LAST EDITED ON Dec-30-13 AT 11:14 AM (EST)
 
Apropos of little, I would like to recommend the flash game RPG Shooter: Starwish for a few ideas on how to handle that idea RE: Flame Princess. Fair warning: Side-scrolling shooter* with RPG elements**. Fairer warning: HUGE amounts of dialogue text. Fairest warning: Romance plot is semi-centric. Mild spoiler: Make note of the names. The aforementioned game, on Kongregate. It's actually a really cool game in my humble opinion, especially for something that's free.

*Not as hard as it could be, but for the love of everything holy USE THE MOUSE CONTROL SETTING. You'll thank me later.
**You can upgrade both your ship and the pilot; the former with Modules and the later with attribute points gained from leveling. You can rerun levels for more experience and money, but the best modules aren't unlocked til near the end of the second chapter/beginning of the third of the story (there are three). Oh, and there are a bunch of different weapons (which are also upgradeable, and which you DON'T LOSE if you die).