As a seasoned veteran of the arcade scene, I’ve seen my fair share of beat ’em ups that range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Street Rumble, unfortunately, leans more towards the latter. It’s like a Karate Kid cosplay gone awry, all flashy moves and broken mechanics.
Discussing a licensed video game often feels akin to cracking open Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, only to find the first sentence something like: “In every community, it is a well-known fact that a popular franchise inevitably yearns for an average spin-off game.” Interestingly, I had been expressing my disappointment over the scarcity of quality licensed video games prior to experiencing Karate Kid: Street Rumble. Though they were scarce, they certainly weren’t nonexistent. It seems that we should be aiming for more than this now. After playing Karate Kid: Street Rumble, I recalled that many of them were simply average cash grabs. At times, it’s best to leave certain things untouched.
Street Rumble – Retro Beat ’em Up with Karate Kid Flavor
You Too Much TV
To start off, let’s clarify the fundamentals: Karate Kid: Street Rumble is essentially a typical brawler game. You have light and heavy attacks that can be combined for combos, the option to jump and execute air attacks, and a dodge maneuver that keeps you safe when timed correctly but leaves you vulnerable if timed incorrectly. What sets Street Rumble apart is the Focus Meter, functioning somewhat like a protective shield, absorbing damage as long as you have Focus available. Additionally, you can employ Focus bars to perform special moves such as Daniel LaRusso’s famous Crane Kick. The strategy here lies in deciding whether to use Focus for special attacks or conserve it for protection against incoming hits. This concept is quite effective, however, it doesn’t shield Street Rumble from its significant issues.
Street Rumble recounts the story of several entries in the Karate Kid franchise. The problem is that it’s bad at it. Mostly, you get story moments in pre- and post-level dialogue exchanges and cutscenes. The issue here is that the cutscenes, which are essentially still images with written dialogue placed over them, look like they were drawn in Microsoft Paint, which is odd because the pixel art and backgrounds in the game are gorgeous. They also do a terrible job of recounting what’s actually going on. Mr. Miyagi doesn’t appear in one of the cutscenes until the end of Street Rumble’s rendition of the story of the original film. It’s not like he’s an important part of the series or anything! And it gets weirder from there!
When you encounter Chozen, the nephew of Sato Toguchi, who was once a close friend and then became an adversary of Miyagi, he escorts you to meet his uncle. On your next encounter with him, he challenges Daniel to a deadly fight. To put it frankly, it’s been quite some time since I watched The Karate Kid Part II, but I believe it would be helpful if Odaclick Game Studio provided some key story details. In this case, the essential plot points could provide context for players unfamiliar with the original movie.
Sweep the Leg
As a devoted fan, I must admit that some parts seem to be presented as simple mini-games, such as Daniel perfecting the Crane Kick or attempting to catch a fly with chopsticks. While these moments are undeniably entertaining, they feel slightly out of place due to the absence of context and the lack of depth in portraying Daniel’s bond with Miyagi.
As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got to admit, the roster of playable characters in this game is quite unexpected. Daniel and Miyagi are familiar faces, but why is Ali or Kumiko here? These characters aren’t exactly the series heavyweights, and they didn’t spend much time fighting in the movies. It’s also odd to see iconic scenes from the films, like the climactic tournament, transformed into battles against hordes of minions.
As a dedicated gamer, I’d admit that Street Rumble could easily pass under my radar if the gameplay was top-notch. Unfortunately, it falls short. It’s okay, but “okay” just doesn’t cut it when games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Streets of Rage 4 are around. Street Rumble seems to be a watered-down version of a beat ’em up game, as all you essentially do is fight. There aren’t any exciting level gimmicks beyond the minigames, and there’s hardly any environmental hazards to dodge – something that’s been a cornerstone of this genre since its infancy.
Wax On, Wax Off
As a gamer, I’ve got to say, the gameplay in this fighting title leaves me yearning for more variety. The combos feel repetitive, so I find myself repeating the same moves again and again. Sure, there’s an option to launch opponents into the air for some epic crane kicks, but let’s face it, there’s only so many ways to send foes flying, making me stick with what works best.
The downside is, taking a hit without any Focus points leaves you vulnerable to excessive damage. And if you’re launched into the air, followed by an opponent executing a combo on you there, chances are you’ll be eliminated. Dying in a single encounter within Street Rumble can happen quite easily, and it’s never enjoyable when it does. If you’re playing with friends locally (there is no online co-op option in Street Rumble), you can revive your teammates when they fall, but this requires standing still, making you susceptible to attacks. This move carries some risk, but if successful, it rewards you nicely. However, when you’re playing alone, there’s nothing you can do.
Additionally, there are some confusing design aspects that might frustrate players. For instance, if a level proves challenging when you’re playing alone, you can reduce its difficulty to complete it. However, if you wish to play a subsequent level on a harder setting with friends, you must first finish every previous level on the same difficult setting. This can be disappointing, especially considering that character progression is tied to individual use, which encourages sticking with specific characters for level-ups. If you frequently switch between characters, they may become underleveled, making later levels more challenging than intended. Be prepared to put in extra effort if you want to experience the higher difficulty settings.
Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy
Additionally, Street Rumble also has its share of bugs. On occasion, the achievements wouldn’t register properly after completing levels or I encountered an issue where the camera and level geometry got stuck, preventing any progress. The only solution was to restart the level. My wife and I are avid beat ’em up players, and we often explore several titles in a year. After about half an hour into Street Rumble, my wife expressed her dislike for the game, a sentiment I shared as well.
Street Rumble isn’t exceptional, it merely falls into the average category. Although the graphics are appealing, the music lacks excitement, the gameplay is unremarkable, and there are numerous design issues that detract from its overall appeal. While it does include an arcade mode, boss rush, and other features, these are locked behind the story mode, which can be quite tedious and may cause players to lose interest within half an hour. Fans of beat ’em up games deserve games with more depth and polish. Licensing such iconic franchises as The Karate Kid deserves a game that surpasses this generic beat ’em up offering.
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2024-09-27 16:27