Best Ending EVAR, Indeed.
Guys, I tip my hoodie to you.
That was, without a doubt, one of the BEST gameplay experiences I have ever had. I recognized damn near EVERYTHING you put into it, I appreciate ALL the Shout outs, and I even love how the controls felt retro---with all the little tapping/timing tricks that only true old school NES gamers can appreciate.
That ending was arguably one of the most satisfying endings in videogame history---better than some endings from a fair number of Next-Gen games. Everyone expected the Super Mario 2 Dream ending when we heard the celebration music, I'm sure. But to subvert that scene with the bloody rampage of memorable characters like Samus and Mario---brilliant! Then, to subvert it AGAIN by having it wind up being the SM2 dream ending after all is the icing on the cake.
For me, there's no greater joy than seeing something made FOR FANS, BY FANS and have it be 10 times better than the mainstream. This makes me proud to have been born in the era when all these games came out. Each stage was fantastically executed, well thought out, and beautifully gave homage to the Game it was based on. Having the final level be inspired by arguably the HARDEST NES game to beat was a masterful stroke of genius!
Honestly, this was a truly beautiful creation. It clearly made with a singularity of love.
Phenomenal job, guys. Phenomenal job.