A strange little side quest
Put Unikitty!: Royal Highness next to the history of platform games and a few unexpected connections appear. Sonic the Hedgehog launched in 1991 and turned speed itself into a defining platform-game mechanic. The timeline takes another interesting turn: By 1987, fantasy role-playing had become a major computer-game direction, with Zelda, licensed Dungeons & Dragons games and other story-led adventures expanding the form. The details change, but the appeal of learning a system and trying again is remarkably persistent.
