Game Review #197: Pato Box (Nintendo Switch)

Updated: Oct 8, 2019

Reviewer: Chad M.

Developer: Bromio

Publisher: Bromio

Category: Fighting, Action, Arcade, Adventure

Release Date: 7.9.2018

Price (at time of review): $14.99 (digital) | $29.99 (physical, regular) | $39.99 (physical, limited)

Buy Pato Box (digitally) from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.

Buy Pato Box (physically) exclusively from Playasia here (regular) or here (limited).

Mama Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Ole Days

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (1987) is one of my all-time favorite NES games, and I highly enjoyed Super Punch-Out!! (1994) on the SNES, but, for some reason, Nintendo seems to not show a lot of interest in creating more content and building on to the beloved series. With every console generation I cross my fingers and pray this is the year I see Little Mac make his return to the squared circle to left the fists fly; but with the Switch bringing in its own new property with the game Arms, and it being a boxing-based game, I was sure that I wouldn’t be seeing any more Punch-Out!! any time soon. In comes Bromio, a small indie developer group from Puebla, México.

Bromio had an idea for a Punch-Out!!-inspired game with a crazy twist, and took to crowdfunding to get the funds to be able to focus on finishing their game. They launched it on Kickstarter with a goal of MX$200,000 (Mexican pesos), and with the help of 369 backers, they passed their goal, hitting MX$210,700. Let’s jump in and see if this hits the mark left by my beloved Punch-Out!! series.

Vengeance Can Be Quacked Up!

So, the story is pretty wacky, and definitely not what I would expect if someone told me it was a spiritual successor to Punch-Out!!. You play as Patobox, a legendary boxing champion with the body of a man, but the head of a duck. Yeah, you read that right, I said a duck’s head—that’s just the start of this crazy tale! A corrupt corporation named Deathflock, who was the main sponsor of Patobox, has now betrayed him and left him for dead. Once Patobox pulls himself together, he heads to the building where Deathflock runs its shady business and goes on a rampage, seeking vengeance from the ones who betrayed him, and looking to find out why.

The soundtrack is by Abuguet Studio, and they have made a fun and immersive sound that fits the game well. The sounds effects are also done very well, as when you slam your fist into a bad guys face, the sound accompanying it really makes you feel it. The visual look of the game is also very striking, with a black and white film noir look. It goes perfectly with the story being that of betrayal and revenge, plus it allows the character design to really show, as they’re one of my favorite parts and are all so different from one another. The level designs are also very striking with the color palette, but can sometimes make things kind of meld together when there is a lot going on on-screen.

Punches Coming So You Better DUCK!

The controls are straight from Punch-Out!!, and with the funny and sometimes outlandish match ups, I’d even say it is more like Super Punch-Out!!. You can dodge left and right, with pushing down being more of a block, and you can punch to the stomach and punch to the face. So, being a fan of the titles mentioned before, this felt like slipping on an old pair of jeans that are just so comfortable.

When beginning your playthrough, your two options are story mode or arcade mode. Story mode is where you go through levels in the building one by one, working your way through the henchmen to get to the big boss. In each level you find tips to defeating each of the henchmen, as well as uncover more about Patobox’s origin, and more twists along the way. Also, in this mode, the game becomes more of an adventure game, with small puzzles and mini games scattered throughout the levels, like avoiding poisonous gasses in sewers, or dodging chainsaws in a meat factory, to name a couple.

Each time you get though the level, you fight the level’s henchmen, and each one is a boss fight, with the boss fight being three waves. This is where it goes to its fighting roots from which it is inspired, and where it really shines. You fight the boss, and each time you get through a wave and knock them down, they come back stronger and faster with more to throw at you, and this is where you have to work hard to learn the patterns and stay on your toes. The tips picked up throughout the levels really helped, as I wouldn’t have had a clue how to hurt certain bosses without them. They’re not easy, but playing it over and over and then finally getting the victory and being able to move on is very rewarding.

The second option is the arcade mode, and this is here for the players who care nothing at all for learning about Patobox and the whole story of Deathflock. Arcade mode starts you off with only one fighter to face, and then you unlock more to fight as you keep winning. For some, this is going to be their choice, as they are maybe looking only for the Punch-Out!! fights without any filler. Me personally, I enjoyed the story mode quite a bit, and I was very skeptical that I’d enjoy it, so I’d recommend everyone giving it a go, rather than just jumping into arcade mode.

It’s A Wrap!!

In all, Pato Box is a hell of a lot of fun, and the Punch-Out!! game we deserve. I hope Nintendo takes notice, as Bromio has done an excellent job taking an old concept and spinning it with new fighting mechanics in the boss battles, adding some flair with a fun campaign, and then putting a duck’s head on the whole thing. I recommend purchasing Pato Box. It is actually getting a limited physical run at the moment—I just purchased mine—but, either way, you should add it to the collection, as this is one you’ll have a lot of fun with even after you’ve beaten it, as the fights can be enjoyed for years to come.