Game Review: Cash Cow DX

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch

As their name implies Flynn's Arcade has published several titles that are modern takes on old arcade classics. Today's game is exactly that, and mixes up the maze chase formula into something new and unique. Cash Cow DX is coming soon to the Nintendo Switch, following an earlier release on PC. We're going to run this game through its paces, and hopefully see if this it's one that you're going to want to sink your teeth into. Let's skip the intros and dive right in!

Cash Cow DX is an arcade game through and through, and as such doesn't really feature much of a story. You're a cow wearing a mining hat, and you're out to collect all the mooney in five distinct stages. Each stage has several enemies, and you sort of defeat a giant pig boss at the very end. That's pretty much it, but I don't think it's any fault of the game for not giving players an in-depth story. Seeing as this is an arcade-style game, plot isn't exactly a necessity. Cash Cow DX is all rather simple, but it's also extremely fast-paced and fun. Did I mention that it's hard too? Because it's definitely that as well. Speaking of its difficulty, there's something I have to get out of the way now. I'm going to admit right off that bat that my experience with the game is rather limited. For reasons that will eventually be made clear, this game sort of broke me. I'm stating this up front now so as not to mislead anyone by implying that I beat the game fully before heading over to write this review. Let's back up a bit though, and talk about what makes this game tick, and why it was just a bit too hard for me.

If I had to compare Cash Cow DX to other arcade games, it would be Pac-Man with a bit of Donkey Kong thrown in for good measure. Each level is basically a maze, and you have to avoid enemies that either chase you, or move via their own pre-determined patterns. You're able to run and jump, and you can use pipes and pits to get from part of the side of the stage to the other quickly. Enemies can use those same stage movement tactics though, so it's best to always be on your toes. One hit kills you, and you have three lives before it's game over. You do get an extra life at 100,000 points, but that's easier said than done. While you can't defend yourself at most times, you can grab a pickaxe that works sort of like the hammer in Donkey Kong. While holding the pickaxe you are mostly invincible, and you can actually kill enemies. Unfortunately said enemies seem to be aware of this too, and begin to run away from you. Defeating all enemies isn't necessary to clear a stage, but getting all the mooney is. Collecting all the mooney moves you on to the next stage, and the game ends once you complete the fifth. Sounds simple right?

Each stage in Cash Cow DX has its own gimmick to it. The first one features loops like those found in the Sonic The Hedgehog series, the second trampolines, the third rocking ships on bodies of water, the fourth mine carts, and the final fifth stage features zip lines. Each stage does offer differing gameplay variety, but the goal is always the same. You gain multipliers for picking up lots of mooney at once, and even more for grabbing diamonds. It can be tricky to get to some platforms, as all the stages have slopes that are hard to recover from when dropping off of them. Some platforms containing mooney can only be reached by following a specific path, and that can be hard when you have enemies constantly breathing down your neck. There are even bonus rooms you can get to if you meet certain requirements.

Besides all that, there are several of other game modes and difficulties to be found in Cash Cow DX. The problem is that you only unlock them by beating the mode before. There are no continues in the game, and beating the mode you're on requires you to finish all five stages with only three lives. This is a task that I ultimately wasn't up for, but don't let my lack of skills deter you. This game mentions its tough-as-nails nature in its own eShop description, so it's something that the developers are proud of. Usually these kind of games put me off, but there's more than enough charm here that ultimately kept me coming back.

Even though I wasn't able to get very far in the game itself, I was able to try out all the stages via the practice mode. Memorization is the name of the game, and you have to enter a Zen-like state to really get the reflexes needed to beat all the stages. Enemies move fast, your platforming skills are just slightly below what you want them to be, and death comes fast and quick if you're not full prepared. I was only ever able to get to the fourth stage once, and every other run ended at the third stage or so. I was more than able to beat them all individually, but all at once, with one set of lives, proved to be impossible for me. I gave it several hours until I had to throw in the towel, though I will definitely plan to give it another try at some point. Though this turned out to not be a game for me, it has a level of polish that is undeniable, and I truly wanted to love it the entire time.

Love the game I did, and my only gripe would have to be that more options aren't available to you at the start, or that you can't simply continue in the easy mode. Besides the other difficulties (Which I'm sure I would've sucked at.), there are also Turbo, Endless, and Speedrun modes that I really wanted to try for myself. One day I'll get there, and if you do feel free to let me know how you fared in them. That said, I do want to clarify that I was able to look most of these modes up online thanks to the game having previously released on PC, and it offers more of the same gameplay, but with plenty of quirks to keep hardcore players coming back.

If you told me that Cash Cow DX was a long lost arcade game from the 1980s, I would totally believe you. This looks and sounds exactly like a game of its era, and I mean that in the best way possible. Graphics are colorful and smoothly animated, and the music is lively and never annoying. Even the title screen resembles an arcade menu more than anything, and it's this level of presentation that made me stick around even though I was clearly not skilled enough to clear it. Even though I wasn't able to complete the game in the proper sense, I did eventually get to see everything it had to offer in the audio and visual departments, and it more than delivered. Those two categories are definitely where the game hits it out of the park, and I can't praise either enough. It's my hope that the developers give the genre another go in the future, and that I'm able to play it.

Coming in at just $5.99, Cash Cow DX is one of the most reasonably priced experiences I've seen in a while. Though I might've been a bit happier if it hit the $4.99 price point, I can't really start a fight over one dollar. There's tons of game here for that price, and I had a wonderful experience even though I only got to see the surface level. If anything, that's sort of indicative of the arcade experience. This game would've stolen all my quarters as a child, and I'm here for that kind of nostalgic experience. Despite quickly hitting a wall, I still have to give Cash Cow DX the fullest of recommendations. This is a fun title that is sure to please hardcore and casual alike. I fell in love with it, and it constantly beat me up. I imagine most players will fare better than I did, and maybe I'll eventually get to the point where I can actually beat the game. I'll be sure to update the review when I do. Until that day, grab this one now, and thank me later. See you in the next one!

Check Out Cash Cow DX on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/cash-cow-dx-switch/

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Story: N/A
Gameplay: A-
Graphics: A+
Music/Sound: A+
Value: A+

Overall: A+

Pros:
+ A clever take on the Pac-Man style gameplay formula.
+ Looks, sounds, and plays exactly like a long lost arcade game, and I mean that in the best way possible.
+ Each of the game's five levels are unique, and there even is a sort of boss encounter to close everything out.
+ There are plenty of difficulties and gameplay modes to keep hardcore players satisfied.
+ Though hard to put into words, this game capture the frantic fun of old-school arcade games.
+ Is a steal at just $5.99.

+/- You know a game must be good if I still sing its praises despite it chewing me up and spitting me out!

Cons:
- It can be quite unforgiving at times, and pretty much requires you to memorize each stage fully in order to beat them.
- You only have three lives to beat the game, and no continues at all. Most early runs will end just as quickly as they start.
- All those extra gameplay modes need to be unlocked by beating the game. That means you won't see them unless you're able to do so. I unfortunately was found to be lacking on that front.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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