If there's one thing I've noted about arcade-styled games like this, the speed is imperative to its success. By arcade-style, I mean games that rely on simple, repetitive gameplay as their bread and butter. They tend to rely on strong speed and the "thrill of the experience" since they are normally weaker, relative to other games, in terms of deep varied gameplay and goal-oriented progression.
Basically, you crank up the speed and then supplement with a simple system of levels and power-ups, to name one example. When things get moving, even simple tasks can become more harrowing, but that's the beauty of it. A simple premise subjected to a fast-pace can balance each other out but still captivate the player with its strong points (again, the speed!)