I think it’s essentially the most “video game” video game there is because of that fact, not least to mention how arcadey it is, even compared to other titles of the time.
I think it is also an impossible game to describe to someone that doesn’t really play games.
Thankfully, there’s a type of games that I like to call gateway games that often help people understand games as a whole.
The only game I could think of that harkens back to the days of video-game-ass video games is last year’s excellent Hi-Fi Rush, though even then it’s helped by a soundtrack that features the likes of Nine Inch Nails.