A strange little side quest
Marshmallow has plenty of company in a long tradition of players chasing timing, patterns and better decisions. Sonic the Hedgehog launched in 1991 and turned speed itself into a defining platform-game mechanic. It also connects to a different milestone: Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. That long chain of experiments is part of why platform games still feels fresh when a game finds the right twist.
