Punch A Bunch
- July 20, 2023
- Pontypants
- 5h median play time
"Punch A Bunch" is a quirky and fast-paced boxing game where players compete in a series of wacky matches against an array of eccentric characters. With simple controls and humorous cartoon-style graphics, the game offers a lighthearted and entertaining experience. The objective is to become the ultimate champion by defeating all opponents in the ring, using various punches, combos, and special moves.
Reviews
- The game features unique and creative bosses that provide a fun challenge.
- The physics-based combat system is engaging and satisfying, allowing for a rewarding gameplay experience.
- The developer has shown dedication and responsiveness to player feedback, improving the game post-launch.
- The difficulty spikes significantly, especially in the pro league, making some fights feel unfair and frustrating.
- Controls can be unresponsive and janky, particularly when using mouse and keyboard, leading to missed punches and awkward movements.
- The requirement to collect stars to progress through tournaments can feel tedious and detracts from the overall experience.
- gameplay105 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its fun and rewarding mechanics that require skill and practice to master. However, there are significant criticisms regarding janky controls, inconsistent mechanics, and a lack of content, leading to a frustrating experience for some. Overall, while the core gameplay is enjoyable and challenging, it suffers from technical issues and a steep learning curve that may deter casual players.
“The gameplay is amazing; the balancing is good, but extra bosses would be nice.”
“The mechanics of this game are brilliant and really make for a dexterity and skill-based boxing game.”
“Overall, the gameplay is really fun but also challenging, but you improve quite quickly and you can definitely see your progress.”
“The gameplay isn't very fluid and, visually, it's tough to even understand when what you're doing is actually working.”
“The mechanics at first are fun but then become awful.”
“This game sucks; the mechanics are really bad and you cannot get a refund.”
- graphics43 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and charm, particularly for a first-time developer. While some players appreciate the minimalist aesthetic and find the visuals appealing, others criticize the lack of advanced graphics options and inconsistencies in the UI. Overall, the game's visuals are seen as a strong point, though they may not meet everyone's expectations, especially on lower-end hardware.
“I really enjoyed this game due to its unique art style and good gameplay.”
“The game has an awesome art style and it's what pulled me in to watching your dev logs.”
“Love the simple art style and very impressive visually for a first game.”
“The game's graphics are terrible, but that's somewhat forgivable considering this was made by one man who's never made a game before.”
“But it definitely isn't for everyone, especially because of the inconsistent difficulty and not really refined graphics (especially the UI and animations).”
“There are no graphic options for those with older hardware, and the only control option is adding button mapping to the bunches, which makes the game way closer to playable.”
- music24 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its charm, catchiness, and fitting integration with the visuals and gameplay. However, some users noted that the tracks can become repetitive over time, leading to a desire to mute the game or play their own music. Additionally, there were complaints about technical issues affecting the music when using a controller and concerns regarding the overall quality and depth of the sound design.
“The art style and music are charming and fit the game pretty well.”
“Great music and artist choice.”
“The music is very fitting.”
“One issue: when I plug in a controller while in the game, it breaks all music. I don't know if that's because I need to do that before, but yeah.”
“The only thing I am not a huge fan of in the game is that the music gets repetitive quite fast. The tracks are not bad or annoying, but the main theme got very repetitive to me, and I just turned it off and played my own music.”
“Music feels really cheap and the overall ambiance is so dry of any life. I really was hoping for this game but just didn't like it. Hope to be helpful.”
- stability21 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably problematic, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that hinder gameplay. Issues range from game-breaking bugs, such as lost save data and unresponsive mechanics, to minor visual glitches that disrupt the experience. While some players find enjoyment in the game despite these issues, many agree that it feels unfinished and in need of significant updates to improve stability.
“As it's still in development, there are bound to be some minor glitches, but this game was not ready for launch.”
“Some of the glitches I've run into are when blocking, your hands glitch together and it doesn't let you block anything. The boss glitched out and got stuck in a wall, and the worst of all, for no reason, the game deleted my entire save data, and now I have to start over.”
