Most people complain a lot about escort missions in video games, and there is a truly good reason for this. It is because they are usually very frustrating or horribly implemented/realized (usually a combination of both). In VVVVVV, I am currently stuck on the part of the game where you are escorting the professor through the "other dimension" or something along those lines. I have been cruising through the game so far and have saved 2 other characters in about 60 minutes. However, I am finding this portion of the game totally UNBEARABLE. The level I am on is titled "...Not as I do," and it is totally kicking my ass right now. Honestly, I feel bad for how many times I have killed this character in the past 25 minutes. 
 
Anybody else find this part to be a huge drag? It had some great self-aware humor at the checkpoint part, but other than that, I'd much rather leave this professor to die. Oh yeah, the game is also on sale on Steam for 2.50 right now and, if you haven't played it already, you'd do well to pick this one up.

The first time through I thought it was nigh unbearable, but once you get down where you have to stand you can fly through it.  I've probably played through that part of the game 4 or 5 times now, and this last time I did it flawlessly my first time. Super ego boost, that one. 
 
Still can't do Veni Vidi Vici, though.  WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO.  Sad Veridian face. 
 
EDIT:  Basically, my advice is, if in doubt, check a youtube vid.  They're the best at things like that, because it's just a matter of knowing where to stand and being able to move fast/accurate enough.

Escort missions are horrible in any game. Most of the time the AI you are escorting has the intelligence of a dead tree and tends to wander into enemy gunfire and die.

"Escort missions are horrible in any game. Most of the time the AI you are escorting has the intelligence of a dead tree and tends to wander into enemy gunfire and die. "

Well, with a good bit of luck I finally got past that part, though I didn't care to look and see how many times I died during it. I'd say maybe 150, ha. 
 
@litrock: Yeah I'm doing my first playthrough without using any videos. It has been really enjoyable so far.

Yes. It almost turned me off the game entirely. Glad it didn't, though.

To me this game was more of a puzzler rather than a platformer, so this section just felt like another puzzle, and honestly I never thought of it as an escort mission until you mentioned it, but I suppose that's what it is.

This part of the game was frustrating, yes, but I actually really liked it I thought the escort puzzles were clever. If you are dying too much because they aren't following you the way you want there is probably a better solution. 
 
For the record veni, vidi, vici took me like 45 minutes and ~400 deaths.

Yeah, I'm really stuck at that bit right now. I haven't gone back in a few days.

To be honest, It took me about 5 minutes and I really enjoyed it.

" To be honest, It took me about 5 minutes and I really enjoyed it. "

" To me this game was more of a puzzler rather than a platformer, so this section just felt like another puzzle, and honestly I never thought of it as an escort mission until you mentioned it, but I suppose that's what it is. "

Man I was nearly tearing my hair out at that point but managed to get through it. You can do it! I have faith!

Well, I ended up finishing the game at about 3 hours and 10 minutes with 1,570 deaths. Yes, that means that I died once every 7.26 seconds. Good God. My least favorite parts were the escort mission and the sections where the game forced you to move quickly (see: the Final Challenge, which was the level I died on the most with 302 deaths). Overall, I'm glad I tortured myself and played VVVVVV.  I must say that I really enjoyed the game for what it was, and I'd recommend it to anybody who enjoys the challenge.

I thought that part was actually really clever and well made. 
 
It was fucking difficult as hell, but it added a decent puzzle element to a game that was fairly straightforward.

I loved it. I was worried, coming into the second intermission that I'd have to do it again, but true to its own design, VVVVVV never repeats. Except for that one time when it does! It's really brilliant if you think about it. Every "level" has its own gimmick that it focuses on and doesn't occur anywhere else. For the escort mission, that gimmick is.. well, escorting an arbitrarily unintelligent character!
 
I wouldn't even call it an escort mission. It's just another type of puzzle where you're indirectly in control of another character. Actual escort missions are frustrating because they always involve the person you're trying to protect running off on their own. That never happens here!

Works fine in this game. You're controlling the AI, so if he's running into walls or killing himself, it's your fault, not the game's.

EDIT: From the time I posted this to the time I edited it (6 minutes at most), I beat that mission. I just started it up and replayed the escort mission. It's really not that difficult. I don't understand how you'd die more than 25 times on that one, even if it is your first play through.