Vertex Pop is a developer that first appeared on my radar in 2015 after the release of their debut game, We Are Doomed. The excellent twin-stick shooter used a graphical style reminiscent of paper cutouts to build its unique world, and paired it with the chill soundtrack that helped slow down the often frantic action.
We Are Doomed was followed two years later by Graceful Explosion Machine, a side-scrolling shooter that cemented the papery look and relaxing tunes as something of a house style for the developer, while also breaking out as one of the first big “Nindies” on the Switch.
That house style is once again on full display in Super Crush KO, a classically-styled beat ’em up that’s been drenched in Vertex Pop’s signature pastel palette.
Platforms: PC, Switch (Version Played)
Publisher: Vertex Pop
Developer: Vertex Pop
Genre: Beat ‘Em Up
Release Date: January 16, 2020
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
The first few minutes of Super Crush KO are spent introducing players to its three main characters via a handful of comic panels. There’s Karen, a bored citydweller who just wants to spend the day idly texting friends. Next to her is her beloved kitty, Chubbz, purring softly and living his best cat life. And finally, there’s Ann, a blue-skinned alien and the leader of a massive robot army. Oh, she also meets Karen by blasting a hole in her wall and catnapping Chubbz.
Naturally, Karen springs into action to save her cat… and the rest of the world.
Once it gets its introductions out of the way, Super Crush KO settles into a beat ’em up that should be very familiar to anyone who played Double Dragon in the 80s. Karen can unload a flurry of punches on her robotic adversaries, as well as snipe them from a distance with a pilfered laser pistol, but she can also ping pong wildly across the screen thanks to a series of special moves.
Super Crush KO’s special moves come in four flavors… The Twister Drill is a dashing punch that can hit multiple enemies. The Uppercut Slice is a jumping blow that attacks robots lying in wait above. The Air Pop sends Karen skyward like a heat-seeking missile. And the Ground Shake slaps enemies into the air with a disabling strike.
Like Graceful Explosion Machine, there’s a nice variety of enemies that all require different strategies to dispatch, so employing all of Karen’s attacks to quickly move from enemy to enemy in an acrobatic display of brawling bravado is the only way to survive (and keep your combo bonus intact). For that reason, Super Crush KO’s combat is rarely boring, but it does suffer from a few ailments common to many beat ’em ups.
For starters, once you get a combo going, there’s no way to cancel out of the animation, so you can get stuck attacking in the wrong direction or unable to jump away if an enemy changes tactics. A slightly bigger deal is the repetitive feeling of Karen’s street fight over more than 20 levels, but even that’s not so bad if you play in small bursts (and like all of Vertex Pop’s games, the leaderboard chase is a big part of the game, so you’ll want to replay every level to increase your standing on the big board).
They’re both small quibbles, but when beat ’em up fans have been dealing with them for decades, they stand out.
It’s even easier to ignore these minor quibbles when you step back and admire how unique Super Crush KO feels amongst its genremates. Karen’s world is drawn in pastel pinks and purples and blues, and each background layer is drawn with a different level of shading, which gives the city a nice dreamlike feeling as skyscrapers fade into the clouds (yet another chill soundtrack adds to this vibe). But the cutout shapes used to build the world in Vertex Pop’s previous games are still visible here, though the style has clearly evolved to include more detail.
The comic panels that appear between levels to advance the plot are also a nice touch. Each one is filled with just enough humor to color in the edges of the story, and there’s a great sequel hook buried in the final panel.
If you’re not already a fan of beat ’em ups, Super Crush KO probably isn’t going to do much to change your mind. But if you are a fan of the genre, you’ll definitely want to check out Vertex Pop’s latest. Karen’s quest takes place in a very unique locale thanks to the game’s colorful palette, and the high-flying combat provides enough excitement to encourage multiple playthroughs to climb the leaderboard after the credits roll.
Review Disclosure: A review copy of Super Crush KO was provided by Vertex Pop for the purposes of this review.
