KUNGFU KICKBALL REVIEW: WITH BELLS AND WHISTLES ON (PC)
KungFu kickball is an fighting sport that WhaleFood Games recently developed and which I was very pleased with. Another strong entry in the niche Rocket League lounges. KFK may seem ambitious, but it is far more than that. Fighting games and sports games are two completely different things. KFK does a great job of combining the two. Although it’s easy enough for anyone to do, there is a bit of nuance that encourages tactical thinking. It’s also really fun!
GAMEPLAY – EVERYBODY WAS KUNGFU FIGHTING!
KungFu kickball‘s goal is to use your martial art to hit the ball into the bell of your opponent, earning a point. The winner is the player who has scored the most points within the time limit. KFK acts a little like a 2-D fighting video game with a jump, hit, and teleport button. The regular hit is a punch. However, hitting while moving the joystick in specific directions will alter the attack. If you push the joystick left or right, you can deliver a powerful kick that knocks down the ball and knocks your opponent to the ground.
Here is where tactical thinking comes in. Many maps have angular floors that create physical barriers between you, the bell, and the ground. Although a strong kick can move the ball farther across the field, it may end up moving it closer to your side if it hits it at an angle. This is where the teleport button, I mentioned earlier, comes in handy. After blinking a few feet, you can move the button again by touching the ground.
It’s a lot of fun once you get the rhythm of it. Predicting the bounce of the ball at that angle and then jumping into the air to kick it clear. Teleporting backwards just enough to knock the ball away from the opposing player. One time, I almost won a match by juggling and kicking the ball up repeatedly until it ran out. This is a combat sport. With a well-placed move you can knock down your opponent. This gives you time to position yourself properly.
I can’t see anything wrong with KFK moment-to-moment gameplay. Without sacrificing either side, it combines the competitive energy of sports games with the subtle nuances of fighters. It’s easy, it’s entertaining, and it all works together. There is one problem: nothing is really interesting or particularly exciting. KungFu kickball is a great game. But, there’s nothing that makes it stand out.
Online matches can be played either 1v1 or 2v2.
ARCADE MODE- A RINGING ENCOURAGEMENT
I am not a big fan of multiplayer games. It’s difficult to find matches online because I don’t like playing games simultaneously as other people. KungFu kickball offers an arcade mode that allows you to play even if no one is online. This is where I spent the majority of my time and it was a lot of fun. This also shows off the game’s arenas, and unlocks the three hidden characters for each difficulty. This is also where I encountered the most problems.
Arcade mode allows you to play through multiple matches. There are five for apprentice, six as teacher, and seven for master. It would be nice if they could randomly assign the stages. Because you only have to go through each stage once, I assume they didn’t. But that’s what’s the problem. Replayability provides the vitality for offline multiplayer content. It is also quite easy to complete the apprentice difficulty. It’s a great challenge that is just frustrating enough to want to win it. Master on the other side feels like doing dentistry under the sun. It was difficult, risky for my health, and ultimately, unnecessary.
