Step on into the arena, and get ready to bash more baddy heads. Knuckle Bash serves up plenty of beat 'em up action, but in a different way than you might expect. This one manages to put a new spin on an old arcade favorite style of games, and in the end, leaves you feeling refreshed by the new approach to the genre.

So how does it switch things up? Well it feels like Double Dragon and Street Fighter got together and had a baby. That's right: Tournament Fighter + Beat 'em up = Knuckle Bash. It may sound unappealing to some, but it really manages to blend the two genres very well and create a style of game all it's own.

Here's how it works: You're dropped in the middle of a makeshift fighting arena (in the first level it's a small space in a parking lot, with vehicles on both sides and a building in front of you), and are given a few enemies to fight. Defeat them, and you'll move on to the next area. Most areas are like a Boss fight, where you face one tough foe, and his weaker goons at the same time. The fighting style is Beat 'em Up through and through, as are the graphics, controls, and atmosphere, but the arena fight being the whole stage is Tournament fighter style, as opposed to the average beat 'em up just telling you to walk forward to the next area after you wipe out a wave of enemies. It's a simple change, but it goes a long way toward making this beat 'em up feel unique.

So is Knuckle Bash worth your time and Viz? Or is it just a part of the beat 'em up Arcade game crowd that was mass produced to munch up all of the quarters that the crowds would so willingly shell out to feed their addiction to the action? That's what we're setting out to discover with this review. Hop aboard, and let's see what we find out about this early ninties entry into the arcade world.


Graphics: 10/10
Incredible.

The graphics here are spot on for an early nineties game, and it's peers have nothing on it, on any level.

The sprites are well done, not stunning, but well done. They're smooth, and unlike some games from that era, they're actually different sprites, rather than just recolored repeats. The only issue I found with the character sprites is that their animation isn't as fluid as I would hope for in a game, but they don't look too jerky, just a little unnatural.

The backgrounds aren't bad. They're almost always animated, which is a very nice touch in any game, especially one from this time frame. Sadly, many games from then failed to include animated backgrounds, despite them being easily made on the systems that they were made for. Thankfully Knuckle Bash didn't fall into that pattern, and as a result, the game feels far more realistic and really pulls you in. The best part about the arenas? Interactive foregrounds! You can actually destroy parts of the arenas often, such as slamming that loser that gets in your face through on top of a parked car, and shattering the windshield. Gotta love it!

The thing that pushed me to give out the extra-mile ten was the character's pictures next to their health meter. They react when the character is hit, which isn't unheard of, but it's still a nice touch, and adds to the fun.

Highlights:

-The background of the final bout in stage one: it's beautiful for a game from this time. That water that sparkles in the sunlight is nothing short of great quality, and good detail work.

-The character's facial expressions: very nice touch there. It makes the fight even more interesting.


Sound: 6/10
Good.

The sound here was less than impressive for a ninties game, with it's sometimes unpleasant tracks. It doesn't sound bad necessarily, and the tracks do manage to fit the atmosphere, but they don't sound very pretty. It's one of those games where you would just as soon hear your four year old niece or nephew play on a clarinet...well...maybe not. In all seriousness, the tracks aren't bad, but if your speakers are busted, you're not missing out on anything at all.

The sound sffects are what pushes this rating up to a six, really. They aren't always spot on (glass shattering should be high pitched, not a low rumble. I mean, seriously? I broke a window, not dropped a bomb), but they do manage to clearly capture some key effects, such as grunts when a character is hit hard. This sound was often faded a little too much into the background in these games, but not so with Knuckle Bash. This is the only thing that made the sound worth worrying with.

-Highlights:
Some decent sound effects, but that's it.


Story: 4/10
Poor.

This is actually somewhat of a guess. I know the general idea behind the story, but not enough to explain it here. The problem? It scrolls fast. Really fast. I literally cannot see most of the letters in the cut scene text, let alone make out any actual words.

Here's what I know: The selectable characters are wrestlers (despite their brawling style, and utter lack of wrestling holds), apparently even the unlockable characters wrestle, despite the contradictions caused by their appearances and home arenas.

That's it. And I can only tell you that much because the text at the ending scene doesn't scroll, and can actually be read. I had no idea that they were wrestlers until I finished the game and saw the ending text. It seriously scrolls the rest of the story that fast. Can you speed read? No? Then you won't have the foggiest idea as to what's going on in the game. I only rated it a four because it actually has a story, which isn't always the case with Arcade games.

