Pocket Rumble

Pocket Rumble
N/A
Metacritic
72
Steam
55.009
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$9.99
Release date
1 February 2016
Steam reviews score
Total
72 (144 votes)

Pocket Rumble is a streamlined, beginner-friendly 2-button fighting game that retains all the gameplay elements that make traditional 2D fighters great, but reduces the level of execution and memorization necessary to the bare minimum.

Show detailed description

Pocket Rumble system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Windows XP SP2
  • Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1 ghz or equivalent
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: 2nd Generation Intel Core HD Graphics (2000/3000), 256MB
  • Storage: 50 MB available space

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
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ShroudedMuridian
ShroudedMuridian

Cardboard Robot Games crowdfunded this game as a PC-only title through Kickstarter in 2014, exceeding their initial donation goal by thousands of dollars. Donators were promised, and later given, keys for the PC version of the game. In 2016, the developers determined that they needed more money, so they announced that they would be selling the game on Steam Early Access to further fund development. A few small updates to the game were released during this time.

Shortly after this, it was announced that Pocket Rumble, now published by Chucklefish, would be released for the Nintendo Switch. This announcement was well received, with journalists praising the game, Nintendo featuring it prominently in their "indie titles" marketing, and in July of 2018, the full version of Pocket Rumble was released on Nintendo Switch, featuring all of the characters and features that had been promised to backers of the original PC title. To my knowledge, because the Switch release was funded by Chucklefish, and not through a stretch goal of the original crowdfunding campaign, original backers were not offered codes or copies of the Switch version of Pocket Rumble.

It is now July 2022. Since the announcement of the Switch port, the PC version of Pocket Rumble has not been updated. There has been no communication from the developers of this game through any public channel since 2018. In my opinion, continuing to list this game for sale on Steam Early Access for $10 constitutes intentional fraud, and while it is unclear whether the company behind this game even still exists, I believe that their actions speak for themselves.

CatgirlKazu
CatgirlKazu

Good game.

But it's early access vaporware. Don't reward the devs for making early access vaporware.

lancharlotl
lancharlotl

I hadn't played a fighter in my life before Pocket Rumble and within a few hours I was having a great time with my friends. A dozen hours after that, my buddy and I keep learning new nuances to the gameplay. Looking forward to dozens more. :)

ESN 64
ESN 64

really solid fighter, it has rollback too

Grumpy
Grumpy

Pocket Fighter is another failed attempt at luring beginners into fighting games.
The main flaw here is that you hold down a button to perform a special move.

Why is copying smash bros so hard?
The main issues are that you hold diagonal directions for special moves instead of up/down/left/right and you hold the special attack buttons instead of simply pressing them! So what you end up with is input failure out the wazoo in a game about removing the barriers to fighting games.

Not since Rising Thunder has a "fighting game" been so bad.
If you have never played fighting games then you will enjoy this game possibly but if your intermediate or above then this game will be a difficult ride and honestly Smash Bros is a better entry level game for beginners.

The studio may bring it around and I hope they do because we do need beginner friendly fighting games but at present its not catering to the market it was designed for and its not catering to professionals.

Ascetics need a special mention because they are true to Neo Geo Pocket and its a nice blast to the past so good job there.

The game doesn't feel right and yes it is early days so that could change and hopefully it will.

Join Grumpy reviews for all your gaming needs
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mysticjuicer
mysticjuicer

Such a great game! I'm basically using this to actually build some solid fighting game fundamentals. In a more typical fighting game, I usually learn a character's special moves, and then I just only ever do special moves. So I never actually build any knowledge about when to play defensive, practicing combos, using normals for damage and spacing/poking! Because anyone can do the special moves in Pocket Rumble, the difference between a good player and a bad player is really stark! I wanna get gud! :D

Also, love the aesthetics of the game, both visually and in its sound/music. The training mode with its ability to turn on/off hit/hurtboxes is great.

10/10

cumcum
cumcum

3rd strike references in the how-to-play secton.
Character references to SNK characters.
NeoGeo Pocket nostalgia.
Fantastic Netcode.
Quick rematch.
10/10 for what it is. Can't wait for the full version!

Dreamcast_Spirit
Dreamcast_Spirit

A great fighting game with a simple control scheme of 2 buttons and commands for special moves being down forward and down back. This 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).

PixelPiledriver
PixelPiledriver

The fights feel very dynamic.
The feeling can change from calm and controlled, to bursts of speed, to heavy impacts very quickly.

Combos are simple and easy to execute.
You can be somewhat creative, there are multiple solutions.

To do specials you have to hold the attack button, so that takes some getting used to.
But it's fine, and perfectly fits into the rythm of the game.

Online works great in fight.
There can be some waiting involved to find a player, but not such a big deal.

A friend and I played for 3 hours straight until our thumbs hurt.
And there's only 2 characters. :D

Looking forward to the release of the rest of the cast.

The character art is solid, heavily inspired by the NeoGeo Pocket games.
Honestly I would have suggested a more original pixel style.
But I can't hate on fandom too hard.
This is what they wanted to do, and they nailed it.

UI is on point.
Clear and creative.

