The Rumble Fish 2

Despite some strange choices around online play and a story that failed to grab my interest, however, I had a great time with The Rumble Fish 2. It’s easy to pick up and play with fast-paced fights that are exactly what I look for in a fighting game. With interesting mechanics and a varied cast of interesting fighters, fans of the genre should absolutely give this throwback a shot.

The Rumble Fish 2 has developed a cult following since its release and it’s no surprise why after finally being able to play it. It can go toe to toe with any of the other fighting games of its era. The multiple gauge system brings another element of strategy to each match, but getting past that feature, The Rumble Fish 2 delivers a polished fight experience that includes the requisite staples of the genre. The roster of fighters features several interesting designs and varied fighting styles. As with any game being available seventeen years after its original release, it may not appeal to everyone, but this is one of the top contenders viewing it through a lens of 2005 gaming.

Blunt, limited, and lacking deeper features, this remains a curiosity rather than essential. But for diehard fight fans this makes Dimps’ brawler all the more endearing. [Issue#22, p.87]

The Rumble Fish 2 isn’t the most groundbreaking port ever, but there’s still a solid fighting game on offer here.

The Rumble Fish 2 is an enjoyable romp through a bit of fighting game history. It’s got some solid character designs whether you want to look cool or silly, some great moves to make each character compelling to play, and a vast set of special abilities that will tweak your character in all manner of situations. While I don’t think it’s going to cause a massive shift in the competitive scene, I think it’s going to make for a lot of fun nights beating the shirts off of your buddies in your home and down at the local tournaments.

The Rumble Fish 2 is an interesting fighting game, featuring unique characters and also distinct mechanics. However, the port for consoles leaves something to be desired, especially in the technical part (there are no graphic filters or options in this regard) and online. At least there are some extra modes (besides Arcade) that should increase its lifespan.

The core arcade fighting, with its persistent clothing damage and blend of vivid 2D and 3D visuals, makes it a compelling curio for fighting game faithfuls. But the package as a whole falls short of expectations, and will either need major updates or a chunky price drop moving forwards.

For fighting game fans, The Rumble Fish 2 is worth a try at its budget price. It has a varied roster of characters, multiple single player modes including arcade, time track and survival, and online multiplayer with rollback. It’s an interesting but dated curio that’s not going to take the gaming world by storm, but some will appreciate it nonetheless.