[Game Review]: Punch Quest by RocketCat

I’ll be honest, I never really bought in to the whole 16-bit nostalgia style gaming on smartphones.  I always thought those games belonged on the classic consoles that were originally designed for.

Then along came Punch Quest.  Wow.

Not only does it capture the sights and sounds of classic arcade gaming, it’s really addictive.  I’ve barely been able to put my phone down to do anything else.  Seriously.

It’s a classic game inspired, 16-bit style, side scrolling, dungeon themed, punch ’em up that draws you in, then sticks a bear trap on your hands.

It has all the obligatory sharing features (for bonuses, news and whatnot).

A fully loaded upgrades menu that will either upgrade your character, or add new items into the game such as health items or more coins.

Then you have the boosts menu for one off bonuses at the beginning of a game, not one but TWO Power Skill menu options for upgrading your guys bashing skills, and Super Moves menu for upgrading the power up moves you earn moving through the game cracking skulls.

You almost spend as much time in the upgrades menu as you do in the game, but a myriad of options only adds to the game play.

Finally you have the game itself.  Which is awesome.  Punch Quest runs really smooth, the enemies are varied and the action is pretty much non-stop.  It’s great for playing sessions, or just for quick casual blasts when you’ve got 5 minutes to kill.  It’s also fairly difficult, enough to keep it challenging, not enough to frustrate.

I got far enough into Punch Quest to encounter the “mini-boss”, a one horned Cyclops  which was challenging, but passable.  Unfortunately he seems to whoop most of my health down and I died soon after encountering him.  I still have ambitions of seeing what is past him beyond the next ghoul.

The on-screen touch controls are nice and simple; bottom left corner for uppercut and bottom right corner for punch.  Movement is done for you, so you if you miss something, you’ve missed it.

It’s a fun game, one I will definitely keep playing, and I would happily recommend to anyone.  At only 63p (or 99 cents), you won’t break the bank, and you won’t regret buying it either!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x06llATCA5U&w=560&h=315]

Check it out in the Play Store now.