While 2020 hasn’t been good for a lot, it has given followers of arcade brawlers lots to get enthusiastic about. This yr noticed the discharge of Streets of Rage 4 throughout a number of platforms, for instance, and now Nintendo Switch followers even have Super Punch Patrol. Developed by Bertil Horberg (Gunman Clive, Mechstermination Force), the game is an old-school throwback, full with all that entails for the style. Super Punch Patrol is slim on story, and has a reasonably steep problem, however followers that miss the fun of taking part in this type of game within the arcade ought to discover fairly a bit to get pleasure from.
The gameplay in Super Punch Patrol needs to be fairly acquainted to followers of the Streets of Rage sequence: gamers transfer from the left aspect of the display screen to the suitable whereas taking over droves of dangerous guys. There are a number of playable characters, and every of the thugs you will beat down has a ridiculous identify, so as to add to the world’s allure. Despite these commonalities, Super Punch Patrol does have loads of parts that make it stand out from the remainder of the pack.
The very first thing gamers will discover about Super Punch Patrol is the game’s distinctive graphics. The title instantly brings to thoughts Horberg’s work on Gunman Clive, with a splash of MadWorld, for good measure. Fans of the previous can be pleased to know that Super Punch Patrol additionally options quite a few callbacks to Gunman Clive, together with references scattered all through the game’s backgrounds, and one thing a bit extra notable, as nicely.
There’s an actual allure to Super Punch Patrol‘s presentation. The designs of the game’s varied enemies evoke the sort of cliche “avenue toughs” that had been all too prevalent in media that launched within the Reagan-era. Dominatrixes, building employees with vests and no shirts… it is like an ’80s music video mixed with a Claremont and Byrne comedian. Horberg embraces that camp, giving gamers some completely ridiculous opponents that may have slot in nicely with different games within the style. These opponents even have some actually distinctive assaults, requiring gamers to provide you with methods, reasonably than simply mashing buttons.
To tackle these opponents, Super Punch Patrol affords three completely different playable characters: Anders, Nils, and Selma. There’s really a reasonably important distinction between every of them. Anders is the slowest, however packs the most important punch. Selma is the lightest of the three. Last however not least, Nils has the most effective assault for damaging a number of foes on the similar time. That actually turns out to be useful, because the display screen can replenish with foes fairly rapidly! Things can simply get overwhelming, however the game does provide two-player native co-op, so associates can tackle the problem collectively.
On that notice, the game’s default problem stage may flip some solo gamers off. Normal mode has a reasonably unforgiving problem, and as soon as the continues run out, there is not a strategy to toss in one other quarter and bounce again into the motion. There’s additionally no strategy to save, both, so shedding the three given continues implies that gamers can be beginning yet again. On one hand, this actually extends the size of time that gamers will be capable of spend with Super Punch Patrol, nevertheless it additionally means it’s considerably artificially prolonged. Players will unlock new skins with every playthrough, and there are on-line leaderboards, however replaying the identical levels over once more can get a bit tedious, after some time. Fortunately, there are 4 problem ranges to select from, however they’re considerably hidden within the choices menu, the place some gamers may miss them.
Weapons might help flip the tide within the game, however numerous them do extra hurt than good. Strewn all through every stage, gamers will discover quite a few weapons. Blunt objects like baseball bats and pipes pack a strong punch, however additionally they decelerate the participant, permitting enemies to get hits in throughout the swing. The simplest weapon within the game might be the knife. Its gentle weight permits the participant to stab rapidly, and it does a reasonably heavy quantity of harm.
Super Punch Patrol is not the longest game, and replaying the identical levels can get a bit tedious, however the high quality parts far outweigh the negatives. The presentation is superb, and it is clear that numerous work went into constructing a world that pays homage to the style’s finest. The factor about Bertil Horberg’s games is that they typically find yourself being a few of the biggest values on digital storefronts. At $5, Super Punch Patrol is a superb discount for these searching for an old-school arcade brawler that may be performed with a buddy. For half of a roll of quarters, followers of the style can get pleasure from a high quality, throwback expertise.
Rating: three out of 5
Super Punch Patrol is now obtainable on Nintendo Switch. A retail code was supplied by the writer for the aim of this evaluate, and it was reviewed on a base mannequin Nintendo Switch.
