The Rumble Fish 2 Reviews
An Exercise in apathy, neither solid nor liquid. Not exactly bad, but not very good either. Just a bit 'meh,' really.
The Rumble Fish 2 has the promise of online play with rollback netcode – which should make this perfect for going online and getting absolutely smoked by a Japanese kid who has probably forgotten more than you will ever know. Superb.
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.
Rumble Fish 2 is a great game for people like me who enjoy solid fighting games. It won’t stick with most players beyond initial contact though. It feels like it borrows more than it innovates and in a sea of familiar brawlers that is rough. I enjoyed my time, but will likely forget it exists in a month or two. Then one day I will be browsing my game library and think to myself “hey, that was a pretty cool game!”
This is the kind of package we hope for when a relatively unloved, but largely excellent arcade title is ported for a modern system. There's no slacking here, with all the options and modes a fighting game fan could desire, updated visuals for modern displays, and that all-important rollback netcode for online skirmishes. Superior to its already very enjoyable predecessor, it will be great to see the online fighting game community revive The Rumble Fish 2 in a way that never really happened with its original arcade release. Ideally, both the original game and this sequel should be on a single package - and DLC paywalls be damned - but this is a well-executed port of the best entry in this short-lived series.
Fighting game nerds will no doubt be all over this in a heartbeat, but everyone else might wonder what all the fuss is about. Nonetheless, it's nice to have The Rumble Fish 2 out of the arcades and ported to modern consoles, even if it might be one to file away as 'strange forgotten curio' that should have perhaps stayed in the arcade.
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.
Taking all the elements of visuals, variety of characters (with more available via DLC), attacks, environments, replayability, single and multiplayer modes, and overall challenge, Rumble Fish 2 is a good 2D fighter to have ready to go.
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.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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.
The Rumble Fish 2 was a very good fighting game back in 2005, but today we expect much more from such games. And while the gameplay is still fun, the content is bare-boned.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The crisp anime art style works for the backdrops and character designs, but loses something in translation when the characters are in motion. Despite what grievances I have, The Rumble Fish 2 is a foundationally strong fighter which makes it easy for me to overlook the blemishes to enjoy what lies underneath. This won't grab the casual fighter fan, but the devotees should give it a look.
The Rumble Fish 2 is a fun fighter with a slew of interesting mechanics that give you many options to use on defense or offense. Mixing these mechanics with some compelling characters makes for a solid fighter, although not one that will likely stand against the giants of the genre.
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 a very worthwhile experience, both for the rarity of the title itself and for the legacy it carries and its easy-to-understand mechanics. However, those who are used to more current and complex titles may not be very excited about it.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It is difficult to put up with The Rumble Fish 2‘s shortcomings in the presence of so many other great new fighting games and worthwhile bundles of classic ones.
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.
While perhaps not as well-known as its peers, this fighter has technique and variety that will please genre fans