About

Why remake arcade classics when today’s hardware can render almost anything?

Because the limits left room for me. A pixelated tree, a blocky crate, a few blips of sound, and my imagination filled in everything else.

• What was behind that tree?
• What was in that box?
• Who was this character, and what were they actually fighting for?

Like a good book, the game handed me a sketch and I built the world myself. And what you build yourself, you’re committed to.

But sometimes I wanted that world to show up on the screen. I wanted the story behind the battle. I wanted my abilities to grow as the difficulty climbed, because that seemed like the only fair deal. A few classics gave us that. Most didn’t, and I understand why.

They were coin-operated, and needed to make money. Every decision sat on an edge: engaging enough to keep you playing, never so satisfying that you’d survive too long on a single quarter. The difficulty wasn’t tuned for fun. It was tuned for revenue.

I could feel those decisions as a kid, standing at the cabinet. I make games without them.

That’s the whole idea here. My games are hard, challenge is the fun. But the challenge exists because it’s good, not because your failure is a business model. No quarters. No shop. No enhancements for sale. You press start, and the game gives you everything it’s got.

When I enhance a classic, I’m not thinking about making more money. I’m thinking about making more fun.

— Paul