Pato Box
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Critic Reviews for Pato Box
Pato Box is one of the most unique titles I've played in some time. It has its share of problems, with an unorthodox style that might not be to everyone's taste, but feels destined to acquire a cult following. Though quite flawed, it still has the ability to get the heart pounding, and sounds damn good while doing so. Pato Box fails to score a knockout, but it's an exciting bout, and I'm certainly up for a rematch.
Pato Box takes the Punch-Out!! fighting style and gives it a Madworld aesthetic, resulting in an unexpectedly wonderful combination. The 3D sections aren't the most exciting, but the boss fights more than make up for that. Pato Box offers an intense challenge that will put your gaming skills to the test, but also potentially frustrate you at the same time.
Pato Box attempts to do something different with the Punch-Out!! formula, and succeeds in weaving a story through the boxing matches and light puzzle solving. With a unique visual style and silly tone, this entertaining oddity certainly stands out from the crowd. However, some fights can feel a touch unfair, especially with poor checkpointing, and with very limited content, this probably won't last you too long.
If you're looking for a different indie right now in the PC market, Pato Box is not only a game about a boxer with a duck head, but a really enjoyable and unique title, despite the feeling of being too simple.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While its adventure mode-style exploration could do with a little more meat on its bones, we all know why we're here - the Punch-Out!!-style bosses. The exploration sections fail to do the eye-catching visual style (and the story) much justice, but those brilliant big bads more than make up for it. Sprinkle in an '80s-style synth soundtrack that wouldn't feel out of place in Hotline Miami and you've got a rough-yet-ready new contender on the Switch eShop.
Pato Box combines the classic Punch-Out!! fighting mechanic with a noir story, a black and white comic world, and a great soundtrack with a beady-eyed, anthropomorphic boxing duck. The game has a few flaws but accomplishes exactly what it intends to in taking a classic video game genre to new heights and would be enjoyed by anyone who enjoys Punch-Out!!, a new indie game, or cartoonish anthropomorphic ducks in general.
Pato Box is far from being a perfect experience and it is clear that it lacks polish in some areas. Fortunately, Bromio did a lot of things right so Pato Box stands as a fun and enjoyable twist to the Punch-Out!! formula.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, Pato Box is a solid effort from Mexican indie Bromio, and a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch library. It pays homage to the Punch-Out!! series while doing its own thing with a very interesting art style that reminded me of MadWorld on Nintendo Wii, which is definitely a good thing since that's a great looking game on Nintendo's “two generations ago” console! Your mileage with Pato Box might vary depending on how on board you are with having to finish a level before being able to take on a boss fight, but if you give this one a chance hopefully you're going to appreciate what Bromio has done on Nintendo's hybrid console.
