
Shufflepuck Cafe Game

Shufflepuck Cafe on NES is basically air hockey with attitude. You start off in this weird little cyberpunk cafe full of oddball characters, each with their own play style—some are slow but precise, others just whack the puck like they’re trying to murder it. The controls take a second to get used to (that NES d-pad isn’t exactly built for finesse), but once you do, it’s weirdly addictive.
First match, you’ll probably lose to the bartender because his shots curve in ways that feel illegal. But after a few rounds, you start reading the angles, figuring out when to slam the puck and when to just barely nudge it. The music’s got that synth-heavy ‘80s vibe, and the pixel art gives the whole thing this grimy charm. It’s one of those games where you say “one more match” and suddenly it’s 2 AM.
Fair warning: the final opponent is an absolute nightmare. I still haven’t beaten them without cheating.
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