Skullmonkeys: Finished
A second attempt at the last level with 94 lives yielded victory. It turned out that the last part I faced on the previous attempt (an exceedingly tightly-timed section involving two sets of moving platforms that appear when you step on a switch and disappear shortly afterward) was the very last challenge in the game.
For all its goofy amiability on the surface, Skullmonkeys is a brutally punishing game, one that cracks the whip and demands more. Call it masochism, but there’s a great deal of satisfaction in beating a game like that. There’s a sense of accomplishment, and also a sense of freedom in realizing that you don’t have to play it any more.
Next up: a change of pace while my left thumb heals.