While the game adds nothing new in terms of general gameplay, sound, or graphics, it does a solid job of incorporating Live. Offering two multiplayer modes, this oldie smartly gives gamers reason to play repeatedly. Players have the option of choosing either a ranked or unranked versus match, pitting players against each other, or an unranked co-op match where players combine points and deliveries to keep customers. The only snag in the Live modes is the fact that gamers will not actually see the other player on the screen. Rather, the screen remains looking the same as it does in the offline mode, with the exception of seeing the opponent's score in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. The awkward camera angle and potential for lag to disrupt the timing of a player's throws actually makes not seeing the other player a blessing.
The game earns most of its replay value from some decently difficult achievement points. Unlike the majority of retro games currently offered, it appears as though Midway put some thought into them; marking the first retro game in a while where average players will not pick up multiple achievements their first time playing. Four of the twelve require players to jump on Live, in either co-op or versus modes, with actual teamwork required on the one rewarding you for breaking thirty non-customer windows in a co-op route. It is finally difficult to label one of the achievements in a retro title as the most difficult; as completing an entire week, delivering every paper on a Monday, and finishing a route in thirty-seconds with five deliveries are all worthy challenges.
For the paltry sum of four hundred Microsoft Points, Paperboy is a decent purchase; but not quite the must-buy that recent original titles have been. As with most retro titles offered on the Arcade, the nostalgia will pull you in for a game or two. Paperboy succeeds in holding your attention longer than most with more than the all-too-familiar graphics and sound, earning your respect with challenging achievements and gameplay.
