- February 1, 2016
- Cardboard Robot Games
- 3h median play time
Pocket Rumble
This snappy handheld-inspired fighter pockets a ton of punch.
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About
Pocket Rumble is a single player and multiplayer fighting game. It was developed by Cardboard Robot Games and was released on February 1, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.
"Pocket Rumble" is a streamlined, accessible fighting game emphasizing reads and memorization over complex inputs and combos. It's designed to be a portable, inviting experience for casual and competitive players alike. With a varied cast of characters and unique systems, it offers depth and replayability for veterans while remaining approachable for newcomers.
- Pocket Rumble features a unique 2-button fighting system with a rich move set and diverse characters, making it accessible for beginners while still offering depth for veterans.
- The pixel art and chiptune soundtrack are highly praised, contributing to the game's charm and nostalgic feel reminiscent of Neo Geo Pocket games.
- The game is fun for casual play and serves as a great introduction to fighting games, with simple controls that allow players to focus on strategy and fundamentals.
- The game has been in Early Access since 2017 with little to no updates, leading to concerns about its unfinished state and lack of player support.
- The AI difficulty is criticized for being unbalanced, making single-player content frustrating and less enjoyable, especially for new players.
- There is a significant lack of online players, making it difficult to find matches, which stifles the competitive aspect of the game.
- gameplay42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The gameplay in Pocket Rumble is praised for its unique character mechanics and accessibility, making it easy for newcomers to learn while still offering depth for experienced players. The fast-paced action, combined with a mechanically varied roster and a nostalgic aesthetic, creates an engaging experience, though some players feel it lacks certain complexities found in traditional fighting games. Overall, it is considered fun and enjoyable, especially for casual play with friends.
“Pocket Rumble is a fun, fast-paced fighter with a mechanically varied roster, has a really baller chiptune soundtrack, and its simplification and mechanical transparency make it amazingly easy to pick up.”
“A dozen hours after that, my buddy and I keep learning new nuances to the gameplay.”
“This is a great starting point for anyone interested in fighting games with great netcode (uses GGPO) and also fun to play with friends on a Friday night because of its simple playstyle and fast gameplay (just don't forget the cookies).”
“I had high hopes for the game but was sadly mistaken by the terrible gameplay and bad mechanics.”
“The gameplay is robbed of a lot of the things that make fighting games interesting.”
“Also, in terms of gameplay, the opponents feel very hard; I've played BlazBlue, and believe me, there's not even any settings for changing difficulty.”
Review: Pocket Rumble
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
65%Delayed gratification --- Pocket Rumble review
After a year of delays, the Switch version of Pocket Rumble unfortunately disappoints on multiple levels. While it has a distinct art style and some great multiplayer options, the overall lack of content and limited moveset hinder the game’s true potential.
50%Pocket Rumble Review
Despite being a useful tool in your training, Pocket Rumble's arcade mode is slight, but in multiplayer the game excels thanks to a diverse (albeit small) lineup of characters. Fighting games can be complicated things, off-putting to newcomers with their wide array of moves and techniques, but Cardboard Robot Games has crafted a fun and easy to learn experience here, bundled up in a wonderfully nostalgic audio-visual imitation of the old Neo Geo Pocket Color brawlers. By employing just two attack buttons and simplifying the special moves, it may not offer as much depth as some fighting games, but there's still enough to keep even a genre veteran happy here. As newcomer friendly as the game is, timing and correct move choice are still key, so experience is undoubtably a factor. Working well with any controller, the game is good fun and perfectly suited for quick bursts of play, whether that be in online battles or playing tabletop against friends. Admittedly the Switch is not short of decent fighting games, but Pocket Rumble still provides great entertainment.
80%
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Frequently Asked Questions
Pocket Rumble is a fighting game.
Pocket Rumble is available on Nintendo Switch, PC and Windows.
On average players spend around 3 hours playing Pocket Rumble.
Pocket Rumble was released on February 1, 2016.
Pocket Rumble was developed by Cardboard Robot Games.
Pocket Rumble has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its replayability.
Pocket Rumble is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.
Similar games include Fantasy Strike, Them's Fightin' Herds, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Punch Planet, Blade Strangers and others.