I never got around to playing the original Crypt of the Necrodancer, so I'm not sure how I feel about the gameplay. I agree that the art style is very evocation of some of the work done here in the past. Very interesting to see Nintendo allowing a third party indie dev take the reigns on one of their primary franchises, spin-off or otherwise. Sure, they've let other studios do things in the past like Ubisoft's Mario + Rabbids or Team Ninja's Other M -- and of course the three Capcom Zelda games -- but letting an indie go wild with one of their babies sets a precedence that pretty interesting to think about.