Acceptance (Cartridge)

**Acceptance** (or **Tower of Ascension**) is a special Iron cartridge, acquired through collecting all 4 Iron cartridges in The Future. They can be collected in any order and the final one triggers a short cutscene, in which Ash assembles the full Tower by connecting previously connected cartridges to each other, exclaiming "IT'S THE TOWER OF ASCENSION! HOLY SHIT!".

The Tower of Ascension features all levels of the first 4 Iron cartridges, plus a bonus fifth world at the end, which cannot be accessed any other way. The bonus world is Acceptance itself, representing the final stage of grief. Tower of Ascension in its full form is still an Iron cartridge, meaning it offers no extra lives and must be beaten without dying. There are no checkpoints between worlds.

The first and last level of each Iron cartridge in the Tower of Ascension are edited, so that all worlds create a continuous path. The order of worlds is as follows:

Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

## Acceptance

Acceptance is the final world of the Tower of Ascension. It consists of 5 levels. The gameplay of Acceptance features weighted platforms and 3 enemy types:

* Agons - balloons that come in two sizes (big agons and small agonyias). They are dead or mostly dead creatures inflated with gases from decomposition. Agons float in the air, connected to the ground with a chain, and act as passive obstacles, similar to spikes. Touching one kills Ash.
* Wailers - large ghosts that inflate and deflate at regular time intervals. When the wailer is deflated, it becomes less opaque and Ash can pass through it safely. When the wailer is inflated, touching it kills Ash.
* Anima Sola - ghosts floating in the wind, passing through the area. Functionally they are a reskin of kukos. Coming into contact with a ghost kills Ash.

## Ending

Reaching the top of the Tower of Ascension and grabbing the level goal (the small open-mouthed ghost) in the last level of Acceptance leads to a cutscene.
The cutscene shows an image of a skull atop of the tower's throne.

Scrolling text appears on top of the image.

**Full text of the cutscene:**

```
With his last bit of effort, Ash slid atop his throne.
Having climbed the Tower of Ascension, his life had finally been given meaning. He had accomplished something no one else had, and was reaping the rewards.
The height he had climbed had given him a new vantage point... A new perspective.

As he gazed out on the world he once lived in, something caught his eye.
A small piece of paper hanging from the wall, swaying gently in the wind... Something was written on it.

"FUCK OFF!"

Fuck off?
Who in the hell climbs a tower like this only to leave a note that only says 2 words on it? Let alone the F word.
And who the hell concludes a trial that asks so much of the player with an ending that says "FUCK OFF" in big, bold letters?

But wait... There is something drawn on the back!

"JK, LOOK DOWN..."

And that's when Ash noticed the bones littering the ground around him.
He followed their trail back behind the throne, where they interlocked, forming a ladder leading up into the tower's peak.

As he climbed the remains of all that ascended the tower before him, he looked up.
A spire of skulls, ribs, and spinal columns rose into the night's sky, farther than the eye could see.
Each stepping stone, a legacy, a lifetime left behind to aid in the journey towards something unknown.

Ash, looking forward, took one last deep breath and started his ascension into the Aether.

TO BE CONTINUED
```

## Trivia

* In the five stages of grief model Acceptance is the fifth and final stage. At this stage the individual is able to control their emotions, embracing the unpleasant reality.

## Gallery

### Gallery of edited levels from the first 4 Iron cartridges

* Denial 8x
* Anger 1x
* Anger 7x
* Bargaining 1x
* Bargaining 6x
* Depression 1x
* Depression 6x

### Gallery of Acceptance levels

* Acceptance 1
* Acceptance 2
* Acceptance 3
* Acceptance 4
* Acceptance 5

## See also

* The Future - a set of small challenge areas in which Iron cartridges can be collected.
* Super Mega Cart! - the other cartridge acquired by collecting a full set.