There’s a new way to play Minecraft Dungeons and it’s definitely not what you think. Mojang Studios has partnered with arcade cabinet pros, Play Mechanix, to build an arcade version of the dungeon crawler, titled Minecraft Dungeons Arcade.
It’s a pretty cool looking arcade cabinet too, featuring a giant screen and four panels for you and three others to go dungeon diving in the blockiest of worlds. While Minecraft Dungeons Arcade is pretty similar to the version you’ve played, there are some new features which could only be made available due to the nature of arcade cabinets.
“If you take a step back, you can see the similarities between the two, but when you take a step into [a consumer] game, it’s like a waltz,” says Play Mechanix creative director, Will Carlin. “An arcade game on the other hand is some kind of super break-dancing speed experience – it’s about intensity of the moment, and surviving as long as possible – an intense burst of fun!”
The game features a total of nine levels, and can be playable by up to four players. The gameplay has been simplified a bit to adapt to the arcade version. Besides a joystick, each player panel will have three buttons corresponding to Melee, Dodge, and Range respectively.
“My advice is to use every button that’s on that control panel to survive,” continued Carlin. “It’s not just hack and slash – there’s strategy in there. If you want to get the most out of your play, you’ll want to use all the possible abilities the player has available.”
Minecraft Dungeons Arcade also includes a neat physical card feature that you can take with you and use the next time you play. The Cards Against Mobanity feature allows the player to use physical cards earned through each play session instead of regular save files.
“When you play the game, you collect gems and [defeat enemies], which fills your card meter,” explained Carlin. “Once card meters are full, they activate, and you can use them to defeat enemies all around you. Every time you play the game, a card will be given that is yours to keep.”
You can collect up to 60 different types of cards, of which you can use any five in one session by scanning it via a receiver on the cabinet. As of now, a limited number of cabinets have been distributed across North America for testing, with more coming over the year.