I've been playing this game for the last weeks.
First, I retook where I left some months ago. Back then, I was amazed by the looks and music of the game. I thought I would progress easily (I had about 3 hours of game and I believed I was far). Then I couldn't make any progress, and I searched and searched and searched, and... well... finally, I decided to print a whole walkthrough to have by my side while playing.
I think it's impossible to beat this game without a guide. Some things are impossible to guess (at least to me). I find myself always wondering "How the hell am I supposed to guess this?". Anyway, great, great game! Beautiful sprites, good 2D gameplay (a little awkward, but you get used to it), great soundtrack (especially the tracks from Surface, Gate of Guidance and Spring in the Sky, which are the first 3 levels, and where I was when I left months ago).
I really recommend this game to anyone who likes retro gaming. But my main question was about personal experiences with this game.
Did anyone actually beat it without a guide? I mean... at least one person should have beat it without a guide, because someone created the first guide... am I right?
Anyway, feel free to share any experiences from this beautiful and extremely cryptic game.