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The Nintendo Switch has proven time and time again that it is the perfect system for local multiplayer games. Games such as Overcooked and De Mambo have truly shined with the Switch. But how does Rocket Fist fare?

The goal of Rocket Fist is simple. Just pick up a rocket propelled fist and shoot it at your enemies to destroy them. No matter what mode you are playing, single player adventure mode, or the multiplayer vs mode, the goal remains the same. Rocket Fist is essentially an extreme version of dodgeball. Like dodgeball, there is a finite supply of balls/fists, though unlike dodgeball, you fight in arenas filled with power ups and conveyor belts. The game can become very chaotic very quickly, as fists ricochet off the walls and one another. The premise of Rocket Fist ensures that the game is fast paced and fun.

The aforementioned adventure mode is the solo in the game. In this mode, you go through a plethora of rooms, using the rocket fists to fight enemies. There are five zones, as well as a tutorial. Each zone has multiple floors that you can traverse. You die in one hit, and if you lose all your lives, you will be sent back a floor. For every zone, there is a difficulty setting, and your best time for each setting is recorded. There isn’t much story in the game. A computer loses control over a facility that builds robots. You are then tasked with defeated the other robots in the facility. The adventure mode is very short, though it is enjoyable while it lasts. Of course, the main focus of Rocket Fist is the multiplayer.

In the local multiplayer mode, four robots are placed in an arena and try to destroy each other. There are two game modes: survival and death match. In survival, you have to be the last one to survive by not getting destroyed a set number of times. How many enemies you destroy does not matter. In death match, it is the opposite. The first robot to reach a threshold of kills wins. How many times you get destroyed does not matter. There are many arenas, from your standard “square room with walls”, to intricate stages filled with passages and conveyor belts. Despite this, the arenas still felt very similar, and became stale after a short amount of time. A few more game modes would have been appreciated as well. A capture the flag, or perhaps 2 on 2 mode would fit well in the game. Since there are so few multiplayer modes, it becomes platitudinous quickly. However, it is still fun to play it with others locally. Of course, the lack of variety wouldn’t be as much of an issue if one key feature was implemented: online multiplayer. One of the biggest problems with Rocket Fist is that it is a multiplayer focused game without online multiplayer. According to the developer, online multiplayer was something that was attempted to be added, but they just couldn’t get it to work. The chaotic nature of Rocket Fist made it difficult to implement online multiplayer. Even on the Steam version, online multiplayer is still in it’s beta. While it’s a shame that online multiplayer couldn’t be worked out, it’s understandable. Rocket Fist has a fun multiplayer mode, but you better have friends around to play it with you, or else it won’t be very fun.

Rocket Fist is an interesting game with a fun idea. The adventure mode is nothing to write home about, but it’s fun while it lasts. The multiplayer mode is fun with friends locally, though it won’t last very long without others to play it with. Luckily, the low price point makes a purchase more justifiable. Rocket Fist certainly isn’t a perfect game, but it’s definitely not a bad one either. Whether or not the lack of online breaks the game is different for everyone. I think Rocket Fist is a fun game to play with others, though it won’t last very long.