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Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble

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Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
70
N/A User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 19 critic reviews
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Based on 0 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Atlus USA

Developer: Spike

Genre(s): Beat-'Em-Up, Action

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 10, 2009

Summary

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble puts players in the role of a high school student on a class trip to a historic Japanese city, and includes no shortage of fist-to-face and knee-to-gut action all in the name of pride and bragging rights. You've got seven days to make a name for yourself. How you choose to spend your time and how you manage to rise to the top is up to you! [Atlus USA]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

84

Worth Playing

While Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble for the PSP really could have used a few camera controls, its mix of RPG and brawler elements is difficult to fault, even if its release timing may be second only to releasing on Boxing Day. Nonetheless, the game definitely qualifies as nicely shibui and is worth picking up.

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80

My Gamer

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is the brawler that most old school gamers have been hoping will come out. Sadly at the current price point most of them aren’t going to even make an attempt to pick it up.

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80

Play Magazine

A game very much in the spirit of the Japanese youth it portrays: sometimes unpredictable, often rough around the edges, yet never lacking in entertainment or charm.

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80

GamePro

Pleasantly surprised at not only the game's tongue-in-cheek presentation, but it's fun and oftentimes wacky on-screen antics.

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79

ZTGameDomain

Overall, Kenka Bancho is a very good but imperfect game. It overflows with urban Japanese charm that rarely ever gets seen in the West. Kenka Bancho is also incredibly funny and has a very good localization from the folks at Atlus.

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75

GamerNode

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is a fun, bizarre and hilarious throwback to a time when games where about saving girlfriends and kicking ass, and is only marred by slow combat and weak sound effects.

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75

Destructoid

If you're looking for innovation or depth, you'll have to look elsewhere. This is a game that does not take itself seriously. Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is all about mindless fun, and we think that's pretty badass.

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75

GameCritics

All told, Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is a solid, attractive addition to the PSP library for fans of beat-'em-ups.

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75

Gamervision

If nothing else, Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble is a quirky, unique experience that is certainly entertaining in small doses. I wish there had been more direction, and despite the new game plus, I’m not sure if a second playthrough is a compelling enough reason to buy it.

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75

GameZone

Kenka Bancho is another fine example of a quirky title that finally makes the trek stateside. While the gameplay has some issues, fans of original titles with odd themes should check this one out.

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74

Digital Chumps

Kenka Bancho is a weird, good game for a few hours, but as it stretches on it’s undone by its flaws. It's a respectable game, and, by all means, it should be experienced in some capacity, but unfortunately little of it is memorable outside of the wild premise.

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70

Gamer 2.0

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble offers a pretty good ride, but it doesn’t really hold up that well when you factor in that it’ll cost you $40 for what you get.

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70

GameSpot

It's not the best brawler around, but this memorable adventure has style to spare.

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68

IGN

Because Badass Rumble is so quirky, has enjoyable high school sim elements and plenty of replay value, I think a good number of gamers will still enjoy it. I only wish that the fundamental combat felt as refined as some of its modern day brawling counterparts.

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67

1UP

But even though the action can turn into a not-so satisfying grind (which really does kind of hurt the game's staying power), it's hard to ignore Kenka Bancho's charm. The presentation, including the rarely-serious dialogue throughout, and the complete pisstake on the rougher side of Japanese youth culture, is too good not to miss. When you let loose with that first menchi beam, you'll be hooked.

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67

GamingExcellence

In the end, Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble, is more than just a sum of its parts, but not much more.

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60

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

Sluggish combat drains a bit of the excitement from the game, so fast-paced action junkies may look elsewhere, but the hilarious and irrelevant dialogue, paired with solid visuals and a unique replayable game structure, make the quirky Kenka Bancho a worthwhile experience for PSP owners seeking something truly original. [Jan 2010, p.87]

56

Cheat Code Central

Unfortunately, though, the majority of Kenka Bancho's experience hinges on a combat system that feels incredibly sluggish, clunky, and outdated.

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50

Gaming Age

Even something that's a little comparable, like God Hand, has a more interesting combat system involved than Kenka's basic attacks and options, regardless of whether the game was actually lacking any polish or not. Kenka nails the theme, setting, and humor that I expected, but actually fails at being particularly fun to play.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 0.0 (out of 10) based on 0 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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