Having spent the past few months getting reacquainted with classic Atari 2600 games, arcade ports and otherwise, I feel like I’ve been in training for the very particular, arcade throwback charms of Goliath Depot.

In Goliath Depot, your character has figured out that there’s something wrong with the machines that have sprung to life in the titular manufacturing complex, and they make it their mission to save the day by destroying as many machines as they can before they can get out into the world.

In practice, this means tackling single screen platform levels, using the soundwaves produced by closing doors to temporarily stun sentient computers and other devices, before exiting the level once all doors are closed.

You’ll also face off against inventive, huge boss characters; the ability to stand in doorways, rather than just open and close them, comes in very handy here.

On a boss stage, doors can’t be reopened until all doors are closed; they then reset to be used again, until the boss itself runs out of health.

There’s a neat high score chasing aspect here that feels very old school too; a combo builds up the more you close doors and destroy enemies, as long as you don’t reopen any or get hit as you go, which resets the chain of points you build up.

Coins are dotted around each level; not only can these be used to continue if you lose, but they can also unlock extra abilities before you start a run. These feel pretty overpriced, however, as do continues, but I guess it kind of fits with the old school harshness of the retro design.

However, moment to moment gameplay is a lot more forgiving than those arcade classics, such as Donkey Kong, Popeye or Mario Bros; all games that Goliath Depot pays homage to, amongst others, with plenty of familiar looking visual tropes and an excellent, pulse pounding, arcade style soundtrack too.

It’s got a lovely, vibrantly coloured aesthetic and a very responsive, smooth control system that ensures you’re always responsible for losing a life, rather than the game feeling unfair.

With the ability to play two player co-op as well, Goliath Depot is an absolutely fantastic game for old school arcade gamers, with a high (but not overly punishing) difficulty level and plenty to unlock, which should keep you coming back for more.

Goliath Depot is out now on Switch and Steam. Many thanks to Flynn’s Arcade for providing me with a code for review purposes.

Enjoyed what you’ve read? Want to support my blog? There’s no pressure of course, but every penny helps to keep this site running, as I earn no income from my writing here (though I may earn small fees from affiliate links posted on my pages).

However, I’d be truly grateful for any support that you could offer – and it’s easy to do so at either of these links: Ko-Fi.com/geekmid or PayPal.

Any donations are truly appreciated – and I also appreciate you taking the time to read my articles. Thank you so much!