-Highlights: It has a story... technically.


Depth: 6/10
Good.

Yeah, a six in depth on an Arcade Beat 'em Up, but don't read too much into it, I'm grading on the curve here. The only things I can say for it here are that there are unlockable characters and even an unlockable stage or two. There is also a minigame, (that, again, reminds me of street fighter) where you find yourself in a boxing match. Yes, boxing. Before you say anything, please, allow me to say it for you.
They're wrestlers! Why are they in a boxing match??
The truth is, the world will probably never know. But ridiculous as the minigame may be, it's a nice addition that not only provides a break from what could otherwise prove monotonous, but refills the players health if they can mash the button fast enough to win.

Highlights:
-Unlockables! --Every gamer goes nuts for unlockables, right?

-Decent button masher minigame.


Addictiveness: 8/10
Very Good.

Despite how I may have sounded so far, this game isn't a complete bust. In fact, I really enjoy this title. It's short, simple, straight forward, and a lot of fun, just like an Arcade game should be. I can definitely see myself coming back to this one soon and relatively often. The unique fighter/beat 'em up hybrid approach is quiet enjoyable and addicting, and a welcome twist on a genre full of cookie cutter clones. The novelty of the gameplay, however repetitive, somehow never manages to wear off on me.


Difficulty: 4/10
Easy.

Lose all of your lives? Press continue. You can't lose, unless you want to. There are times when you will get your tail kicked mercilessly, but you can manage to avoid most of the brutal beatdowns, if you know what you're doing, unlike many Arcade games. Still, it can be a bit difficult to do so, but a little challenge can be a good thing.

Highlights:
-No cheapshots.

-Difficult enough to challenge your skill, but infinite continues make it easy enough that anyone can beat it.Overall: 6.8/10
Good.

Knuckle Bash is one of the best games of it's genre, and despite some shortcomings, it doesn't come up short on the fun factor. Overall, it may not be a masterpiece, but it definitely doesn't fall into the junk category.

My personal rating of the game, based on fun alone, would be around a seven or eight. It's a good old fashioned beat 'em up, and it stands up well against it's peers.


All things considered, Knuckle Bash is worth the time and Viz to play, and I strongly recommend it to every fan of the beat 'em up genre, as it's the best in it's class, in this gamer's opinion. As for those who aren't fans of the genre, this one is unique enough that it might just charm you anyway. I'm not entirely sure why we didn't see a Knuckle Bash 2 or at least a spin off, but what we did get was pure beat 'em up gold. When it's all said and done, Knuckle Bash is definitely finding a place in my Arcade hall of fame.

Wow. Great review. You rate them pretty harshly if you liked the game, but gave it a 6.8. Anyway, this is a great review, you did a great job. Then again, you are a mod of this forum so you must be good at review writing.

Dude, best review I have seen in a very long time! I had no problem reading every single word of it, as a matter of fact I was sad to see the last word! I love how you had it spaced out and the "highlight" parts. I may steal your idea and use that in my own reviews, if you don't mind. The thing that made me laugh the most was the broken glass joke, It reminds me of Atari, every thing must sound like a bomb! You drop your eye glasses in Space Invaders and guess what, they are gonna blow up! But yea loved the review Eirinn, can't wait to see what you do next.

GenesisJunkie : Rofl! That statement about the 2600 was hilarious, and true. As for the Highlight idea, I stole it from OrdanonsX. lol Thank you for the compliment! I was hoping the new approach would make it easier to read the full message.

OrdannonsX : Hope you don't mind.

tgags123 : Thanks! And yeah, I did rate it a lot lower than I wanted to. I average the overall rating out (excluding difficulty). This is a fun game, but it didn't have the best sound or story (I don't think. lol), and unfotunately the fun factor doesn't figure into the ratings, unless you count addictiveness. But if it was based on fun alone, I'd have rated it higher.

This game does not really seem like a game I will spend time or Viz on. It seems like a weak version of street fighter. The review was well done, let me know what I needed to know about the game.

Thanks for the review, I will probably pass as I do not really have time to play games that are not above average.
Greenage3348

*gasp* You THIEF!! D:<

Just kidding. Great review. I love tournament fighters, so I actually might just try out this one in the Retro Game Room. I LOVE the way you rate your games, I wish I was that fair. xD It's obvious why you're a game reviewer on this site, judging by your reviews.