeds the journey to the Glacial Peak and defeat the challenges of the Tower of Time. They must pass the scroll to a new Messenger so the cycle can continue. However, the Ninja's Shopkeeper neglects to tell him that he has to send Quarble out to save the current Messenger, and the Messenger after the Ninja actually dies.]]
210	* PhysicalHell: The Underworld. It’s even easily accessed through a cave in the Searing Crags.
211	* PlotHole:
212	** We learn from defeating the Cursed Monk that each Messenger also has their own Greed Demon to revive them. [[spoiler:Once the Soldier rolls around, though, the Shopkeeper tells the Ninja that he had to send his own Greed Demon to revive the Soldier.]]
213	** A rare intentional example with the Rivière Turquoise area. In the past, it is a rather gloomy place with lots of dead trees and green acid, while in the future it is lush with vegetation and water. Talking to the Shopkeeper will have her tell Ninja that [[spoiler:it used to be ruled by demons, and completely charred until a powerful Messenger drove them out and brought in the Butterfly Matriarch, so that the grove could heal and become lush again. Talking to her again will have Ninja point out that this explanation implies that there was somehow a Messenger between his two time periods. The Shopkeeper will accuse him of "ruining the show" in response]]. Even more confusingly, [[spoiler:it is later revealed that the Messenger that brought the Butterfly Matriarch was the Monk/Queen of Quills, who supposedly had her journey before Ninja]].
214	* PoorCommunicationKills:
215	** The Emerald Golem boss could have been avoided if the Emerald Golem just said it was mining and not actively trying to kill the Messenger.
216	** In the ''Picnic Panic DLC'' [[spoiler:the wisp was trying to conjure a spell from his Voodoo Totem to prevent the nearby volcano from erupting.]]
217	** The Shopkeeper forgets to inform the Ninja that [[spoiler:one of his duties as the new Shopkeeper is sending Quarble to save his own Messenger from death, causing the Soldier to die permanently]]. Oops.
218	* PostFinalBoss: [[spoiler: After beating the Phantom, the Demon King's Curse breaks free from restraints and becomes ALL POWERFUL. He's beaten by the order, the Messenger, the Monk and the Phantom [[BuffSpeak doing the thing]] and blasting it in a QuickTimeEvent]].
219	* PowerAtAPrice: Accepting 'THE DEAL' from the Voodoo Mask means getting double maximum health and triple attack power. However, 'THE DEAL' requires sacrificing Quarble, meaning you get only one life. Actually, Quarble ends up surviving, but he's so mad at the Ninja for being willing to sacrifice him that he refuses to save the Ninja anymore. Gameplay-wise, it makes you much stronger, but if you die even once, it's game over and nothing can save you.
220	* PowerGlows: Accepting 'THE DEAL' will give you a shadowy appearance and a menacing red aura, along with glowing red eyes. While in this form, you have double health and triple attack power.
221	* PressXToNotDie: [[spoiler:The final act of the game has you button mashing to fire a KamehameHadoken at the cursed mask, to end the curse once and for all]].
222	* ProtagonistTitle: The Ninja is the game's titular Messenger.
223	* PunnyName:
224	** The Phobekins are named after the thing they're afraid of, and the kind of place you find them in, e.g. Pyro is found among lava and Acro is found high in the sky.
225	** Colos and Suses, the two giant ogre brothers. Colossuses. (Although Suses should change his name to Si if they want to be grammatically correct about it.)
226	** There's also Octo and Pi, the adoptive octopus parents of Ruxxtin from the Picnic Panic DLC.
227	* RealAfterAll: Although the Shopkeeper insists all of her stories are pure fiction and mere fairy tales for children, you can actually find some of the things mentioned in them around the game world, such as [[spoiler:the frozen couple who attempted "The Trek", Madam Misery's house with Death trapped in the pear tree, and a crystal pumpkin]], which shows that at least some of her stories are true. [[spoiler:Of course, it's possible that the game itself is just one of her made-up stories (see AmbiguousEnding above)]].
228	* RealMenWearPink: Colos and Suses, two huge bodybuilding cyclops creatures also enjoy things like cooking and botany.
229	* RemixedLevel: After the events in the Underworld [[spoiler:the world becomes open to explore and you'll be forced to use time rifts to travel through it giving the previously visited levels different layouts with trickier segments that can have spikes or bottomless pits that weren't there in the previous timeline]].
230	* ReverseGrip: How [[spoiler:the future]] Ninja wields his sword.
231	* RunningGag: Stories. Shopkeeper tells one and Ninja tends to ruin or make a commentary on it which pisses off the Shopkeeper more often than not.
232	* SamusIsAGirl: Some information was revealed years after the game's release, like the Shopkeeper's gender. Turns out she's a girl!
233	* SawBladesOfDeath: Late levels contain circular saws that usually move along predetermined path although a few spin in place.
