Arcade style games used to be a staple of console gaming. The main attractions were Pac-Man, Galaga, a number of Nintendo games, Pong if you were a really early gamer, or any number of classics playing through consoles in living rooms everywhere. That isn’t the case anymore. It’s quite the opposite now with role playing games, first person shooters, and battle royal games dominating consoles so it was quite refreshing to play a game like Treasure Stack. Beneath all the bells and whistles of modern video games, the core principle of having fun is still intact. The point of a video game is to enjoy it, and Treasure Stack captures that principle perfectly. The game is simply fun.
I was a little surprised when I opened the game and found very classic feeling graphics. With the current arms race among major game companies to make video games look as real as possible, Treasure Stack offered a real change of pace for me. The characters, title cars, and the boxes carry the traditional 64 bit look which really added to the fun of the game. It embraced the arcade style and unapologetically has its own fell rather than trying to compete with the Red Dead’s of the world.
The game itself continues on this trend of classic gaming with a simple and straightforward style reminiscent of classic video games. The objective is to match colored chests with their corresponding colored keys to gain points and prevent the stacks from reaching the top of the playable area. In addition to the chests, there is also a meter on the side that builds up and spawns boxes that can block matches for an extra dimension of difficulty. There are also weapons in the game that spawn along with the chests. These can destroy any of the boxes in the game and offer a lot of help in reducing the size of the stacks.
My only complaint about Treasure Stack is the controls weren’t very intuitive on the Xbox controller. Unfortunately, easily understandable controls are one of the most important parts of an arcade game. However, I’ve had this same issue with a few other games so it seems to be more of a limitation with how the Xbox controller is made. Most new Xbox releases are in the popular game categories I mentioned earlier whereas something like the Switch or PC has a more arcade friendly setup.
Perhaps the most unique thing about this game other than the aesthetic was the online element. Treasure Stack allows you to play with online opponents in ranked and casual play. This offers a multiplayer dynamic to the puzzle arcade game model that is unique and extremely fun. I wouldn’t have thought of playing this game online, but it ended up being one of my favorite features of the game. If you want to kick it really old school, the game also features a local multiplayer which just adds another element of nostalgia to this game.
Overall, Treasure Stack had the clear purpose of being a fun game and executed that purpose very well. Yeah, the controls were tough to master at first but I still really enjoyed the game even when I didn’t quite have the hang of it yet. With all of these features and a really awesome tone and aesthetic, Treasure Stack was a really enjoyable game worthy of anyone who needs a break from the typical Xbox game.
7/10
Check Out the Treasure Stack Xbox One X Enhanced Live Action Trailer:
Xbox One Review
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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