Fast-paced 2D brawler game

In the near-future city, an alien warlord burst through a girl’s bedroom wall. No, this is not a love story. The alien steals the girl’s cat, and the girl then grabs her laser rifle and heads out to get her cat back. This is the setup for Super Crush KO. Developed by Vertex Pop, it features action gameplay but paired with a bright art style that looks like it’s been scrawled into your monitors with pastels. But peel back the pastel presentation, and you’ll see a 2D brawler that is pretty straightforward. Armed with the aforementioned rifle, the girl will need to clear the screen filled with robotic nasties to save her cat. 

Pretty but needs improvement

At a glance, Super Crush KO looks promising. Its design will remind you of Sayonara Wild Hearts. But, as gorgeous as the art is, the motion of the game is not smooth. Your character moves like it’s one of those paper dolls with pins in the joints so you could move the limbs. More, enemies just kind of linger in the screen waiting for you to attack them, so there is no real sense of action. 

In addition, Super Crush KO is also one of those graded 2D action games. While you play, there will be a fat letter, at the top of your screen, judging you. This letter changes depending on your performance. So, while defeating your enemies is manageable, the real challenge is maintaining your successful hits and dodges while there is a judgmental letter to think about.

But that’s not to say that there is nothing to love about Super Crush KO. The cutscenes are good, done in the style of a comic page, and each click reveals a new panel or adds another animation element. But even the prettiest game can be boring if it never grows or changes. And Super Crush KO is nothing but repetitive. Once you’ve unlocked all the moves, you’re doing and seeing the same thing till the credits roll.