The fact that it's developed using LÖVE is inspiring.
Been coding a game engine with the same framework.
It's nice to see someone else take that pony to town. ;)

Anyway, get the game.
It's a good time.

ZellodyRoo
ZellodyRoo

Great concept! The gameplay is easy to learn with only a couple of buttons to press. I look forward to play to full game when it's realeased. :]

signal!
signal!

Someone help i always get the SDL erro when i try to open help plzzzz

亦星
亦星

You want Shinku Hadoken or Power Geyser? Buy this game. Make yourself the next Justin vs Daigo here!

AlexO
AlexO

i hope this games picks up and there is a larger player base. nice game moverall but it just needs more. 6/10

matosh.lee
matosh.lee

As of when I played it on early access there was only 2 characters. The addition of characters will make me reconsider this game but even for early access only 2 characters is extremely lackluster to me unless you really want to support the developer. Yes the game is in early access so once the game gets more characters(at least 4) i will come back to it. The simplified controls may not be for everyone because the game can feel like it lacks depth and some people are weird like me and really enjoy difficult combos. Patches and many other changes can affect this but as of now I do not reccomend the game. BUT feel free to try and it and return it to get your own opinion. This game is really impossible to judge fully because it is incomplete and because it is hard to explain in an inerview. It does not take long for you to decide if you want to keep the game or not. I have also heard issues with combos doing too much damage because the health bars have only 12 hits meaning things can go by very fast.

Maryp0ppins
Maryp0ppins

Well I am changing my review from wait to get this game to just forget about getting this game, at first I thought that this game was going to be a nice intro, fun fast style fighting game, but clearly as with many they want to take this game on a journey to autopilot world, where everything is a ride though gravytown and fundamentals go right out the window replaced by the almighty 50/50 flip a coin style. Thanks guys won't recommend 0/10

Ninferno
Ninferno

3incomplete5me just w8 until its finished

KuroRaiden
KuroRaiden

Great game, especially for those who want to learn how to play 2D fighters.

KirbyFan45
KirbyFan45

Ok, I cannot overlook this, the special move commands are dumb, what happened to half and quarter circils? The special moves are impossible to pull of with these stupid diagonal crud! This ruins the whole game for me unless they fix it or make it more natural motions like quarter circle. And it's really sad because I love fighting games.

Update: I have no idea how the devs can have the AUDACITY to release this on Nintendo Switch! There are many better fighting games on the Nintendo Switch like Ultra Street Fighter II, ARMS, almost all of the NEO GEO games on there, or you can even wait until more fighting games cone to the Switch.

TheRobotsOfMarch
TheRobotsOfMarch

This is, of course, a game still in development, and there are many things that will be fixed or added, but I think there are a few underlying issues with the game design that won't ever be "fixed."
The game is very, very sterile in every sense of the word. The art, music, and characters aren't very inspired, and get very old quick. The early street fighter games are flashier than this.

But it isn't just the presentation that is sterile. The gameplay is robbed of a lot of the things that make fighting games interesting. The mixup is drab. Combos all feel the same. There's not much difference in damage with most moves, which means you have less reason to go for bigger commitments and bigger moves when you can deal plenty of damage with a few jabs. [In most fighting games, it takes about 100 jabs to kill an opponent, while in this, every individual hit takes away 1/12th of the opponent's health.] There's not much defense aside from invincible reversals, which are very basic. In general, most matches play in exactly the same way. There's not really any sort of skill ceiling, and there isn't really any sort of strategy.

In the end, this is a fighting game that doesn't have anything that fighting games are supposed to have. It's not worth the money and not worth the time to play a game like this. Either buy a real fighting game, or go get something actually fun for $10.

Also, they really aren't releasing one character per month, as promised before. It's taking much longer for each character.

EliXr
EliXr

this game is great, was waiting for this ever since the kickstarter, worth the wait i would say.

*better than MKX*

Dragon's Scythe
Dragon's Scythe

good game

the fighting system is good,

but the only thing to make it a game of the year is the fact that the ranking system is abit harsh, i keep getting people who rank higher than me like in the single didgets...also since i have no friends at the moment it makes it so that rank mode is the only thing avalible....i wish single player is a thing right about now

but other than the early access problems this game is good

Unarmed Titan
Unarmed Titan

I was playing Street Fighter 5 with Carlo and he knew nothing. I showed him Pocket Rumble and used the simple inputs and interface to teach him basic fighting game mechanics and fundementals such as spacing, zoning etc. His play was a lot better afterwards. I think this game strikes the perfect balance of being fun for new and experienced players. It is the perfect tool for getting into fighting games and learning tools that can be applied throughout the genre. Can't wait to see the finished product!

keblakev
keblakev

good game but a bit disappointed in the sense that you can play solo or buy yourself. The only mode beside training that I found availble is online ranking. which take forever to get a match. In fact, I could not even pull a single online match. I will request a refund and purchase the game at a later time or when it will be complete. For now, it is just not worth it.

SomberWaves
SomberWaves

I very much enjoy this game, the commands for specials will take some getting used to but all in all the game is enjoyable, can't wait until it's finished.

