It looks like the classic fighting game SNK’s Neo Geo Pocket Color never got: an early-2000s-style handheld fighting game with stumpy pixel graphics. Inspired by games like King Of Fighters R-2, Pocket Rumble looks and sounds nostalgic, with its sprites and chiptune music, but there’s more to Cardboard Robot’s indie brawler than its retro packaging.
For a start, Pocket Rumble strips the classic one-on-one fighting genre back to its bare essentials: there are only two attack buttons, and combos are short and simple to execute. If you’ve been somewhat put off by the increasing complexity of fighting games like the Street Fighter series over the past few years, Pocket Rumble makes things a little more crisp and clear again.
As the game’s blurb puts it, “experienced players can learn the game fast and focus on deeper elements of strategy”, while newcomers can figure out the mechanics quickly without getting their characters wiped out every three seconds.
Pocket Rumble’s just launched on the Nintendo Switch, and its dinky graphics and mechanics seem perfectly suited to the system. We can imagine playing local competitive games crowded around the little screen, tiny Joy-Con in hand.
If you’re looking for online multiplayer, Pocket Rumble has that, too, as well as an array of additional options, including training and a career mode.
Pocket Rumble’s available now for the princely sum of £6.99. Here’s the launch trailer…