Mobile developer Orangepixel has made a name for itself by crafting unique action arcade games that go to great lengths to tickle that nostalgic gaming bone of ours. Two of our secret favorite examples include Stardash and Meganoid. With the team's latest release, Chrono & Cash, a single-screen loot gathering game that challenges you to grab the gold while avoiding the baddies that constantly stream from the doors. It's a bit like the original Mario Bros. (not Super Mario Bros., mind you) mixed with a little Super Crate Box, and it's a great fit for an on-the-go arcade fix.

The idea is a rather simple one: get the loot, don't get hit, continue until you die! Each stage is laid out with multiple collectible valuables, be they bags of cash, rare gems, or other themed treasures. Using just a few virtual buttons for moving left and right and jumping, you must work your way up the platforms, dodging enemies that pop out of doors along the way. Some of these bad guys are pretty rough, and some stages have traps in addition to mobile enemies, so if you think you've got an easy task ahead of you, it'll only take a few levels to prove you wrong.

Chrono & Cash is strongly rooted in arcade-style gameplay, giving you a few lives to work with and allowing you to progress through the levels only if you can stay alive long enough. There are challenges you can complete along the way, such as gathering the gold in the proper sequence or beating a level without getting hit, and the rewards are both points-based and cosmetic item-based, giving you a dual sort of incentive to keep plugging away. Apart from this, your own personal drive is what will keep you playing Chrono & Cash, as it's definitely a high score-oriented game. But it's an inviting, easily playable, and wonderfully varied one at that!

Chrono & Cash

(iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)

Chrono & Cash

(Android)

NOTE: This game was played and reviewed on an iPad. Game was available in the North American market at the time of publication, but may not be available in other territories. Please see individual app market pages for purchasing info.