Aside from her vibrant pink color and some (confirmed) anatomical differences, Ms. Splosion Man obviously has a lot in common with her male partner in spontaneous combustion. She makes her debut in Twisted Pixel's first sequel, characterized by an exuberant overflow of energy, a destructive resistance to captivity and, of course, a blasé inclination to blast scientists into chunks of meat. So far, so familiar.

The bigger picture -- that is to say, a world map with a top-down view -- reveals environments that lie far outside the clinical laboratories of the first game. Ms. Splosion Man's initial escape represents Twisted Pixel's attempt to provide a clearer tutorial phase, while the red labels on more difficult levels, such as one set on a picturesque tropical island, are meant to eliminate the surprise of a sudden jump in difficulty. The harder levels don't mess with the elegance of the one-button splode jump, though they are likely to rely on some of the new transport gimmicks.