LansingWolverine
LansingWolverine

Good artwork, can't wait for new characters.
Would rate higher if I actually could use Street Fighter-like commands, I understand that it's supposed to be more simplistic control-wise, but I wish there was an option for other commands. This game felt clunky at first, but it'll probaby feel better after getting used to it. So I'll not recommend it until they have some way to do conventional commands.
But if you're new to fighting games or hate classic special move inputs, you'll definitly like this more than I do!

✡⊰☪h✡co✈m⑨kou⊱✡
✡⊰☪h✡co✈m⑨kou⊱✡

Pretty cool, but ranked is trash right now due to low player base.

The Junkman
The Junkman

Really fun game. Wish they can change how we do inputs so there are quarter circle commands instead of diagonal.

diez
diez

The game is so fun, i'm not into traditional fighting games but this is different, maybe because i'm into pixel art idk, the controls are simple and easy, all the characters have good combos and all of that, characters are unique in appereance and archetype, and every month has patches and maybe new fighter, it's wonderful

still on early access and only has online ranked and training but i don't get tired of this :D

GnarlyBreadGod
GnarlyBreadGod

So I play quite a bit of fighting games and I have to say that for a concept so simple this game is top tier. Sadly this may turn out to be one of those games that gets released and is played for a bit then dropped by almost everyone. I hope this does not happen and that this game makes it through develoment and lives on for at least a while. I love this game and wish I knew about it earlier so I could support it on kickstarter. I hope after the game is out of alpha and they have the base characters made (which is when I will put way more hours into the game) they do another kickstarter to get more characters, a amazing story mode, and the game ported on the 3ds. This game on the 3DS would work perfectly just like the old SNK games on the NeoGeo pocket. (and a 2-d, online multiplayer fighting game on the 3DS thats not smash would be a dream come true.)

Pocket Rumble is a game that everyone should enjoy so please, developers keep crafting a near perfect fighting game that all can enjoy with single player content a plenty. And if another kickstarter gets made, I will support it with as much funding I can provide.

QuotationMarX
QuotationMarX

As of 11/10/2016 Early Access v0.3.8.0

The Good
-Pixel art is campy in the good sort of way**
-Combat is simple but deep
-(from what I have heard and seen) netcode is pretty good*

The Bad
-**Feels Unfinished color schemes wise, characters lack prominent vibrant neutral colors (non specials/attacks colors)
-*Good luck finding someone online
-lacks entertaining

The Ugly
- 2 Locations
-Only 3 finished playables (I wouldn't normally complain but some of the unfinished characters have missing animations due to being under construction and I have done pixel art and sprite animation before and considering this flat neo geo pocket art style it shouldn't take too long to finish the animations before the attacks and then modifing it accordingly)

7/10
-High potential Early Access Game hindered by a lack of a player base

(backgrounds feel incongruent with the style which not bad thing per se, as it feels like a deliberate design choice)

AxleBro
AxleBro

Great game made by equally great people!

keruru
keruru

Very good video game for fighting game beginners. If you've played SnK on the Neo Geo you'll feel right at home.

lazyFloyd
lazyFloyd

Although Still being in developement and there isn't much content, I really believe this game has massive potential. With it's tight and easy controls the game is really easy to pick up. Although the controls are easy to get into, mastering takes a bit more time. I give the game thumbs up!

Geothermal
Geothermal

Although it took so long for this game to get rolling, it’s super fun never the less. Being a two button simplistic fighter it’s great for anyone (even people who aren’t good at traditional fighting games). Given your limited move set it’s very easy for the player to see what they are doing wrong and adjust from their mistakes. Each character is fun and unique. The life bar health system makes for very quick matches.

In a nutshell this simple fighter goes for mind games over execution, making it a fun experience for avid fighting game fans and casual players alike.

With this recent update I’d say now is the time to play this game. It’s very fun and the online play isn't bad either =)

AesthetiCombo
AesthetiCombo

I couldn't play more than 10 minutes of the game surprisingly bad would not play again. I had high hopes for the game but was sadly mistaken by the terrible gameplay and bad mechanics.

LORD ZMUDA
LORD ZMUDA

Astoundingly unique considering its simple set of rules, Pocket Rumble packs a lot of what makes a fighting game worth playing into just 6 normals, 4 specials and a super. Easier than ever to recommend now that every character is playable in ranked, but keep in mind that it's still unfinished and some characters don't even have animations.

More unique characters than USF4, more intelligent than SFV, and far easier to get started in than Guilty. A creative delight which is on the way to seeing a lot of its potential fulfilled.

DBZFORMERS
DBZFORMERS

If you've been holding out on buying it- now is the time. All the fighters and modes have been released, so the full release is getting pretty close and you are not going to want to miss out on the discounted price. Here's hoping it blows up, because this game is wonderful.

EDIT: Switch version confirmed! That's rly going to help the playerbase. Releases at the end of this month! Don't miss out

DPS2004
DPS2004

HOLY CRAP THIS GAME IS AMAZING

OST: AMAZING
GRAPHICS: SUPER AMAZING
GAMEPLAY: AMAZING-TASTIC.

