Indeed, yes, I use the top and bottom borders to display the game stats. I couldn't do otherwise if I wanted to keep the vertical layout like in the arcade game.
I will take this into account but it's been a while since I've dedicated myself to programming PC games because the ones I make for C64 give me much more satisfaction (more appreciation and many more donations).
I have tested several gamepads and with these the D-Pad works perfectly, as I indicated in the instructions. I do not know why in your case it does not work. Eventually you could try with external programs that associate the gamepad keys to the keyboard keys, such as JoyToKey.
However, consider that the game can be completed in about 40 minutes, even less if you give up collecting the crystals (not necessary). I would agree with you if completing the game took hours.
After months of testing, we at LC-Games think that Mike 2 is a little easier than Mike 1. It's about practicing, finding the best strategies and, in most cases, finding the right timing to avoid the aliens. As with all things, however, you need consistency and the desire to dedicate time to the game to improve more and more. Playing a game every now and then certainly won't get you far.
