Sometimes it's good to unwind with a little brawler action. In the 80s and early 90s, the brawler genre was big with games like Double Dragon and Streets of Rage. In the modern-day, the brawler/beat 'em up genre continues on with the Dynasty Warriors series and indie titles like River City Girls. A new brawler has arrived on Nintendo Switch and Steam: Super Crush KO, developed by Vertex Pop. According to the company's page, Vertex Pop specializes in "feel-good" action titles. The company certainly succeeded with that in its latest title. Super Crush KO is a fun, upbeat action game, though it could have been a little longer.

In Super Crush KO, players control a girl named Karen. Being a brawler, Karen can punch her opponents into oblivion. However, the game is also part run 'n gun. Karen has access to a blaster which, if overused, does get overheated. Karen also has a dodge ability, which is useful for enemy attacks and going through lasers. Although not accessible at first, she quickly gains access to special movies, like the Ground Shake and Uppercut Slice. Finally, once her meter fills up, Karen can unleash a deadly super beam. The levels are completely 2D, so there's no going up and down in a field like in River City Girls.

The story begins with Karen chilling in her room. Out of nowhere, her wall is destroyed by an alien commanding a horde of robots. The alien takes a liking to Karen's cat, and kidnaps it! It's up to Karen to punch and blast her way through enemies to get her cat back and save the world.

Fast-Paced, Frenetic Fun

Those new to the brawler genre will want to check out Super Crush KO. The game quickly explains the controls to the player in the tutorial, and then begins to add in the special moves. The levels get a bit more challenging later on, but never become overly difficult for newcomers to the genre. Still, there is plenty of frenetic action. Some of the best moments are when Karen is surrounded by numerous enemies on the screen. It then becomes a combination of button-mashing and on-the-go strategy as players mix punching, special moves, and shooting to survive the segment. There are also environmental hazards. In the later levels, players will have to watch for grinders and lasers while beating up enemies.

Those who are veterans of the genre will definitely find this game to be on the easier side. Maybe a few lives will be lost, but it's possible that the game over screen will never come. It would have been nice to feature a hard mode, but veterans can still find a lot to like. Even though the game is fast-paced, it has a relaxing atmosphere to it due to the visuals, upbeat music, and simple, but fun little story.

There are four enjoyable boss battles. Like with the smaller enemies, players must utilize the dodge function effectively and be on the move when necessary. It's a shame there weren't more bosses.

A Great Game For The Leaderboards

Super Crush KO utilizes leaderboards. It's about who can get through the levels quickest while getting S ranks and not taking any damage. Everything adds together for a score and rank. Of course, using continues will hurt the score. The game can be easy, but this is where the challenge comes in. Not taking any damage in a single level is difficult, and keeping up the combos for an S rank requires quick strategy. With how simple it is to pick up and play, Super Crush KO is an inviting game for those wanting to try their hand on the leaderboard.

The Punching Comes To A Close Too Soon

One doesn't expect a 2D brawler title to be that long, but even by those standards, Super Crush KO is short. There are 20 levels in all, including boss battles, and they can go by pretty quickly on a Saturday afternoon. There should have been at least one more world with a massive boss battle. Of course, a danger with brawlers is becoming too repetitive after a while. To remedy this potential issue, Super Crush KO could have featured more platforming mechanics. There are enough unique environmental hazards to make some creative platforming challenges. It's a shame the game didn't include more of these elements.

One more thing to note is that while the music does have a relaxing, upbeat charm, it doesn't reach its full potential. Maybe not hard rock, but for a colorful brawler, the soundtrack could have revved up more in the levels to fully enhance the already fast-paced experience. Also, while the visuals are absolutely lovely, there are not many diverse backgrounds.

Even Those Who Don't Like Brawlers Should Enjoy This

Super Crush KO is a fun brawler, plain and simple. It combines punching gameplay with frenetic shooting. The game flow is excellent and leads to fast-paced strategizing. Although never becoming too difficult, one will have to be careful with some of the tougher enemies. Also, trying to rank high on the leaderboards will appeal to veterans in the genre, so the challenge comes from that. Levels and boss battles, overall, are a joy to play through. Unfortunately, the core experience is a rather short one.

A Nintendo Switch copy of Super Crush KO was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Super Crush KO is now available on Nintendo Switch and PC.