User Review: Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion
By: Doug
After just ten minutes with Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion, it's clear that the developers over at Papaya Studio had a blast combining two things they enjoy: cartoons and Super Smash Bros. And ya know what? They did a pretty good job.
The Super Smash Bros influences are obvious from the moment a battle begins. Players familiar with Nintendo's brawler will pick up Punch Time Explosion's combat-style quickly. In fact, it's nearly identical. Players are able to double- and triple-jump, block, roll, dodge, grab, use basic attacks, and generate much stronger "smash" attacks. Punch Time Explosion even features the equivalent of assist capsules in the form of black and white CN cubes and super attacks reminiscent of Super Smash Bros Brawl's "Final Smash" attacks (though gaining the ability to use these attacks is not accomplished by chasing and beating up a glowing orb; it's accomplished by collecting small crystals that appear after landing an attack on an opponent... which is a welcome improvement in my book).
The modes of play are also very similar. There is a standard Battle Mode, which is exactly what you'd expect (you can battle friends with download play or online, or you can choose to work on your skills against up to three CPUs), and there's a platforming-based Story Mode, which weaves all of the game's characters together in a simple but effective save-the-world story.
So what about Cartoon Network’s brawler is different? Well, not much, but the most obvious answer is the content. All 18 fighters are from Cartoon Network shows, both old and new. Players can fight as heroes or villains from ten cartoons including Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Codename: Kids Next Door, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and more. There's even a pretty epic throwback unlockable for those of us who appreciate a good mullet. Also, as expected, all the environments are based on the fighters' own cartoon universe, and I gotta say: the stages are impressive. The attention to detail really exposes how much fun the developers' had in reinventing these cartoon worlds.
Not surprisingly, there are a handful of disappointments in this initial attempt. First, the voice-acting is just terrible. Each character is limited to a couple phrases that feel out of place in Story Mode, and in many cases the impressions are just plain off. Another is that the game has a couple of glitchy aspects. For example, during the Story Mode, if a CN cube is used to unleash an assist character immediately before a cut-scene, the assist character remains on the screen during the cut-scene. Also, the fighters need some fine tuning (pretty major in some cases); in addition to being unbalanced, some fighters are simply difficult to use because they have attacks that barely work.
Overall, Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion is a good game. Not great, but good. While there is room for improvement, the game is by no means a failure (as many Smash Bros enthusiasts will surely claim), and if you hadn’t already heard, a console version is currently being developed. Hopefully the development team will be able to improve upon what is a solid framework, add a bit more Cartoon Network fanboy content, and tighten up the loose nuts and bolts that prevented Punch Time Explosion from being the Smash Bros alternative it could have been.
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