Super Punch Patrol

Genre: Arcade Brawler

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Super Punch Patrol, released on Nintendo Switch in 2020, is an Arcade Brawler by Bertil Hörberg, probably best known for the Gunman Clive series. And like Gunman Clive, this game makes use of a minimalist cel-shaded art style with a sketchy look and simple gameplay.

That sketchy presentation is probably the most distinctive element of this game, and the specific style it has makes it pretty clear this game comes from the creator of the Gunman Clive games. This means white backgrounds with sketched-in greyish black details, blue characters and interactive objects, and red enemies, and that’s about the full extent of the color you’ll find here. This is paired with a fairly generic-sounding synthesized soundtrack and generic-sounding voiced yells for character special attacks and KOs. It’s oddly both distinctive and yet highly generic at the same time, which I suppose suits the game well.

It also bears mention that this game makes numerous references to other games in the genre, specifically Final Fight, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Streets of Rage. It’s a nice touch, and underlines this game being something of an homage to the genre.

As for the gameplay… this is really basic. Regular attack, jump, special attack, dash, yawn. At the very least this game does something somewhat unique in having a vertical dash move for double-taps up or down, but beyond that there is nothing here that we haven’t already seen countless times elsewhere in the genre. What’s more, the combat here feels fairly slow-paced, which doesn’t do it any favors.

In the end, Super Punch Patrol is a decent but unspectacular Arcade Brawler that has a distinctive art style and some nice nods to genre greats, but very little beyond that to retain your interest. It’s not a bad brawler, but the Nintendo Switch is currently home to some true greats of the genre, so unless you’ve exhausted your time with Castle Crashers, Streets of Rage 4 and Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, or you absolutely need a decent brawler for under $5, there’s not much reason to get this game.

tl;dr – Super Punch Patrol is an Arcade Brawler from the creator of Gunman Clive, and has a similar sketchy cel-shaded presentation. However, beyond that presentation and some nice references to other greats of the genre, there’s not much here that truly excels or innovates in the genre. It’s decent, and as a $5 purchase it’s a decent value, but you’d probably be better off spending a little more to get something even better.

Grade: C

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