234	* SceneryAsYouGo: The floor of the shop floats up to meet you as you step on it. [[spoiler:Except in the Tower of Time, where the floor is normal, since that's the actual physical location of the shop.]]
235	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Quarble has this reaction if he's with you when you enter a boss fight.
236	* SequelHook:
237	** The game ends on a "To Be Continued" screen, [[spoiler:after the Cowboy asks to hear a second story]].
238	** The ''Picnic Panic DLC'' [[spoiler:ends with Barma'thazël successfully stealing a powered up Voodoo Seed and fooling Colos and Suses ([[DumbMuscle granted it wasn't difficult]]) into growing it for some future nasty purpose...]]
239	* ShootTheMessenger: Quarble references this if the Ninja is killed by a projectile.
240	* ShoutOut:
241	** [[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden John Gaiden]] was the inventor of the Climbing Claws.
242	--->'''Ninja:''' Who's John Gaiden?\
243	'''Shopkeeper:''' [[LampshadeHanging Just an acknowledgement I needed to get out of the way.]]
244	** Later in the game, also in the shop, [[spoiler:[[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Ray Troid]] was the inventor of the Charge Beam.]]
245	--->'''New Guy:''' [[spoiler:Who's Ray Troid?]]\
246	'''Ninja:''' [[spoiler:[[BrickJoke Just the follow up to an earlier joke.]]]]
247	** You will get an achievement called "[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry Tumble Hijinks]]" for using the flower cannons in Rivière Turquoise.
248	** One of the Shopkeeper's cabinet rants is a near-verbatim excerpt from a lecture by Jordan Peterson.
249	* SiblingTeam: Colos and Suses, although the game doesn't specify that they're actually brothers until you acquire the Power Thistle.
250	* SiblingYinYang: Colos has a muscular upper body and scrawny legs, while Suses has a fat belly and muscular legs.
251	* SkewedPriorities: After the Ninja returns from [[spoiler:the Corrupted Future]], the Artificer is much more excited to hear about [[spoiler:the horrifying {{Eldritch Abomination}}]] therein and winning his bet with the Shopkeeper than he is about the Ninja making it back alive, much less finding the MacGuffin he went in there to get. [[spoiler:When Phantom is rescued, the very first thing the Artificer asks him is if he'd like to try the Tower of Time gauntlet.]]
252	* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Glacial Peak. Precarious grounding and slippery moving platforms galore.
253	* SmashingHallwayTrapsOfDoom: Some sections of levels have crusher traps. Most notably: Catacombs and Music Box.
254	* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Between the Ninja and the Shopkeeper. The Shopkeeper tends to have the last word, but every now and then the Ninja does manage to get in a few good jabs. [[spoiler:Like when the Shopkeeper neglects to tell him that he has to send out a Greed Demon for his Messenger.]]
255	* SpikeBallsOfDoom: Blue demons shoot spiky balls. There are also large spiky balls attached via links also swing back and forth. Some spiky balls also drop down from trees. Finally, there are spiky spheres in semicircle formation that orbit around a set point.
256	* SpikesOfDoom: Spikes are scattered throughout the game. They take away more HP than most attacks.
257	* SpoilerTitle: One of the Shopkeeper's stories lacks a title. The Ninja suggests one that spoils the ending, and is berated for it.
258	* StalactiteSpite: Green crystals in Howling Grotto wait for the player before dropping. Same goes to larger spikes in later levels.
259	* SteamVentObstacle: Common obstacle in Music Box are outlets that let out dangerous steam.
260	* StockNinjaWeaponry: Barring [[UnexpectedShmupLevel a couple]] [[BossArenaIdiocy of exceptions]], a katana and a few shuriken are the only weapons the Ninja has at his disposal to deal with enemies and bosses.
261	* SurprisinglyCreepyMoment: The game is lighthearted and silly from the very beginning, with even the more macabre-looking characters and places given enough humor to keep them from feeling too scary. Then you get to the Corrupted Future. [[spoiler:It's an utterly nightmarish world, with the landscape consisting entirely of some kind gruesome MeatMoss that has eyeballs randomly growing out of it, there are giant tentacles flailing around in the background, and the moon appears to be shattered. And then you reach the boss, which is a massive eldritch ''thing'' so enormous you can't even see what it looks like in its entirety, and which you can't even kill, only run away from]]. On top of all that, the jokes are completely absent, and they don't come back until you finish what you came there to do.
262	* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: Before almost every boss fight, there's a shop entrance with a lantern on each side containing a health and ki refill. The Ninja lampshades this at the end of Bamboo Creek when he asks the Shopkeeper about the upcoming boss, [[SubvertedTrope only for the Shopkeeper to say there is no boss]], and imply that the Ninja is a crazy person who sees patterns where they don't exist. [[DoubleSubverted Naturally, the pattern continues to repeat for the rest of the game]]. [[spoiler:And that one time in Bamboo Creek? There really is nothing there. No boss fight.]]
