For such a conceptually simplistic hack-‘n-slash game, your fingers will be plenty busy. The face buttons control your three attacks (melee, ranged and stun) and an evasive move. Blocking is done with the right trigger while the left is used to pick up objects. A time-slowing special attack can be unleashed with the left bumper, and the right bumper deploys your consumable items (you switch between them via the d-pad). The right stick can be used to aim, though I found myself attacking in the direction I was facing about 99 per cent of the time.

There are two prominent problems with the controls in Elevator Action Deluxe. First, jumping just isn’t as responsive as it should be for a game in which the system of advancement is based on completing levels under a specified time. I won’t even venture a guess as to the number of times I went sprawling down an open elevator shaft instead of making a relatively modest jump to safety.

One thing series veterans may notice is that while this game looks and sounds very much like the first two, there has been a clear shift toward a more combat-heavy experience. That means many of the more irreverent quests have been replaced by additional missions of “enter this area and kill everything that moves.” There’s still a certain appeal to it thanks to all the crazy weapons you wield and unusual foes you encounter, but I found that it became a bit excessive.