As someone who spent a load of time playing all sorts of crazy action-oriented games in the arcades, as well as on home consoles, there are a few unlikely favorite games I’ve enjoyed returning to over the years. One of them I hold close to my heart has always been the iconic, cheery, and outright weird Bubble Bobble. Whether it was in the arcade or on the NES, I played the heck out of this game both solo and with a friend, enjoying what almost feels like a warm hug of gameplay.

What I’ve always considered a little unusual though is that, in general, I don’t tend to have much love for its follow-ups or imitators, including Snow Bros, which I know has a cult-like following of its own. Enter Slam and Roll, a game that absolutely shares elements of the DNA of both of those series, but ends up at least distinguishing itself enough to feel a little fresh. I’ll admit that it felt like it got off to a bit of a rocky start, trying to get you up to speed on the mechanics of trapping enemies and then rolling them and knocking them around. It may just be me, but even when I got used to this it just felt a bit clumsy overall.

That said, if you’re able to get the hang of its style of play you can likely have some fun with it across 4 somewhat varied modes, loads of unlockable and customizable characters, and sometimes challenging stages. I’d say that tackling boss battles usually felt the most rewarding, and mostly felt at least a bit original. On the normal stages too often I felt like I was having flashbacks to earlier games. Though I’m sure the sense of deja vu or nostalgia can be fun for some, it just felt like the game was sometimes trapped by the legacy of the games it shares so many elements with.

Overall, I’d say that this is one of those titles that could go either way, whether you’re a fan of games of these kinds from back in the day or just appreciate decent arcade action. If you can put aside your potential preferences for the classics, you’ll find Slam and Roll has some ideas of its own and you’ll sometimes run into those moments that help to make it memorable. That said, I’d be lying if I didn’t say the game just made me want to go back and play the classics more by comparison, but that may also just be me.