263	* SuperNotDrowningSkills: The Ninja can stay underwater indefinitely without harm.
264	* SwordLines: Ninja's sword slash leaves line trails.
265	* TacticalSuicideBoss: The leaf monster’s one and only attack [[{{Pun}} leaves]] it completely vulnerable.
266	* TakeUpMySword: This turns out to be a central part of [[spoiler:the cycle. Each Messenger passes the Scroll down to his successor and then guides him as the next Shopkeeper.]] Unfortunately, [[spoiler:the Shopkeeper's poor communication skills result in the Ninja's successor being KilledOffForReal, forcing him to jump back into action.]]
267	* TalkingWeapon: Ruxxtin the Necromancer's magic staff is alive, and is the one calling the shots of their operation... at least until Ruxxtin quite correctly points out that it can't do anything without him carrying it, to which it has no comeback.
268	* TallPoppySyndrome: One of the Shopkeeper's stories is the joke on the trope's main page about the cauldrons in Hell. In his version, the acceptable targets for whom no guards are needed to prevent them from escaping the cauldron because they keep pulling each other back in are "[[FelonyMisdemeanor people who think the order doesn't apply anymore when another line opens up at the market]]".
269	-->'''Ninja:''' ... Okay, now you're just using the platform to vent!
270	* TennisBoss: [[spoiler:One of Phantom’s attacks has him launch a projectile at you that both of you can reflect. If you win the tennis duel, Phantom will be stunned, allowing you to deal some heavy damage. If you mess up the timing, however, the projectile will explode and likely damage you. Phantom also doesn't make the same mistakes as other Tennis Bosses and will reflect the projectile away from you to make it harder for you to hit, sometimes even curving it.]]
271	* TheatrePhantom: [[spoiler:Despite his name, Phantom was originally ''not'' this trope, but the Demon King fixed that by placing a cursed mask on him and imprisoning him in a music box to play the pipe organ for all eternity.]]
272	* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: [[spoiler:The Corrupted Future, a terrifying world where the very ground seems alive, tortured humans are seen falling to their doom in the background, and [[DetonationMoon the moon is completely shattered]]. It’s also home to an invincible EldritchAbomination capable of [[OneHitKill instantly killing you]] that [[AdvancingWallOfDoom chases you back to the entrance]].]]
273	* TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler:Colos and Suses refuse to eat their stew until they add the final ingredient, the Power Thistle. They predictably starve to death waiting for it to grow, until you bring back the fully grown thistle from the future and give it to them. The FlavorText upon obtaining the thistle even calls them idiots.]]
274	* TookALevelInCynic: The Ninja, after [[spoiler:delivering the scroll to the Soldier and becoming the new Shopkeeper. It's pretty clear he isn't thrilled about not going out for adventuring anymore and his new portrait even depicts him with cynical half-closed eyes]].
275	* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The game's trailer makes no attempts at hiding the ArtShift, and the game even has the Shopkeeper make a joke about it. [[spoiler:''How'' it happens, on the other hand, is kept completely secret.]]
276	* {{Transflormation}}: Travelers cursed by the Queen of Quills are transformed into the mushrooms of Quillshroom Marsh.
277	* TurnsRed: Almost every boss will change their patterns the closer they are to being defeated, either becoming more aggressive or doing something else to make the battle trickier.
278	* UnderTheSea: Sunken Shrine takes place in an undewater temple. The maze between Howling Grotto and it counts as well.
279	* UnexpectedShmupLevel: [[spoiler:The Elemental Skylands, where you ride Manfred to each of the floating islands, eventually facing off against the Clockwork Concierge]].
280	* VentPhysics: From Howling Grotto, there are leafy vents that can be used to lift the player up in the air.
281	* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: [[spoiler:The Music Box, the source of the curse and the reason the time-traveling cycle exists, is the final level of the game]].
282	* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: If you complete the Voodoo Mask by getting all of the collectibles in ''Picnic Panic'', you can offer to sacrifice Quarble to it in return for doubling your health and tripling your attack. [[spoiler:It's less cruel than it sounds because the mask just needs to use Quarble's fear of genuine mortal peril and doesn't actually kill him, but Quarble is so furious and upset at the Ninja being willing to do it that he refuses to rescue you from then on, meaning death is death.]]
283	* VideoGameCrueltyPunishment: See OverlyLongGag above. If The Ninja persists in trying to open The Shopkeeper's closet, he will be forced to listen to a very long exposition without being able to skip through the dialogue. Similarly this occurs again if the player ''refuses'' to open the closet when told to. As mentioned above, [[spoiler:Quarble will decide to terminate your working relationship if you accept "THE DEAL," meaning that if you die, you ''die.'']]
