Rocket Fist
The Lesser-Known Falcon Punch
At the end of each of my reviews, I list how many hours I have played the game. Typically, I will use the Switch’s activity log to track my hours, which was an unreliable system in the console’s infancy because the Switch was and still is seemingly unable to remember any number that doesn’t end in 0 or 5. For any game played less than five hours, the Switch had no grasp of time, proclaiming I had played “for a little while” in lieu of an actual number. Only in the world of Nintendo was three hours “for a little while.”
Since the original publication of this review, the Switch has since been updated and now can count from 1 to 5 (ten days after you first play the game, mind you). I am so neurotic about play time because I like to demonstrate how much distance your dollar may go. For some, a solid experience—no matter how long or short—is enough to justify a game’s purchase. For others, the more you pay, the more content you should receive. For me, I divide the game’s price by the number of hours I played it. In the case of Rocket Fist, the total came to $2.50 per hour, so the question is, “Would you pay roughly $2.50 an hour to play Rocket Fist?”
What is it?
Rocket Fist is simple in concept. In multiplayer (the meat of the game), you control a customizable robot in a top-down arena in which you face up to three other robots. Your bot can hold one rocket fist at a time, and tapping the B button shoots this fist ahead of you where it can ricochet off of walls, obstacles, and other fists on the ground. Once you’ve shot your fist, you must pick another off the ground before you can attack again. Without your fist, the B button now triggers your bot to perform a quick dash. This dash can be used to dodge enemy fists, to bump into enemies and force them to drop their fists, or even to catch fists thrown by your enemies. Your end goal is to punch your enemies out of existence before they do the same to you.
You can battle against your friends or computers in either Deathmatch or Survival. If you and another player choose the same color of robot, you can even play as a team (which is baffling why this feature is not more clearly displayed). You can customize the number of lives/kills, the arena, frequency of items, and the presence of “ghosts.” That done, you’re dropped into the first round to bash each other to bits. If you get knocked out, you’re out until one victor remains and the next round begins. Between rounds, you are offered a replay of the final knockout, which is a great for rubbing salt in your friends’ wounds. Rounds typically last under thirty seconds due to the absolute bedlam caused by everyone flinging their fists, dodging them, and scrambling to get another.
Rocket Fist also features a single-player campaign composed of 25 levels, five of which are boss levels. As with multiplayer, the focus is on destroying your enemies before they can do the same to you. Unlike in multiplayer, your enemies have different abilities, necessitating different strategies to take them down. The experience is short, sweet, and forgiving. Getting through all sectors could take thirty minutes, and even if you reach a game over screen, you are only booted back a level.
What’s good?
- The multiplayer is a hell of a ride, whether you are by yourself or with other people. The mad dash to kill and survive is hectic, but the game never feels too chaotic to be luck-based. Despite Rocket Fist’s simplicity, it will take skill and finesse to know when to shoot, dodge, rush an enemy, or catch a shot. There will certainly be times when a crazy ricochet kills you or an opponent, but usually these moments are more hilarious than frustrating.
- Rocket Fist is perfect for couch multiplayer. The simple controls and premise allow for new players to drop in easily. Because rounds are so quick, no one will be out for long, and the chaotic nature of the game allows even inexperienced players to win a few rounds.
- Everything runs smoothly. Frame rate doesn’t drop; slowdown doesn’t rear its ugly head, the physics feel consistent, and controls are tight. The only issue is the B button confirms options whereas the A button cancels.
What’s bad?
- What Rocket Fist may have in gameplay, it lacks in content. Bitten Toast Games is a teeny-tiny developer, so it is understandable that Rocket Fist lacks some features. Still, more maps, other modes, a longer single-player, online multiplayer, and a level editor could launch this game into must-have territory. The developer has expressed a desire to make more content, and the Steam version of the game does feature a level editor and online multiplayer.
- The graphics and soundtrack, while serviceable, are unremarkable. Although neither impacts the gameplay significantly, some gamers may be left wishing for more distinctive stages and punchier music.
- “Ghosts” detract from the multiplayer. The default is to include these ghosts, which function similar to the “revenge” mechanic in Bomberman. If you die, your robot is sent to the edge of the arena where it can skirt around the arena and launch electrical pulses at opponents. If a living opponent is hit, they are temporarily immobilized and unable to fire fists. Although the ghost feature can keep everyone in the game, I found that ghosts created more chaos and less focus on precision punches and dodges.
What’s the verdict?
Rocket Fist is a welcome addition to anyone who loves couch multiplayer. The Steam version may be the better choice if you have Steam Link or something like it, but if you don’t, the Switch version is definitely the way to go to enjoy it with your friends. Rocket Fist is not going to be a game which eats hours at a time, but for the short bursts you do play, it’s a blast. This video game serves as a hearty side to your multiplayer sessions, complementing main dishes like Mario Kart or Arms. If you can accept this line of thought, you’ll be satisfied with Rocket Fist.
Arbitrary Statistics:
- Score: 7.5
- Time Played: 4 hours
- Number of Players: 1-4
- Games Like It on Switch: Super Bomberman R, Flip Wars
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