Me and my brother are havong a blast playing this so far. I play lots of fighting games, he does not, but the game is very easy to pick up.

Will be picking it up on switch when i get one!

evildead42
evildead42

If you're like me an LOVE the fighting games on the NGPC you will love this game

TTV/PixeledMonkey
TTV/PixeledMonkey

If you know of or have played the fighting games from the Neogeo Pocket Colour then you will love this game, its very similar in both style and gameplay.
I just got it for PC and although hard to get used to again i still find it a great game but am most excited to get it on the switch soon.
Im hoping there will be some element of cross platform play and i especially hope that mods will also be coming to the switch version somehow.
Its definatly worth the price and i will recommend it on both systems ^_^

mita gracias
mita gracias

Good game, where are the players ?

Banchito
Banchito

This is legitimately the most fun I have ever had playing a fighting game.

Very accesible
Lightning fast
Still relies on fighting game fundamentals
Good character variety
GGPO netcode
Highly addicting

Get this game, even if you're just a casual fan/member of the FGC, this game is fantastic.

dingdingchomp
dingdingchomp

This is amazing game. I've only played a few matches but man is it good. If you love Neo Geo Pocket fighting games then you will really love this. The control sceme is different from the Neo Geo games but it still has the feel of one. Its extremely easy for beginners to start and has a decent amount of games modes like, VS CPU, Arcade, Career, Online and Lessons. This game does a good job of showing you the controls and how the game works through lessons. The fighting is fluid, easy and to the point. Learn your characters moves and learn their frames and distance. This game takes skill to master and could be awesome watching any one at any skill level to play. Controllers compatible even with Logtech controllers and fight sticks. You can also change the control layout to your liking. Highly recommended game for all you Neo Geo Pocket fans.

Xzanos
Xzanos

Solid easy to learn fighter that still holds on to much of the depth of a real fighting game. If you can't deal with learning all the combos and nuances of a bigger fighting game this is an excelent option and is a steal at 10$!

DKS_2003
DKS_2003

I love this game i give it 5 stars BUT my hector colors wont load and my june colors only change her skin and not the dress but i still very much enjoy the gameplay i wont let that effect how i feel about the game but please when i pick pink i dont want to see a yellow hector

Clobbering Rush
Clobbering Rush

I bought this game about a year ago when Rising Thunder was shut down, but didn't play it then because lack of players and contet. I started really getting into it 2 months ago when all of the characters and single player content became playable and I have been really enjoying it.

Pros
+Great gameplay
+Diverse roster
+GGPO netcode (works well up to 250ms of ping with one frame of GGPO delay added)

Neutral(for me they are positives but some players might not like them)
* Simplified inputs
* Input buffering, so combo timing is easier

Negatives
-Lack of players when it is day in EU, but at night and evening you can get matches quite easily

LoneLion97
LoneLion97

I like this game and i can't wait till it comes out for the Switch!

stone
stone

As a serious fighting game player, I think this game captures the competitive element of fighting games in its purest form: the mindgames, and conditioning the opponent. It condenses the fun of the genre down to its purest elements, cutting away the fat, execution barrier, and knowledge requirements, without losing the core essence of the strategic depth. You may have heard the "easy to learn, hard to master" trope before, but never in my opinion has it been done so well as in Pocket Rumble.

fighting vets can get long term enjoyment here, and players who have struggled with fighting games can actually play this game with some practice. That said, there is still a ton of room for competitive mastery; the execution barrier is removed, but fighting game fundamentals are still here to master, which is the beauty of the game. Vets will destroy noobs, but noobs actually can learn, because there are no hard motions. After getting bodied by some high level players, I have had rapid improvement after only a day. But mastering the fundamentals and mindgames leaves infinite replay value.

The character variety is also quite impressive, despite the 8 character cast. Theres a slice for everybody. People without the ability to do a lot of fast inputs will be comfy with tenchi. Veterans who love twitchy movement and high speed footsies will want to go for Naomi or Parker. Theres even a puppet character (like eddie from guilty gear), as well as a grappler, and more. Bottom line for characters is that it does a great job not only of satisfying different kinds of gamers, but different playstyles too.

The game is not done yet, and therefore it is not perfect, as all competitive games have some issues. Certain matchups may be a little too unbalanced, but the foundation here is quite impressive. With some balance tweaks and a few extra characters, the game will truly deserve a strong community. The game is simply great, whether playing casually or pushing yourself to perfection.

Don't believe the kind of low steam rating, these are from early access issues and such.

TLDR Verdict: this game bridges the gap between fighting game vets and non fighting game players better than any fighter I've seen, and functions very well either casually or competitively.