“After defeating an opponent, the game freezes completely.”
- replayability12 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it strong due to character variety, mini challenges, and collectible cosmetics, others feel that certain AI issues and a lack of substantial content limit long-term engagement. The addition of star challenges and achievements offers some replay value, but opinions vary on whether the game has enough longevity for repeated playthroughs.
“The star challenges also add an extra layer of difficulty and replay value if you need it as well.”
“The challenges and cosmetics add a lot of replayability.”
“The replayability is excellent.”
“If you're looking for a game with longevity and replayability, however, this game is probably not for you.”
“Though I appreciate the effort for replayability, the issues I had with the AI make some of these challenges feel impossible.”
“My playtime reflects a pretty full playthrough, and as of now, there's not much replayability, but it's absolutely worth it.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered unimportant, with some players noting that while the story mode and AI opponents are well-executed, it lacks a compelling narrative hook. Although one player enjoyed the overall experience and found the story mode engaging, others felt it did not match the depth of similar games like Punch Club. Overall, the emphasis seems to be more on gameplay than on storytelling.
“Story mode and AI opponents are well-done.”
“Took me 10 hours and I still have all the side missions to do, but all in all it was a great experience!”
“Story hook, proper music, eye-pleasing 2D attire, and more juice and narrative overlap in the matches themselves.”
“It has the combat you wished Punch Club had; on the other hand, it misses that Punch Club story hook.”
“☑ no story”
“Story: (is not important)”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing graphics and entertaining physics system, which often leads to comical situations during gameplay. Players report having a lot of fun, despite some frustrations with the AI's erratic movements, and appreciate the overall lighthearted tone of the game. While it may not appeal to everyone, it offers a humorous experience that can be enjoyed, especially in multiplayer settings.
“We were laughing and having a ton of fun the whole time.”
“Very funny (and also difficult to master) game from a solo dev.”
“The game is funny, though not my type of game, but you can have a good time with it.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
Reviews on the aspect of "grinding" are mixed; some players find it enjoyable and rewarding, particularly when mastering challenging bosses, while others describe it as tedious and time-consuming, with some even labeling the game as one of the most grind-heavy they've encountered. A few players appreciate the game's mechanics but suggest that certain challenges could be adjusted to reduce the grind and enhance overall enjoyment.
“Bought this during the 30% off sale and had a fun time with almost no grinding.”
“I really liked the idea and feel of the game, but the process of unlocking the other championships seems tedious and quickly makes the gameplay go from fun to a chore.”
“I have been watching him make this game since his first devlog and bought it day one; however, currently, it is probably one of the most tedious games I have ever played.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is mixed; while some players experience smooth performance initially, others report noticeable slowdowns after a few animations. There is a consensus that the game requires significant optimization improvements to enhance the overall experience.
“Good, but it needs some serious optimization.”
“It has some performance issues: once you start to play, it runs smoothly, but after a couple of animations, it gets slower.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed emotional experience with the game; while some players appreciate the wholesome intentions of the solo developer and find moments of fun, others express frustration over gameplay mechanics that lead to frequent stun-locking and a lack of satisfying emotional payoff. Overall, the emotional response varies significantly, with some players feeling anger and disappointment, while others find joy in the developer's passion and community engagement.
“Very wholesome one-man dev team just trying to support his family and spread fun along the way. The game is fun and just needs a bit of re-balancing and patching.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as feeling exploitative, with many users perceiving it as a cash grab rather than a well-thought-out approach to enhance the gaming experience.
“There are lots of options that could have been taken to fix or polish this game; it just feels like a cash grab.”
“The monetization strategy is overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating for players who don't want to spend extra money.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is highly immersive, effectively capturing the intensity and excitement of a boxing championship through its detailed settings and well-developed characters.
“The settings and characters create an immersive atmosphere of a boxing championship.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is praised for its strong design and engaging gameplay, drawing favorable comparisons to "Punch Out." Players appreciate the depth and uniqueness of the characters, enhancing the overall gaming experience.