When I was 13, I tried to play the guitar. I didn't play it well right away, which was unfair and frustrating, and I knew it would take a lot of time, effort, and calluses on my fingers to get any better. Playing "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is similar to playing guitar.

I remembered playing this retro side-scroller from 2010, and as soon as the NES-style soundtrack started, I knew it would all come flooding back. But just as listening to Snow over and over did not make me shred like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, listening to the music did not put the magic of nostalgia at my fingertips. I tried several characters, but none of them could make it past only about half of the first level.

Scott Pilgrim vs The World is not the hardest game I have played. Some players will learn how to play this game quickly and be able to plow through it. But I am not: this game was clearly made for grinding. It is expected to be tried and failed over and over again, and with only seven levels, it is meant to be enjoyed for a long time. For players expecting to resume soon, the early stages may feel slower than the colorful carnage they remember.

Each character levels up each time, so switching characters to try out all of them will unnecessarily reset you to zero. When I stuck with Ramona Flowers, I started to see real progress, but it was still a bit of a struggle.

Since the best way to learn an instrument is to form a band, I figured this game would be easier with a group. After hiring another player, I quickly learned that "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" is supposed to be played cooperatively. I completed the first two levels on my first try, and the boss on the third level knocked me down because I had so few lives. Since the game is level upable, eventually m-m-m-m-m-my Ramona could have completed the first level by herself, but it is definitely better to play in a group. The re-release with this update also allows for online multiplayer, which broadens the scope of the game and eliminates the need to struggle to play guitar, bass, and drums alone. [There is, however, a problem with multiplayer. I paired Ramona with Knives, thinking the sisters could do it on their own, but they immediately started fighting. Friendly Fire is always on, so when Knives is fighting off a bunch of ninjas in the corner and Ramona slides in to kick their asses, she wallops Knives in the process. On the tough level, the screen gets very busy. Add two more players and the number of enemies increases, and Friendly Fire feels like a surefire way to break up the band over "musical differences."

Gameplay has its problems, both solo and multiplayer, but everything else is great. As for the graphics, don't expect anything technically groundbreaking or spectacular, as this is a remaster of a 10-year-old game with a retro aesthetic, even back in 2010. Still, the colors are amazing and the art is creative in every department. Not many games are this much fun to look at. The soundtrack is no different, following the simplicity of the video game cartridge era, but with an infectious rhythm that will stay in your head all day long.

This creativity is ever-present throughout the game. In the first levels, the generic Toronto dad is the only bad guy, but as the game progresses, the range of enemies expands. Level 2, Lucas Lee's movie set, features men in Godzilla costumes, aliens in flying saucers, and an Indiana Jones-esque closed wall from which you can escape. Ironically, aside from Lee himself, the bosses are also clearly defined as old-fashioned video game bosses rather than just tough punching sponges, with fence-swinging and tons of visual effects and special abilities added.

Given that the level is basically a straight line, there is brilliant creativity in these as well. Literally everything is a weapon, from basketballs to mic stands to your own teammates. Since you can revive your partner without spending a life even if they have zero health, Knives and Ramona often use the tactic that when one of them reaches single digits of health, the other will pick them up and throw them at the enemy, dealing heavy damage to everyone else while clearing the way for an easy revival!

The level of health is often very high.

As you level up, techniques are unlocked, but most of the time it involves finding randomly discarded items, picking them up, and hurling them at the enemy. It is basically the same thing over and over again, but there is enough variation to keep you from getting bored. Like playing the guitar, it's a repetitive action, but it's all about the way it's repeated. Just remember to bend over when Knives picks up the bike.

Today, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" feels somewhat underwhelming because of its insistence on cutting down, even if teamwork lightens the load and the action is never too deep. Still, like Scott himself, the game makes up for this with whimsical creativity, offbeat humor, and absurd storytelling.