This game was originally covered as part of our Nindie Round Up series that sought to give coverage to a wider breadth of Switch eShop games beyond our standard reviews. In an effort to make our impressions easier to find, we're presenting the original text below in our mini-review format.

Fans of both the decaf latte and the beat ‘em up genre can rejoice, thanks to Coffee Crisis. Taking control of either Nick or Ashley, both of whom are skilled baristas, this offering from Mega Cat Studios (previously available on the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis) has you taking on hordes of enemies with special moves aplenty to navigate the insane, self-referential plot. The premise includes aliens, the deep web, and coffee bean-based skills and power-ups, just to name a few. The narrative is told in short cutscenes either spliced with in-game action or as still images, harkening back to the 16-bit style.

Gameplay-wise, it’s what you’d expect from a beat ‘em up. It plays very similarly to retro titles like Golden Axe or Streets of Rage, with stilted, stiff walking animations, jumping, and an attack button that can be charged for a greater hit. There are also the aforementioned special moves which, again typical of the genre, can be used at the cost of a fair chunk of health. Also typical is the arcade-level difficulty, which isn’t held back. The curve may be steep, but even for those new to beat ‘em ups, it’s very easy to get to grips with the controls and after a while, you’ll have adjusted to its 'tough love' approach.

Coffee Crisis is a great throwback to arcade beat ‘em ups of the early '90s. Its 16-bit aesthetic screams retro Sega, though we would’ve preferred a traditional chiptune soundtrack truly reminiscent of the Mega Drive, rather than the heavy rock score the developers have opted for. This doesn’t take away from the polished style and traditional gameplay, however. Combined with the quirky story and indie humour, this promises a great time.