JTX
JTX

The game is alright, the character design is great, the maps are beautiful, the music is SCREAMS retro (which I love!) But the game is just annoyingly difficult. Yea some people would say "Get good man!" But its hard to get good when I can barely get up. LITTERALY! In this game it is super easy to get backed into a corner and easily loose the game. Some people say "Well you shouldnt have gotten taken advantage of" But it really sucks when you have a character like hector that constantly is on your tail. I also hate how tenchi can just spam his fireball to victory. Sure there are easy ways to approche this issue without getting hurt. But with Tenchi having such low cool downs on his moves is almost impossible to safely close in on him and attack without taking damage. And quinn is WAY too fast! He can freaking bounce around so quickly that I cant even turn the right way to block. ITS SUPER ANNOYING! One last thing. The controls. When I first started playing Pocket Rumble, I was super confused on the control scheme and how to do what. The tutorial helped a little bit, but I wish it had classified what everything did and gave me more clearer terms on what do do and how to do it. The controls are okay, the input system is a little annoying at times because I though I was going to input a special, but instead I miss timed the button presses and did a normal attack (which then let to my demise.) I think Pocket Rumble is a wonderful game. I know this game is still in Early access, but I would really like to see some balance changes and a few more control options for the keyboard and controller players, to help fully maximize the experince in the game. Pocket Rumble is truly a beautiful game, with vey difficult challenges that make you want to defeat them.

kitestar
kitestar

all and all the game is a fantastic representation of fighter's on a portable system, more specifically the neogeo pocket color. but i can't recommend it because the most recent update made the game impossible to boot for me. for now dont buy this until devs fix whatever is causing the game to crash, i'll even update my review when this happens

edit:on my new laptop, it works now, but i still cant recommend it considering the dev seems to have went AWOL, go looking for your retro fix elsewhere

Update Jul-16-2018: switch version released, lack of steam news is concerning. until steam version is updated to match switch version, along with updates further down the line (story mode at the very least) my review remains as-is

SlushieCat
SlushieCat

I get what they were trying to do with this game but I think they completely failed at it. The characters are all unique and cool but because the way the health bars work (like 10-12 pips, each equate to taking a single hit), a couple characters are just way better than others. Not to mention pressure is ridiculous and there's absolutely no defensive options outside of just blocking. Give it a pass.

Eddiejay328
Eddiejay328

The game just isnt fun. It punishes you for trying to play the game correctly. I had far more success spamming 1 move vs attempting to get combos. Combat isnt deep and when you complete the arcade it sends you straight back to the main menu. Definitely not worth the money at all. I was going to buy this on the switch but decided to give it a chance on pc since the switch never got it. I WILL NOT buy this on my switch when it arrives. Either youre going to think the game is ok or hate it but i have a hard time seeing this game finding much traction. SO yea refund.

The pokenator
The pokenator

While this game does have amazing sprite work and good music, I have one problem and that is the CPU is WAY too hard even when you select the easy option or even the normal option it's like you are playing on hard 24/7 and that can get pretty frustrating especially with controls that are very simple for a 2D fighter. Luckily there is an online mode so at least your not forced to play against the brutal AI. If it's one mode I do recommend and that's the online mode especially with friends (because who knows there could be a fellow online that has the skills of a god and can destroy you in 2 seconds). The improvements this game needs is to lower the AI difficulty a little bit when selecting normal or easy but don't make it too easy to where you can breeze through the game with little to no effort (then again that could be what easy mode is there for.) especially on normal mode. Just to where it won't make you go shin goku satsu on your computer from frustration. This game so far gets 6 tentacles up.

whimsiethefluff
whimsiethefluff

If I could describe this game in one phrase, it would be that one: This turns anything into a great time.

In all seriousness, it's one of those games that you can play for hours with your friends and family and never get bored. It fits both a tournament environment and a party, as it's quite simple yet even deeper. The retro sprite work is just gorgeous.
The music is also a nice point of the game. it won't blow anything out of the water, but it's still pretty enjoyable. the online is smooth as butter thanks to the GGPO netcode. the game also has pretty good single-player content, such as the career mode which (supposedly) uses player data to control ai behavior.

Overall, it's worth every penny. I rate it 5/5.

Kuz
Kuz

Game crashes when starting the game up. When will they fix this?

NERDRAGE
NERDRAGE

game is great but not supported enough , devs dont care and work on other projects already. too bad

King Koopa
King Koopa

I really admire what a specific aesthetic and gameplay style this game harkens back to, and totally succeeds in faithfully representing that niche. And yet it also introduces lots of cool new creative ideas that mesh perfectly with the old, along with benefiting from being based on handheld games, using a super simple control scheme which makes it accessable to anyone, and yet doesn't hold back the fighting systems' complexity at all. I've been patiently waiting to get the upcoming Switch version, but I just couldn't wait to try it out and dive in, and I have no regrets double-dipping to further support this cool project. Don't believe any of the false reviews claiming the devs have abandoned and failed to support it.

GuardianPM
GuardianPM

Fun game that i played at EGX 2016

Jack Trades
Jack Trades

Game is unfinished and the developer has gone AWOL.
Avoid.

NiohRage
NiohRage

This game is boring and not fun, nobody plays ranked on this game. I can tell this game is gonna die.

