Fist Puncher takes player to the corrupt city of Las Cruces, where the sinister Milkman has control of nearly every key location around the city. The Milkman may have a silly nickname, but his wealth and power in the city makes him a very dangerous man. The Milkman crosses the line when he kidnaps nine beauties from across the globe at a local beauty pageant however, and the team at the nearby martial arts school have finally had enough and set off to rescue these leggy ladies from the Milkman's clutches. Fist Puncher tells most of its story through sparse cutscenes scattered around the game. This type of old school beat 'em up style of game typically does not feature strong storylines though, and it is easily forgivable here, especially since there are plenty of funny moments throughout the game with character biographies, dialogue between characters and the bizarre levels seen throughout the game.
When you begin a game of Fist Puncher, you'll choose from one of four characters--Dr. Karate, Steroid Jackson, The Beekeeper and Hella Fistgerald-- but the game features 15 unique characters in total with many characters hidden away and difficult to unlock. Fist Puncher is a classic brawler at its core, but it has the luxury of having many current generation features including a leveling up system with RPG elements. Each character has punch, kick, grab moves and special attacks with successful attacks landing working towards level progression with attack, defense, speed and other physical enhancements as well as additional perks gained every few levels. Perks can include new combo attacks, permanent HP or skill point boosts and new abilities. Switching between characters is easily done before each level begins, and trying out all of the different characters and their unique fighting styles gives Fist Puncher loads of replay value.
Fist Puncher isn't a great looking game, but the 8-bit graphic design is surely something that the vintage gamers among us can enjoy. This artistic design makes its way into the game's level select screen heavily influenced by games such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and, more recently, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Classic sound design can be heard throughout the game as well, though the game's controls are actually pretty tight and simple to use. The game also prompts the player to connect a wired Xbox 360 as soon as the game begins to get the best control layout with full support already mapped out for the particular controller. A few levels of the game seem terribly unbalanced and difficult early on in the game, important items can be impossible to find with bodies piling up and a fixed camera angle, and characters can get caught on objects in the stages causing unintended damage, but these are just some minor gripes that keep the game from being perfect but aren't too annoying. Overall, Fist Puncher is a really fun game that is sure to be a hit among the indie gaming crowd.
Fist Puncher packs plenty of collectibles, Achievements and other content into a small package. There are 99 Achievements in total to get throughout the game that will keep players playing the game long after completing the 50-stage campaign in about 6-8 hours. Trading cards are found scattered across the game as well that are unlocked along with most Achievements, and of course, there are the game's 11 unlockable characters to find as well as plenty of funny Easter Eggs and scenes that has the humor of an Adult Swim television show. Up to three other players can join the first player for some fun cooperative action as well. Players are sure to have a good time with their stay in Las Cruces whether soaking up the sun at the local nudist beach, battling it out with ninjas on top of a moving truck, perving out at Stripper Town or desperately battling through a subway car filled with toxic gas placed by a crazed cult. Fist Puncher is one of the most entertaining games you'll play all Summer and a good reason to stay inside and beat the heat and some faces. Check out Fist Puncher for PC on Steam today!
Fist Puncher is now available exclusively for PC via Steam and can be purchased for $9.99. For more information or to purchase a copy of Fist Puncher, check out the official Steam website.
Game Features:
Game Information:
Developer: Team2Bit
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
Available exclusively for PC via Steam
Release Date: June 21, 2013
