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 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.

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.

The team at Bromio did a great job at giving us a game that pays homage to Punch-Out!! while also standing out on its own.

A great stylized game with a fun and ridiculous plot. You get to be a buff boxing duck who destroys things, what more do you need to know? I definitely recommend this game, especially if you're a fan of the kind of weird.

A great visual style makes Pato Box stand out from the crowd, as does the duck/boxer protagonist. If you're up for a challenge, with a game that requires you to master the rhythm of each boss fight, then Pato Box will be a champion for you.

However, the lack of checkpointing and overly long exploration segments are a one-two punch of frustration. Some floors of Deathflock HQ seem impenetrable and while the boss fights are the star of the show, even they aren't without problems. The concept isn't beyond saving, and it's still possible to have a good time, but too often Pato Box just left me incredibly frustrated.

Pato Box is an excellent boxing game. Challenging battles and great narrative. The stages of platforms to my liking slow down and are superfluous in the game, but they do not tarnish the general set enough that fans of boxing games like Punch-Out do not enjoy it.

Pato Box is a visually stunning game with excellent presentation and music throughout, and it does an excellent job of aping the feel of a Punch-Out!! fight.

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.