2D platformers often have a very straightforward start-to-goal direction; usually, you travel to the right. Much of the time, however, there are some options in your path, leading to this video gaming axiom: When All Else Fails, Go Right. In some games, (say, Kid Icarus) it's occasionally recast as Go Up; much more rarely, it becomes Go Left or Go Down. While there might be something stopping you, at least temporarily, you know (because you're Genre Savvy) that your goal is on the right side of the obstacle. This video gives examples of the trope through the years. Set to music.