Pizza Tower really feels like a labor of love.
In terms of visual style, it does with crude MS Paint art what Cuphead does with classic cartoons. Of course, the focus is on pizza, Italian-Americans, organized crime, and city-life. The characters' expressions alone should put Pizza Tower among 2023's best animated games. Top-notch music loops complete the presentation.
Gameplay-wise, Wario Land 4 is the stated inspiration. You platform, explore, and fight for collectibles. On that borrowed foundation, Pizza Tower builds with a deeper move-set and a scoring system that encourages mastery. It'll feel like playing a faster Wario, but you'll want to make it feel like a speedrun of Sonic the Hedgehog or Dustforce.
I could elaborate on the tight design of the levels, bosses, and power-up gimmicks, but the introduction and trailer should convince you alone. 9