Tokyo Beat Down

From its hilariously campy dialogue to the fantastic seventies vibe, Tokyo Beat Down is worth checking out for on-the-go rumblers, and with it's almost non-existent learning curve it's absolutely perfect for first time brawlers as well. [Apr 2009, p.77]

I wanted to love Tokyo Beat Down, but in the end there wasn't enough there to win me over. The game is certainly packed with charm and style, but holes in the control and some balance issues hold it back.

When I got Tokyo Beat Down, I was really hoping for a great beat-'em-up experience translated into the third dimension, similar to how adventure games and one-on-one fighting games have transitioned into 3D. Unfortunately Tokyo Beat Down falls short of that, and if I want a beat-'em-up I'm better off putting my GBA copy of Final Fight One into my Nintendo DS.

Tokyo Beat Down isn't a great game. It isn't really even that good of a game. But fans of similar games will appreciate what the Beast Cops have to offer, and even gamers lukewarm on brawlers will find some merit in Tokyo Beat Down alongside its painfully unfair and tedious moments.

Tokyo Beat Down could have been a cheesy beat-‘em-up that is still enjoyable, but clunky controls and gameplay keep it from reaching its potential.

It’s hard to tell whether Tokyo Beat Down is a nostalgic parody of a classic genre, or a hack-job beat-‘em-up with a satirical sheen of machismo to hide the blemishes. Either way, it doesn’t matter when the sloppy fighting mechanics and flavorless style would have been hard-pressed to glean a second quarter back in the arcade heydays.

Here is a little math to help recap the review: decent graphics - bad controls - bad story line - bad music = a crappy game. Even if you are a fan of this type of game; I would recommend looking elsewhere for your next title.