Mr. Oshiro (Celeste)

''Celeste'' is a 2018 platform video game developed and published by indie studio Maddy Makes Games. The player controls the player character Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression who endeavors to climb Celeste Mountain. During her climb, she encounters several characters, including a personification of her self-doubt, which the community has named "Badeline," who attempts to stop her from reaching the mountain's summit.

Development of ''Celeste'' began in August 2015, when game developers Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry participated in a game jam where they created a version of ''Celeste'' for the PICO-8. Thorson, who served as producer, and Berry, who served as the lead programmer, wanted to expand the PICO-8 version into a full game. Inspired in part by Thorson's own ''TowerFall'' (2013) and ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (1988), the gameplay was designed to be minimal and to mirror the feeling of bouldering. ''Celeste'' was designed to be accessible, featuring game mechanics and an "Assist Mode" that make the game more forgiving and less challenging. To create a more "introspective" game, the developers added themes of self-forgiveness into the narrative, which grew to become intertwined with the gameplay. ''Celeste'''s soundtrack was composed by Lena Raine.

''Celeste'' released on January 25, 2018, for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows, and released for Xbox One the following day; it was released for Google Stadia in July 2020. Upon release, the game received praise from critics. Reviewers praised the interplay of its narrative and gameplay, and lauded its player movement and controls. Critics also appreciated its approach to difficulty and accessibility, and its depictions of depression and anxiety. ''Celeste'''s music and its pixel art style was also praised.

Since its release, ''Celeste'' has been considered by some video game journalists to be among the greatest video games of all time, and it has garnered a dedicated fandom and active speedrunning and modding communities. On September 9, 2019, a free downloadable content (DLC) expansion named ''Farewell'' was released, introducing a new chapter to the game. The game's developers have rejected the possibility of a sequel for ''Celeste'', though they have created small-scale spin-offs: ''Celeste 2: Lani's Trek'', a sequel to the original PICO-8 version, was released for ''Celeste'''s third anniversary in 2021; '' Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain'', a short sequel with three-dimensional gameplay, was released for its sixth anniversary in 2024.

Gameplay

''Celeste'' is a two-dimensional platform game. The player controls Madeline, who has the ability to run, jump, climb walls for a limited time, wall jump, and dash in mid-air in one of eight directions. Certain objects grant Madeline additional abilities. Green gems refill her dash ability without the need to land on the ground. Other objects include "dream blocks" that transport her from one side to another when dashed into, moving blocks that can transfer their momentum to Madeline when jumped off of, bubbles that move her when touched, and platforms that move after she dashes. The difficulty can be lowered through the use of an "Assist Mode", a setting that provides accessibility options including a lowered game speed, unlimited use of the dash ability, or the option to grant Madeline invincibility

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