Thank you Mindware for providing us with a review copy!

Japanese gaming-variety show GameCenter CX is now in its 25th season. In the last two decades, loyal fans have been introduced to more than 300 retro games, been graced with interviews with developers, and made memes of out of various soundbites along the way. Space Mouse 2 was released in 2020, so it’s unlikely to appear on the show, but this Arcade Action offering otherwise looks like the sort of challenge that Chief Arino might be subjected to.

Alice and Newcomer You have come to Earth to explore the depths of the sea and ground. Beneath lies a sprawling maze to be navigated. Simply move around to avoid the many enemies populating the procedurally-generated maze, and run into walls to break them down. Enemies leave trails of dots behind as they move, and collecting these dots rewards a few points. If you can keep collecting items with every step, a combo counter will tick up, allowing you to score more points from collecting basic dots. Power coins turn you into a powerhouse for a short period, allowing you to defeat enemies with a touch and retain your combo even when you don’t collect an item. You also have a power meter that slowly drains over time or when breaking down walls, and this can be restored by collecting fruit. Older players are probably going to be thinking of Pac-Man meets Dig Dug, and this would be a very fair comparison.

Two other important items are keys and rods. Keys are straightforward, simply run into a door to use a key. Rods are used to create new wall blocks, but they are versatile in their use. The first use is to cordon off enemies. The second use is to create blocks on an enemy to defeat them. Perhaps the most strategic use I discovered is to continue a combo. Walls will leave behind a dot when destroyed, allowing you to create bridges across small gaps. The final mechanic that bears mentioning is that the game can be switched between real-time and turn-based at the press of a button at any point during play. This is extremely helpful as you go deeper, since enemies start to appear in large droves, and you’ll need to be very careful in trying to break through their ranks.

Four modes of play are offered in Space Mouse 2. Marine and Underground modes see you trying to reach 1000m and 3000m in depth. They are essentially the same game, but Underground seems to have a wider variety of random events peppered throughout a run. Underground Mania mode emphasizes the strategic aspect of the game and drains a large chunk of power every time your combo counter resets, so it’s important to make every step count. The last mode, Piyo Love, changes up the scoring. Instead of collecting all manner of things, your goal is to collect the longest train of trailing chicks possible, effectively turning it into a game of Snake. A port of the original Space Mouse is also included, should you wish to go back to a time before the NES.

Sprites are easy to distinguish even with the small grid and zoomed out view, and the graphics could easily pass for a SNES-era game. The change in environmental theme with every 100m of descent is a welcome reminder of your progress. There’s a carnival atmosphere to the soundtrack that keeps things light, and the constant voice clips of excitement underscore your achievements big and small. Much like with Space Invaders Extreme 2, the 1980s structure is given a fresh coat of modern polish. Space Mouse 2 seems to have a very specific audience of retro game otaku shooting for high scores on arcade cabinets, and the aesthetics are sure to delight if you are a part of this group.

I do have some minor gripes with the game though. Controller thumbsticks don’t seem to have a deadzone for vertical movement, so it’s very easy to accidentally mis-position yourself. The D-pad doesn’t have this problem, but it’s a less comfortable way to hold a controller. The button for Rod Blocks is also used to pass a turn, making it difficult to summon blocks on narrow margins of failure. The menu is also only accessible using the keyboard, not a controller. Sound levels are also reset every time the game starts up, and this is an issue if your system volume is set to a higher level. The only moral warning to be had here is the magic of summoning blocks with a rod.

Space Mouse 2 is a portal to the arcade cabinets of the 1980s. If you’ve already tried everything that decade has to offer, this might be the breath of fresh air you’re looking for. The price seems outrageous given the amount of content, but if you’re willing to drop that sort of money on a physical game cartridge, I could see this being bought on sale.