[ CELESTIAL ⭐ STAR ]
[ CELESTIAL ⭐ STAR ]

I had a lot of old school fun neo-geo 2D game play at it's best & it will have you hooked and it's coming to the nintendo switch yes it's am easy fighter with great action just pick up and play :] 9/10 the cpu's are hard and the opinions may need some work over all great game kick's ass :p

sawyer.watts
sawyer.watts

Great game, super fun with very varied charactesr; do wish there was the computer had a setting lower than "feed you your kneecaps"

Bridget
Bridget

There's no online scene,and no replay value to be had here. The eight characters are mostly original, and the chroma palette system is pretty neat, but that's kind of all the game has going for it right now. If it was still being regularly updated I might call this experiment a worthwhile endeavor, but the developer seems to have abandoned the game a year ago.

For comparison, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on the Sega Game Gear ran more fluidly, is easier to pick up and play, and had more characters to boot. You want to make a good simplified fighting game? I'd recommend looking at that one first.

Brolaire of Astora
Brolaire of Astora

Can't recommend this as it stands. No status updates from the devs for almost a year now.

Anonymous
Anonymous

horrible! the damn game doesnt run on my computer and it meets the specs! wth?

privatedoomsday
privatedoomsday

Here's my thoughts, based on this game.

The graphics, music, & characters? Nicely designed!

The controls, are not badly done. A bit tricky & clunky, though,

Also, in terms of gameplay, the opponents feel very hard; I've played BlazBlue, and believe me; there's not even any settings, for charning difficulty.

A decent game, other than this? Yes! It's decent, and with great gameplay, and creatively designed characters, but it still needs more work!

tyc
tyc

It's pretty fun, One problem is that No one plays this, but other than that it's good.

Anonymous
Anonymous

Love the Characters Quinn, Keiko, and Kick. Would love to play this on my mobile phone or PS4!

Big Vinny
Big Vinny

So far, I have not been entirely pleased with this game.

The CPUs are very difficult, and even on the lowest difficulty will combo you to death. There seems to be no difference in CPU difficulty either.

The diagonal inputs are very picky on the controller, as they require the perfect angle of the stick, and a held down button press. This strictly contrasts the developers' philosohpy, as they intended this to make the game easy to learn. The tutorial stages are unimpressive and unhelpful, and teach nearly nothing to the player.

Jota
Jota

EARLY ACCESS IMPRESSIONS:

I’m this close to punching through my monitor. In it’s current state Pocket Rumble is an unbearable experience. I swear I feel tortured. The CPU’s AI is without a doubt the worst I have ever seen in a fighting game, and I have played the worst kind of AI from arcade SNK games and cheap bosses. Pocket Rumble is on a whole other level.

I had this game on the top of my steam wishlist. I wanted to have a preview of the game before it comes out on the Switch..
I’m so dissapointed. My throat hurts from screaming so much.
My only hope is that they fix this before release, or else the developers are gonna be receiving tons of hate mail for broken consoles.

Pros:
-fantastic pixel art
-simple commands
-great variety of character mechanics
-great tunes

Cons:
-Unplayable single player content(not fun)
-Grabs are busted
-some volume issues

Buy at the risk of your own sanity.

I promise to change my review to a recommended buy when they fix the awful AI.

qwer180398
qwer180398

the game is great the old school sprits look great the characters are all very diferent and creative i love it . the only down side is that the AI is bad it is really cheap and agressive but also realy dumb you can win against the majority of the cast by spaming one move so if you wana buy it have a friend to play agaist you is realy fun.

❤Femboy Coconut❤
❤Femboy Coconut❤

as a NGPC owner with capcom vs snk, i bloody enjoyed this game, i wouldnt be surprised if this was turned into a NGPC game for the handheld it self, if that does happen i will buy it in a heartbeat dont care about the cut backs that will happen just make it happen somebody.

SparklingSpider
SparklingSpider

Its pretty ok
At least I cheesed the game.

Paco
Paco

It's fun, but it's outdated, and an obselete version of the game. Unfortunately it doesn't look like that'll change any time soon.

pollo-senpai
pollo-senpai

i find my self very disappointented, honestly i really like this game and the idea behind it but there is simlpe not match making. I've waited for long time in the lobby and honestly i haven't been hable to neither one single game, witch is kinda drammatic for a competitive game.

yaladre
yaladre

Amazing gameplay. Havent had so much fun since 2016

SMaddy
SMaddy

Pocket Rumble is a fun, fast-pasted fighter with a mechanically varied roster, has a really baller chiptune soundtrack, and it's simplification and mechanical transparency make it amazingly easy to pick up.
This game desrves more visibility and more players than it's getting

wildCactapus
wildCactapus

It's a fun fighter with almost no player base. Lots of unique characters, fast paced and simple to learn, but there is also no way to set the difficult, so you can go from a fun fair fight in arcade more to being combo'd into a wall without being able to respond. At this point it's probably not worth getting unless it's on sale, but it's a shame the game never picked up in popularity.

