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    • Punk Justice review

    Written By: Torbjorn Kamblad
    May 12, 2009

    Two attack buttons, two dodge buttons, a gang member and a heap load of fun! That is a  good way to describe Punk Justice. You are Jed, a punk proud of his mohawk, and you have to defend your turf.
    img_0129
    The game is basically a modern take on the classic Nes Punch Out. You have a third person view behind Jed. Your opponent is right in front of you, and the basic brawl begins. You have a left and a right attack as well as a left and a right dodge button. Depending on the sequences of button presses you do different combinations. Do not mistake Punk Justice for a button masher. This game requires planning as your stamina is very low, and this forces you to rest and dodge. A good combination of punches followed by some smooth dodging makes you a winner.

    There are quick matches and a campaign mode. The campaign is truly hard because a lost match often means that you also have to redo a previously won match. I have yet to complete the campaign, this game requires a lot of skill and time to beat.
    img_0131
    There are four different types of brawls as well: normal brawling, timed where you have limited time to win, endurance where you have to dodge for a time before you can attack, and a combination of timed and endurance. The different types give very different fights, and adds variation to the game.

    If you are looking for the best fighting game on the iPhone this is it. Forget button mashing, this takes skill and strategy. There is even a strategy guide by the developer here.

    Presentation & Graphics

    3-stars_sm

    img_0130Not the best looks around but the cartoon style brims with character. Would love some character customization as Jed’s mohawk gets old quickly. The characters have limited animations, and feels a bit stale at times.

    Sound

    3-stars_sm

    Simple sound effects when fighting, and quite generic video game music. The main menu music is a bit heavier, which I like. You can also play your own music while playing.

    img_0132

    Gameplay

    4-stars_sm

    Fun game combining strategy with split second timing. The four buttons feel responsive, and I can’t fault them when I get beat up. I like the different types of brawls as they make for really different fights.

    Gamelife

    4-stars_sm

    It will take time to master this game and at $0.99 you get a lot of playtime for a buck. No unlockables or achievements though.

    Game Rating

    4-stars

    The fun it delivers clearly outweigh the graphical limitations, and Punk Justice is a really good fighter for a buck.
    Punk Justice $0.99

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    • http://wastedyuthe.wordpress.com/ Wastedyuthe

      Hi Torbjorn. Thank you for the review, and the constructive criticism.
      You mention you can play your own music during the game- was that with sound effects? I don’t think that was possible with version 1.0.

      For your information, and anyone reading, version 1.1 was submitted yesterday, which makes a few changes as listed below:

      - Your own Library music can now be played during the game (alongside sound effects)
      - New in-game titles tell you to start fighting or dodging depending on fight type
      - New backgrounds added
      - Each park has their own set of backgrounds
      - Jed’s sprites given a clean-up
      - Strength at 100% after a lost fight (KO) in Campaign mode instead of 40%, to make it more forgiving
      - Made second jab in 3-hit combo easier to perform
      - Audio issue fixed when continuing a game from sleep mode
      - Pause button enlarged

      So the game will now be more forgiving when you get knocked out in a fight, and is also easier to understand the rules of certain fight types, thanks to the new titles.

      Again, thank you for the review :)

    • Torbjorn Kamblad, Sweden

      I managed to play my own music alongside the sound effects and the game music, made for a strange experience. Had to try it again just now to see if it wasn’t a strange fluke and yeah I can repeat the same thing.

    • Rock $ Rolla

      Nice

    • http://wastedyuthe.wordpress.com/ Wastedyuthe

      Strange- I never could on my 2G touch- it kept turning the music off when I close the music library alert window and return to the game. Tried playing the music before loading the game with the same results. At least it will definitely work for everyone for certain with 1.1 with the new code added.

    • legend.inc

      Hm.. interesting. never heard of it though!

    • http://www.truepunk.com urbn

      What only 1 guy with a mohawk?

    • http://punkjustice.wordpress.com/ Wastedyuthe

      Well there is a fella with a hood on- perhaps he has a mohawk too ;) Update is now out, with improvements listed above. Is there a way for the review to be updated Torbjorn? You may not feel so frustrated when having to redo matches, as you will get 100% strength now if you get KO’d.

    • Torbjorn Kamblad, Sweden

      Hey Wasteyuthe! I have tried the updated version, and yes my level of frustration went down right away. I will just update that part of the review, and the final score is still four. A four star review equals great at iPhonegamesnetwork.
      http://www.iphonegamenetwork.com/submit-a-review-to-us

      I really like developers like you who are dedicated to improve upon their products!

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