Divekick

It is unfortunate that there’s not a better single-player mode, and more unfortunate that Divekick’s cultural insensitivity can be downright cringe-worthy, but it’s still a successful experiment in simplified fighting.

Divekick's single-player game is lacking, but this two-button brawler turns into feet-flying fun with friends.

In the right environment and with the right people, Divekick offers some fun. But the lack of online lobbies drastically limits those opportunities. Like most novelties, the fun of Divekick is short-lived.

Divekick is a clever proof of concept for a fighting game reduction, and while that concept never quite turns into a fighting game great, it remains a precise and fast-paced alternative in a genre where it can often take hours just to get a grip on a single character. It takes all but ten seconds to grasp the basics of Divekick, but unless you really get into the online, it struggles to maintain a long-lasting infatuation.

Unfortunately, even a stable framerate can’t save it from faulty mechanics, kicks that cross players without landing, some iffy visuals and weirdly ’90s animations.

What had the potential to showcase to the uninitiated what makes fighting games so special has become a game aimed too squarely at those who already know.

Though the path to boot-stomping nirvana is fraught with flaws, Divekick succeeds at simplifying high-level concepts into a bite-sized experience that only gets better with time.

An ambitious re-imagining of the fighting genre, Divekick's innovative simplicity is also its greatest weakness as it lacks the depth required for a modern marketplace. Good for those five minutes waiting in line, but don't expect it to occupy a six-hour bus ride.

Two-button controls just aren’t very deep, and while the game is enjoyable in short bursts, I doubt if most players will care to play extensively.