Big Long Dec
Big Long Dec

quite possibly the most fundamental based fighting game I have seen in a long time. With just two buttons and limited specials, combos are short but hit hard. And each character feels varied enough to make them stand out.

reject catgirl, embrace magneto.
reject catgirl…

cat is very cute and fun pogchamp

snazlazzle.
snazlazzle.

this game's developers left just like my dad

please come back we miss you

frog
frog

GAMEPLAY: this is a fighting game that boils down the genre to core components without oversimplifying. with simplified inputs (2 buttons, diagonals instead of quartercircles and an infinite input buffer) it lowers the barrier of execution significantly without removing things you'd expect to find in every fighting game (like lows, throws, etc).

that isn't to say it's overly simple. the decision space is smaller than popular big name fighters, but that's by careful design: it strikes a great balance between not intimidating players with a wide decision space and not limiting them to trivial choices.

the 8 char roster is diverse in their toolkits: a shoto, a couple rushdowns, a grappler, a zoner, a summoner, a setplay character, etc. each does a great job of boiling down the gameplans of those archetypes into a 2 button experience. it's hard to imagine not finding at least one or two characters you vibe with, and they're all relatively easy to pick up and learn.

these things combine to give you the experience of playing a fighting game at a decently high level of execution mastery right away, so you can get to the interesting stuff like reading, baiting, and conditioning your opponent rather than grappling with how to play your character or the system mechanics.

PRESENTATION: visually and aurally it's basically king of fighters r-2 on the neo geo pocket color but with more colors and modern sensibilities. animations are clean and readable, color choices are great, and the music is fun. the stage designs really shine (my favorite is keiko's), and each one takes on a darker look and more urgent bgm if you make it to the final round.

the roster is extremely likeable despite little characterization outside of their anims and stages, and as diverse in their design as they are in their toolkits: terry bogard but a butch lesbian, dj werewolf, flowery girl with a cat that's actually an eldritch horror, agent smith if he was a dad, a literal ghost, and so on.

USER EXPERIENCE:
(note, i've only played online vs, training mode and local vs)
this game uses ggpo for excellently implemented rollback netcode, showing yet again that tiny indie games can swing good netcode while extremely rich giant corporations can't seem to manage it. because of its nature as a small title, it's unreasonable to expect the matchmaking to be full of players, but you can find matches for either the pc version or switch version in the official discord, or invite your friends to play in unranked sessions. this shouldn't be read as a point against the game: much larger fighting games have empty lobbies, and they generally have worse netcode.

this game does not feature crossplay between pc and switch, because it uses the steam and nintendo servers respectively for matchmaking (or so i have heard). it is unlikely to get crossplay ever, so bear that in mind if you want to play this.

the training mode here is excellent: full frame data, VISUALIZED frame data, hitboxes/hurtboxes, recordable dummies, and even a slow motion toggle. aaa games should have training modes like this. one thing to be careful of on the pc version is you cannot clear the shortcuts to create for training mode settings like record/play/slowmo, though you can overwrite them, so be careful if you don't have a lot of buttons on your stick or something.

the user experience when actually fighting another human is excellent; and you can hold start to fast forward through the vs screen, you can hold a+b to swap characters after a lost round. one thing you cannot do is switch stages or bgm: the stage you play on is the one associated with one of the two characters onscreen. this may be a blessing in disguise, though, because there is no rematch without returning to the character select screen.

the only real thing missing from the vs experience is a visible timer on the character select screen: pick fast, because if the invisible timer ticks down you'll be stuck playing whoever you were hovering over for a round.

SUMMARY:
buy this game if you want to experience the joy of fighting games but don't want to spend hundreds of hours in the lab. with excellent netcode, accessible gameplay and a great roster you'll get more than $10 of enjoyment out of it.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
as per a dev twitter, the developers are still actively involved with this game: currently they're working to add mods, ie custom characters like in rivals of aether. regardless, it's a playable fully featured game. while i do not think the devs have abandoned it, claims of such have no bearing on whether or not it's a playable game that feels finished: it is.

luc
luc

I really, REALLY want to recommend this game but I don't think I can since there hasn't been an update since 2018 and you can't find a person online easily, it's still an amazing game that any fighting game fan should check out tho

Mr1M0
Mr1M0

Really fun game so far ( been playing just under an hr). From someone who likes street fighter, and other fighting games it feels a lot simpler with the two buttons only and no complex input deal, but has its own intricacy and I'll enjoy getting into the grind of learning it.

The CPU is a bit tough tho! (even on easy mode!) guess I'll just have to git gud XD nice game!

P.S. It would be great if you guys could add some achievements to the game. Just to add some nice goals to work towards while playing

WiP
WiP

the scene is small, and the online is barren. But if you have a friend, or if you join the discord this game is a fantastic introduction to the fighting game scene. The who button layout makes it easy to remember commands, and the specials on diagonal down makes combos and specials a pinch to preform! Great start to playing fighting games that doesn't require 5 years just to learn movement...

BDawG
BDawG

Pocket Rumble is an excellent entry in to the 2D Fighting Game Genre. It's small cast shows dramatic diversity and offers fun and interesting characters no matter your playstyle

The game doesn't have an active matchmaking queue, but does have a small dedicated community on discord

Probably one of the best casual fighting experiences for people who don't want to invest a tonne of time in to a new game

EpicMtnGamer
EpicMtnGamer

Good game, but there's no difficulty setting and this game hasn't gotten an update in forever.

