Pocket Rumble’s arrival on Switch comes at an awkward time. We initially found out about the port last year and it was expected to launch in the first few months of the system. That didn’t happen, obviously, and in its absence, other developers and publishers stepped in to fill the fighting game void. We got ARMS from Nintendo, a slew of old SNK titles, that BlazBlue season pass disguised as a retail game, and two pretty damn good Street Fighter ports.
This game aims to set itself apart from those other fighters by simplifying the genre. Doing away with complex combos, Pocket Rumble thrives on simple-to-learn mechanics and an art style that channels the whisper of an era where Neo Geo thought its Neo Geo Pocket Color could compete with the Game Boy Color. And while it absolutely nails the aesthetic of the celebrated fighting games that landed on that forgotten platform, a lot of work is needed if it wants to keep pace with its fellow Switch fighters.
Source: Destructoid Review: Pocket Rumble