Really good co-op game! Not meant to be a noteworthy standalone game, so it isn't, but as a game to have some fun with a friend, it's really good. Definitely recommend it for that, it's great!

I played it using the checkpoints, I imagine it would have been way less fun otherwise, so I recommend that unless you and your friend are the types who find it fun and satisfying to rage and grind for ages before finally coming out on top. For simple fun where you and your friend are just laughing together at your mistakes and trying to strategize for each obstacle, use the checkpoints.