Rojo_Hou
Rojo_Hou

A Straightforward 2d fighting game with 2 attack buttons and 4 special moves on each character. Specials are done with a diagonal down input rather than command inputs like traditional 2d fighting games. That said the characters tend to be fairly unique despite the limited movelist. Easy to pick up though a few characters have some depth this game makes a great starting point for new players to 2d fighting games as well as a good side game for 2d fighting game veterans. A few character matchups require more work from one player than the other but even in those cases there is a way for either player to win.

Also the netcode is really good making it good to play online with friends.

Only real downside is that it's been unfinished for a long time but the roster is there and all the most important game modes are there as well Career/arcade mode, Online ranked, Online invite with steam friends, Vs local, Vs computer, Training mode, and some other ones I can't remember right now (challenges and something else I think). Only thing missing is a lobby system for multiple players to hang out in without being steam friends which would make the game easier to stream and play with viewers.

Ragnhall
Ragnhall

Early Access since 2017.
By the way, this was kickstarted.

XEN TOPHER
XEN TOPHER

Pocket Rumble is Freaking AWESOME!!! Get it on Steam and on the Nintendo Switch, you won't regret it!

RamboCreativity
RamboCreativity

For as simple as this game is I gotta give credit where credit is due, the pixel art is fucking baller.

Captain-Cool
Captain-Cool

its really good at teaching you fighting games.

Siopaoboy
Siopaoboy

Parker puts on sunglasses when he beats you. I'm still mad that I lost, but that's so cool bro.

Trissy
Trissy

So I actually really like Pocket Rumble as a concept for a game. Everything as the game stands feels responsive and it's actually really fun to lab certain combos out with characters like Hector and Quinn. If you're looking for a very technical review however, I'm not much of a fighting game player, this review is mainly about the lack of anything about this game information or news wise.
So I looked up where the last updates for this game could be found, and the last update (IE any information about this game) was found on @CSdoesCS on Twitter. The last time Pocket Fighter was mentioned was on Feb 27, 2021, and judging from the infrequent updates I think this man has either moved on or just doesn't have the manpower to make the changes he wants to the game. This is not an insult to the developer, even I wouldn't blame him if he moved on from this game in the state of it currently.
All this to say, Pocket Rumble is probably not going to get the revival most people are looking for unfortunately, the game is most likely just dead in early access period.

ZzigzaG00NIN
ZzigzaG00NIN

The characters in this game are cool
I really like the pixel look too
I can't wait to see more of this game

Indie Bandits
Indie Bandits

While the game does suffer from some understandable limitations, you’ll barely notice them because the positives hugely outweigh the negatives. Whether you’re casual or a hardcore fighting game fan you’re looking for some competitive fighting action against your friends, you could do far worse than check out Pocket Rumble.

Scrompfy
Scrompfy

This game will not be finished. It just will not. It's been in early access and the developer, from what I can gather, has just dropped work on this to go work on a mobile game instead.

It's not even that the game itself is bad, it's just worth mentioning that the "Early access" aspect of the game is kind of misleading.

That said, the game itself is kind of like divekick in it's nature. The combos are simple, and the damage is high. Matches can end off of one "Simple" mistake. This is either great, or a nightmare depending on the skill gap, and seeing as this is essentially so niche that ONE PLAYER is the peak number of players over the past month. If you want online play, you have to play with people you know that own the game.

I've been in the pocket rumble community discord for a while now, mostly as a lurker because I simply didn't get much of a chance to play the game on PC and the only people I could reliably connect to on switch stopped playing, and GENERALLY SPEAKING they've been quite nice, but it's just not the kind of game community I personally like. It's a "Stagnant" style of community where the few people still playing are EXTREMELY learned. That's GREAT that people pour that love and care into the game they enjoy and I am in NO WAY trying to throw salt in their eyes for being better than me at the game.

It's just that setting up and keeping an appointment to play at exactly a specific time is not for everyone, and it shows. Games that fall into that level of niche simply do not recover, no matter the updates. Pocket rumble is a game that would have likely made for an awesome franchise had it kept up steam.

Sadly, it has fallen into the void of EA-itus, a kickstarter backed game that never was completed, yet still has some great gameplay value if you enjoy the very broken, but still very novel "Pocket" combat. It is in no way a balanced game. It is also in no way a bad game. It just feels like it's missing content since the single player AI is quite basic and easily stumped even on the most difficult settings, and the arcade mode is...pretty much just a series of VS mode fights. Granted, this is what the supposed "Final content" update should address, and if it does indeed happen I will GLADLY change my review to reflect this.

However, even with the new character, and the rest of the content, I don't feel that there is enough to hold the attention of 99% of players for more than a few matches, new players will get easily frustrated with the "썩은물" or "Goinmul" community. The gameplay itself has depth, but only so much because of the genre niche it's trying to fulfill.

It's almost self fulfilling prophecy, but I simply can't see the update improving the game THAT much unless ALL of that content is somehow World Of Light scale, or some kind of long-form Fighting Visual Novel where characters can finally get some actual kind of backstory. I cannot reasonably tell someone else that I believe that update will come.

I simply wish this game had been loved more, from within and without. I hope all turns out well, and that I can eat crow soon enough, but until then you'll just have to hold this L.