This game is dear to me; the experience is priceless.

Almost 4 years ago, I spent almost 14 hours to summit the mountain for the first time.
Then some weeks later I summited a dozen times or so. Then I thought I was done with it.
Recently, I picked it up, and I finally had summited it 100 times. During my 100th playthrough, I still fell down the orange hell, 3 times.

It's a journey.

Finishing it for the first time definitely is something I'm proud of, even if it took me almost 14 hours. I really relished that experience, "with Bennett Foddy." I don't quite remember much about the experience per se, but I still get nervous at the orange.

Recently I decided to pick it up because I think I can get something different by beating it 50 times or more. At this stage, it feels like a race without competitors. I'm not one of those "talented" humans and that's okay. As Bennett Foddy said, quitting (before one's first completion) is also a legitimate way to end this game. But I feel like I can do something more, and learn something precious still along the way. Alas, diligence makes up for one's deficiency.

I got a taste of failure, but also of the perseverance after many falling downs. To this day I still really adore that quote by Mary Pickford, "You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down." Falling down can hit really hard. I sincerely respect persevering characters; for example, in anime, Homura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Shirase from A Place Further Than The Universe. Said works delivered the perseverance elegantly; however, even so one may still not be able to feel vicariously the full sublimity of persevering after many falling downs and eventually reaching some summit of some sort. One way one can experience it is through playing this game. It's really a beautiful human experience.

(p.s. I still like to listen to Bennett Foddy's narration in the game from time to time.)