Great presentation. Felt just like a classic video game in the best sense.
I didn't mind the controls, they felt fine once you got used to them, and were a decent challenge.
I only played two challenge levels, with games like this I much prefer a long running story to keep me interested. But I am happy to say I think there's plenty to build a story around here, and you definitely have the tools to make it interesting/fun.
Keep at it!