Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion XL

One of the greatest things to have ever graced the mind of a game developer during the 90’s was to have a party game that mashed together tons of characters from different universes. It has been done several times throughout the last few decades with varying degrees of success. Of course, there are the highly revered Super Smash Bros. and Marvel Vs. Capcom series’, which pits classic video game characters and comic/game characters against each other, respectively. And then, there’s Cartoon Network’s Punch Time Explosion. Though it has the same premise and follows many of the same principles that these two other series of games do, there are, simply put, several things about it that are off-putting. Its hard to say that the game is outright bad, but it is even harder to say that it is decent, which is hard to stomach given it has some of the most lovable and hate-able characters to face off with.

Rough Around the Edges

Unsurprisingly, there’s virtually no story or plot to this game. For this genre, that generally isn’t a problem because, lets face it, who actually cares how all the characters mesh together as long as the gameplay is good. There are a couple of things wrong with this line of thinking. First, for me, other similar games take this concept and really run with it – the developers know what you’re there for and don’t try to create a platforming game out of a what should be a free-for-all fighting style party. The problem here is that this is exactly what Punch Time Explosion did. Its fronted as this fighting game stacked with classic characters like the Powerpuff Girls, Ben 10, and the Kids Next Door, but it hardly utilizes their unique features as part of the gameplay. Single player mode is comprised of a dull, 2-D side scrolling platformer which does not pair well with the core idea of the game.

Completing these levels is how you unlock characters, and it’s the unlocking part that truly gets in the way of what should be a fun experience. Second, the lacking movesets essentially eliminate the variety of the game. It doesn’t make much of a difference whether you play as Dexter or Captain Stickybeard, the single player gameplay is exactly the same. To make matters worse, the level designs and backgrounds are still a bit boring despite being pulled from a number of cartoons. Hard not to see as a letdown with the potential that’s there.

Closer to a Pop than an Explosion

Second, the lacking movesets essentially eliminate the variety of the game. It doesn’t make much of a difference whether you play as Dexter or Captain Stickybeard, the single player gameplay is exactly the same. Unfortunately, this also extends to the multiplayer aspect. What should be the defining moment of this game is just another lackluster piece to a barebones project.

Bottom Line

The fighting is hardly acceptable since the controls are floaty and movement is difficult to pin down. Even if you were to play this game for hours it would be nearly impossible to master due to the inconsistencies.

Pros:

• Lots of classic characters
• Design-wise, character-specific moves are cool

Cons:

• Controls terribly optimized
• Levels/Design are uninspired
• Gameplay, single- and multi- player, lack most elements of fun