I concur. I still love 2D games, being the aging, crippled bastard that I am here at 25, and it's great to see a studio that loves the art form as much as I do. Though to be honest, that's a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, because it wouldn't mean a damned thing if the games they made sucked. Thankfully, Aquaria has turned out to be the best indy game I've ever played. That isn't just lip service, either, and I think it has to do with the maturity they've infused the product with. I really want to know what's going to happen, and what *did* happen, and where it's all going. The reason I feel this is the best indy release I've played is because I've never been sitting at work wishing I could go home and play an indy title. I might be looking forward to it, but it was never painful the way it can sometimes be with triple-A titles that I've been looking forward to for years and all that (lately The Witcher has been doing this to me), yet... Aquaria was on my mind all day. I had to quit last night at 2:30 in the morning at the Cathedral, right in the stinkin' middle of it, and it drove me nuts. I wanted to know what was in there so bad, but seeing as I generally get up for work at 6:00, it was way, way past my bedtime and I had to bite the bullet and try to sleep. I managed fine, but in the end, the following day at work was terrible. I wanted to go home so bad, and it was made all the worse because I had no soundtrack to listen to (I'm rabid about soundtracks, and if I'm playing something I almost always find a way to get the music in one manner or another so I can listen at my horrendously boring desk job).
Anyway, I've been sounding like a pathetic fanboy for days now, and God knows I hate that; but seriously, I can't think of any indy game that I've loved as much as this. I've loved many, and there are some true masterpieces out there, but to me this is a defining moment in the history of indy gaming: a game with as much pure heart and artistry as you could ever expect from a story in any other medium, on any other budget. "Thanks" seems to really be an inadequate sentiment, but for lack of anything better, thank you both for your time and effort. I love to be moved, be it by a piece of music, a book, a film, or a game, and you guys have managed to do that for me on a great many levels.