Had kind of a crazy idea while trying to wrap my mind around the idea of a checkpoint game that encourages suiciding for high score that isn't just basic milking.
When you die, not just the items are ghost items that you can recollect, but the whole checkpoint the second time is in sort of a purgatory mode. Basically a second loop type difficulty that plays like a harder arranged mode of the stage. Graphics shift to sort of a ghost world or hell theme with darker color palette and transparencies, remixed music etc. Items have far increased value especially if recollected. Upon reaching your wrecked ship (ala dark souls blood stain) you switch back to normal mode and cash in your item bonuses, regaining the life you had suicided. Die in purgatory mode and if you have lives still, you simply respawn right where you died the first time and continue in normal mode. Nothing lost nothing gained except one life down. So not too punishing for new players who can't hang in the dark world. Bombs function as a get out of purgatory free card. Perhaps meaning that for the end of the life you used the bomb on the next hit will just be instant death and respawn in normal.
There could be mechanics that carry over between worlds. Eg blow up a certain wall and when replaying in ghost mode there will be a bonus or extra midboss there etc.
Could also be that instead of the respawns in spirit world being tied to predetermined checkpoints, how far back you can go is tied to a spirit gauge. When you die you see the spirit gauge deplete and a rapid rewind effect that respawns you with a few seconds invincibility right when the gauge depletes.
If the spirit gauge can only be built up in normal mode, this would mean you can't just checkpoint milk ad nauseum. The best you could do is sort of two steps forward one step back. If you die with less than a certain amount of the gauge filled say 25% you simply lose a life
and instant respawn in normal mode with an empty gauge. Think SF Alpha 3 V-ism bar where you don't have to have a full gauge to trigger it, but you have to hit a minimum first. That means in certain sections like a higher point midboss, cashing in just a small gauge to repeat a short section could be used.
So the basic loop would be filling up the gauge and figuring out the best spots to suicide to cash it in, then trying to get out of hell so to speak. High risk high reward.
Sorry to go OT with my ramblings. Maybe something in there will be useful though.
