The Punisher (Genesis) review on HonestGamers

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Review by R. W.
August 07, 2005

We join our hero in the midst of a heated confrontation, fist cocked as he lifts a recently captured perp in the air with one hand.

"Tell me where your boss is!"

"Please, don't kill me. He's at Castle Pantaberde, Florida."

"Thanks and good-bye!"

And with those parting words to the squealing henchman, Frank Castle proceeds to... throw him off a parked city bus and onto the sidewalk.

I'm sure the concrete landing was hard. And I'm sure Scully ended up with some pretty nasty brushburns and two skinned knees. He'll definitely be licking these wounds for a while.

But it's just not the same.

In the arcade tour de force, our cold-hearted vigilante was out to avenge his family -- this was personal. To spare the life of a scum like this went against every instinct he had. It may seem petty, but the Genesis port of The Punisher never strikes quite the same tone. These modest bits on censorship isolate us from the thick-skinned, disturbed mindset that defines the Frank Castle character and served to make the original so memorable.

It's a shame because everything else about this beat 'em up stays faithful to the source material. Granted, the graphics no longer sport the bold, comic book style and stage backgrounds aren't nearly as destructable, but the rough-and-tumble segments still retain their grit. The docks are still moody and atmospheric as street toughs attempt to keep you from reaching Bonebreaker and halting a drug deal. Toadies toting pistols and semi-automatics still emerge from black mob cars that screech onto the screen before your hero.

It's just that you can no longer punch these vehicles and reduce them to burnt, smoking ruin, the unfortunate driver's charred skeleton still clutching the steering wheel.

These superficial differences only tell half the story as the pacing of this adventure is different as well, noticably more stagnant, but not necessarily worse. The Punisher can no longer dart about the screen like he once did, but he's no longer attacked by gangs of five and six men at a time either. In places where you once confronted ten punks you'll still have to face all ten, but rather than two groups of five assailing you, they come in rounds of two, three, three and two. The hectic, restless nature of the arcade game has become a more methodical brand of fighting, as waves of fighters are now more defined.

It takes some growing used to, and at times we just spend too much time battling against the same backdrop, but it also has its moments. In the arcade, three knife-wielders attacking from behind was greeted with a half-hearted yawn -- they posed virtually no threat at all. Here, as they surprised me from behind as I trudged through the forest low on health, it was a genuine "oh shit" moment. I was on my very last continue, and my life was at stake!

Some of the bosses have been toned down too, now boasting significantly smaller health bars than you'll remember; level two's Guardroid stands as a prime example, a once dominating foe that just doesn't pack the same punch he used to. As an interesting counterbalance, weapons aren't half as effective because they now have half the longevity; the baseball bat that would splinter and shatter after six strikes on the opposition's skulls now disintegrates in a mere three.

The Punisher has the same two characters (Nick Fury again stars as player two), the same six levels, and on the surface, the same blend of fisticuffs and gunplay that made the original a smashing success. But it's not the same. This isn't the tale of disgruntled ex-Marine Frank Castle avenging his family's deaths; this is an everyday superhero, not a bloodlusting everyman. What we have in the end is certainly a quality beat 'em up, and perhaps even an impressive technological feat to bring this title to the Genesis. It's a solid brawler from beginning to end.

But if you're guilty of thinking this truly captures the ruthlessness of original, you're dead... wrong.

Rating
7	Very Good This game does enough things right that for the most part, you'll likely enjoy yourself while playing it. Recommended.
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Game Profile & Content

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Staff Score (Avg): N/A User Score (Avg): 7.0 Press Score (Avg): N/A
Reviews: 1 Guides: 1 Cheats: 0 Ratings: 0	High Scores: 0 Screenshots: 9 Videos: 0

Title: The Punisher
Genre: Fighting Action (Brawler)
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 1995
Platforms: XBX, PS2, NES, PC, Arcade, GEN

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