284	* WaitingSkeleton: If you go to Colos and Suses' hangout spot in the future, you'll see their skeletons sitting in the exact same relaxed poses they were in during the past, having waited for centuries for their thistle to grow until they died. To address this, you need to take the now fully-grown thistle to the past so they can add it to their stew.
285	* WakeUpCallBoss:
286	** The Emerald Golem in Howling Grotto. It has some difficult attacks to deal with, you have to break its chest gem before exposing the core and the boss also has a second phase. If anything it more often than not sends the message that the game is done pulling punches.
287	** If the previous boss wasn't enough the next one, the Queen of Quills, will be. She's extremely nimble, has some annoying spore attacks and a whip attack that HURTS. She's basically how the game says to you: "No, you can't just walk forward, mash attack and win."
288	* WalkOnWater: The Lightfoot Tabi allows you to run across the surface of any liquid, including water, quicksand, and lava. The catch is that you can't ''stop'' running, or else you will instantly sink.
289	* WarmUpBoss:
290	** The Leaf Monster has vlow health and a very simple pattern, and is mostly there to make sure the player is getting comfortable with the controls.
291	** Ruxxtin can be actually challenging since he loves teleporting around the arena and has some dangerous attacks, but is mostly there to teach the player that you can't just wait for the boss to come at you, you have to be on the move constantly or you're dead meat.
292	* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:The Soldier was set up to be the next messenger, and was ready to go on his own journey, complete with his own upgrades. Unfortunately, he bites it not too long after his introduction]].
293	* WeakenedByTheLight: [[spoiler:The Demon King is ultimately killed by destroying the ceiling of his arena, causing sunlight to shine onto him, which fries him to a crisp and causes him to dissolve. Word is out on whether this killed him [[HolyBurnsEvil because he was a demon]]... or because [[LogicalWeakness he just turned into a giant eyeball and then looked directly at the sun.]]]]
294	* WhamEpisode:
295	** After finishing [[spoiler:the Tower of Time once you travel to the future changing from 8-bit to a 16-bit style, both visually and acoustically]].
296	** Once you defeat Barma'thazël [[spoiler:and after a rather long exposition you [[OpeningTheSandbox open the world for exploration]] in order to collect the [[MacGuffin MacGuffins]] scattered around the world]].
297	** The final one [[spoiler:is after finishing collecting all Music Notes. The Shopkeeper explains in full detail who created the scroll and also detailing why it's needed.]]
298	* WhatTheHellHero:
299	** The Emerald Golem calls The Ninja out for destroying his golem because it turns out he was just trying to mine in the cave.
300	** The Shopkeeper calls The Ninja an animal after learning he never bothered to open the scroll after receiving it to find out it was map which would have made his traveling a lot more simple.
301	** The Ninja gets it hard should he agree to sacrifice Quarble to the Voodoo Mask for a Stat-PowerUp at the cost of starting FinalDeathMode. Quarble lives, but he's so angry at the Ninja that he flat-out refuses to save him anymore. Compared to his sarcastic commentary he makes on every other death, his quote for you right before the game over is so calm it feels like TranquilFury.
302	* WhipOfDominance: The Queen of Quills is a domineering villainess who uses a whip as a weapon. Her pre-battle quote even has her demanding Ninja to "[[KneelBeforeZod kneel before your queen]]". [[spoiler:She continues to use a whip after you break the curse on her and she turns back into the Monk, but she loses the domineering attitude]].
303	* WorldOfSnark: The only characters who aren't [[DeadpanSnarker Deadpan Snarkers]] are [[BoisterousBruiser Colos and Suses]], Manfred, and the [[TheJeeves Clockwork Concierge]]
304	* XanatosGambit: Barma'thazël pulls a rather elaborate one in ''Picnic Panic'' - even when you think you've foiled his plans, he's just got a backup plan that works ''because'' you foiled his previous plan. [[spoiler:He lures the Ninja by kidnapping Phobekins and using their fear to activate the Voodoo Altar creating the Dark Messenger, then he uses the Voodoo Idols in the Voodoo Heart in order to kill Quarble and try kill the Ninja for good. When that fails? Barma'thazël also wanted that, as he needed to unlink Dark Messenger from his greed demon and "do the thing". After he's defeated again, he ''also'' planned for that, and uses the energy of the fallen Dark Messenger into a Magic Seed and manages to run away. [[SequelHook He then tricks Colos and Suses into growing the thing for an unknown purpose]].]]
305	* YearOutsideHourInside: The shop is located in the Tower of Time, which exists outside of time. Therefore, no matter how long the Ninja spends outside the shop between visits, from the Shopkeeper's perspective, it's only been a few seconds. [[spoiler:This is what clues the Shopkeeper in that something went wrong when the Soldier doesn't enter the shop again right away after leaving it]].

Context VideoGame / TheMessenger2018