Penny-Punching Princess Review (Switch)
Penny-Punching Princess features a princess who both batters her enemies and bribes them to do her bidding. Armed with giant fists and her trusty calculator, the Princess has put her kind heart aside to take down the corrupt Dragoloan family who are behind her father’s death.
In a world where cash reigns supreme and even the most unskilled person can find power if they have the money, the Princess sets out to build her own kingdom once her father’s is ruined by debt, thanks to the crooked money-lending Dragoloan family. The narrative might not be that much of a draw, but the unique gameplay mechanics means that Penny-Punching Princess is worth giving a whirl.
The narrative might not be that much of a draw, but the unique gameplay mechanics means that Penny-Punching Princess is worth giving a whirl.
The Princess can hold her own in battle thanks to her hard-hitting punches and, once an enemy is stunned, she’s able to shake them and bribe them over to her side. It’s quickly done with a couple full circles on the right analog stick, but other than that it’s mostly a beat-’em-up where you decimate your foes as you traverse various dungeons.
You do get to whip your mighty calculator out when bribing an enemy or object though, and the concept is so fun that it’s a shame that it doesn’t stand out as a mechanic after a couple of hours. The action is simple and whilst I respect NIS America in bringing over these quirky games that not many publishers would consider, I doubt that Penny-Punching Princess will have much of an audience in the West, even among the most avid of Japanese game fans.
Creating a kingdom and an army of followers sounds fun, but it feels less impactful than the likes of Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. Maybe it’s because the Princess isn’t all that likeable, or that the plot is bare-bones and encourages grinding, but you’ll either love the grind or be like me and grow tired of it. It’s far from bad, but the gameplay mechanics aren’t quite as inspired as their concepts.
You do get to whip your mighty calculator out when bribing an enemy or object though, and the concept is so fun that it’s a shame that it doesn’t stand out as a mechanic after a couple of hours.
Penny-Punching Princess is a colourful game with wonderful sprite work, and it does well in capturing the craziness of the game. Its retro-inspired visuals are a great fit on handheld, and it runs smoothly and crisply. It doesn’t do much to stand out, but it’s easy on the eyes none-the-less. The soundtrack is on a similar line in that its solid, but it’s not memorable and does little to pop.
Penny-Punching Princess is enjoyable, but its novelty exhausts itself quickly and it does little to pull me back past the grind, which I don’t particularly enjoy. The concept is cooler than the execution, and it’s hard to recommend at over £30. You might dig its quirkiness a little bit more though, so if you like the look of it then maybe it’s worth your money.
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