But old-school doesn't mean it's good.
But now, it just comes off as being horribly monotonous.
The gameplay in this game consists of move, hold down attack button and move your thumbstick in various directions, rinse and repeat. Granted, Geometry Wars and Smash TV consists of similar gameplay, but it just doesn't have any of the flair. Add to the fact that your health is constantly falling, which I realize was part Gauntlet and represents what it is, pressing Y to add health everytime you are low just doesn't offer much of a challenge. And with the swarms of enemies, you'd be lucky to get through 6 levels without adding more health.
The graphics IS HD, but it is still horrible looking sprites. They could have at least made better sprites for the characters, and the levels all consist of the same textures in different colors. It might have been OK back then, but, now, it just hurts my eyes.
The music is horrible as well, but that can remedied by playing some custom soundtracks.
The only saving grace of this game is the online co-op. However I suspect the people playing online is going to be less and less as some of the more impressive retro games comes out (Street Fighter, Contra etc.).
This game would have been fine if it was free, but it's 5 bucks, and I just couldn't justify my purchase. Plus, if you play games for the achievements, the achievements in this game are pretty hard to get.
Bottom line is, if you still like games such as Robotron and Dig Dug, you will probably like this game if you liked it before. Otherwise, this just isn't worth your time and money.