I really liked Waking Mars; it ended up being what I wanted Aquaria to be (before that turned into a shooter instead of exploration). HOWEVER. Waking Mars comes to a screeching halt close to the end: you have to go back and get 5 stars on every level in order to progress. I like optional 100% completion, not obligatory, so missing this mark by only one or two levels kind of rankles me. I want to see where the story goes and I won't be able to because I couldn't perfect a few difficult or annoying stages.