So this may be a very very niche use case…

But I have an 8bitdo Switch arcade stick. And I just bought this game yesterday. Now, I’ve only played it in handheld mode, but I cannot WAIT to get home, and play it with my arcade stick.

It’s use of in game currency to advance yourself really replicates the spirit of quarter draining. $1000 in game currency = a 1-up. There’s upgrades though. If you buy upgrades with your cash, all further runs will be a bit easier. Or you can unlock characters which have different abilities.

There seems to be just 4 stages, but I’m sure that’ll unlock more stages as I beat all 4. I only did a quick pickup and play. Beat the 1st stage, died in the second one.

But if I’d have had $3,000 I could have traded in for 3 tokens. I only had $750. I know. I suck. But I was just playing casually on the joycons. When I get home, it’s time to get down to serious business!

My point is, this game gave me the retro vibes of a arcade beat em up, while still maintaining the modern approach to game design. And still taking the time really think about how to handle unlockables. It’s not just “reach the end of the stage, and beat the boss”. There’s a whole bunch of unlockables, and each one takes tokens to unlock. So you have to earn the money, and then decide if you’re going to cash out, and delete your save, which gives you the tokens for unlockables? Or are you going to keep going, get MORE cash as you play, and risk using your cash on 1-ups?

I’m just starting, but this looks like a meaty advanture. I wish I were able to play this back in my drinking days.