Most of the classic titles on XBLA know when to leave well enough alone, and don’t try to hack in features that don’t fit. Unfortunately for Root Beer Tapper, this isn’t the case. Midway took a nominal classic and added half-baked multiplayer that make me wish I could have my points back.

First off, the game itself is the same Root Beer Tapper (or just Tapper for those of us old enough to remember) that glowed faintly in yesterday’s arcades. Players must navigate one of four bars, serving liquid to a boatload of patrons intent on throwing you out if you’re not fast enough. The title ramps up in difficulty quickly, so making it to the final space-bar-serving-aliens is truly an accomplishment.

Midway should have left it there, and allowed enthusiasts to be happy with a faithful representation of their childhood memory. Instead, they decided to attempt to ply our cash with a multiplayer “versus” and “co-op” that add zero value to the game. Instead of two players duking it out, it’s only two player’s numeric score duking it out. Aside from the score in the top-right corner, there is no good way to know you are playing another human in either mode. A disappointment that only true fans should buy into.