Thunder Ray

Thunder Ray is an electrifying tribute to classic arcade boxing that will have you bobbing and weaving across the galaxy. Drawing heavy inspiration from retro greats, Thunder Ray modernizes the formula with hand-drawn visuals, new mechanics, and a wildly diverse roster of intergalactic foes. Strap on your space gloves and step into the ring to prove you’ve got what it takes to become the greatest boxer in the universe.

The core premise of Thunder Ray will be familiar to fans of the genre - work your way up the ranks by taking down eccentric opponents with patterns to learn and weaknesses to exploit. It respects its roots while also adding some new ideas into the mix. The hand-drawn art style is gorgeous, bringing fluid animations and tons of charm. Duels feel intense and impactful thanks to great sound design, screen shakes, and visual effects as you trade blows. Little touches like opponents taunting you mid-match or special intros when facing rivals also help immerse you in the offbeat world.

Master The Fundamentals And Beyond

Veterans will quickly find their footing with Thunder Ray’s responsive controls and emphasis on fundamentals like dodging, blocking, and finding openings to strike. Rookies may need some time to learn the ropes, but accessible difficulty options ensure anyone can get in on the fun. There are also some additional systems that add more strategy and customization to the classic formula.

A stamina meter needs to be managed carefully, as burning through it with reckless offense will leave you winded. Levelling up between matches lets you customize your fighter with new skills and bonuses. It’s easy to grasp yet has room for mastery, resulting in tense, tactical boxing duels.

Built For The Long Haul

Thunder Ray’s wealth of content will keep you busy for hours on end. There are over 30 unique opponents to topple, with branching paths adding replayability. You’ll need to conquer each multiple times to progress, learning their evolving tactics. Higher difficulties provide stiffer challenges for veterans, especially the terrifying “Champion’s Route”. There are also side activities like mini-games to provide a breather between bouts. Completionists can pour dozens of hours into Thunder Ray and still have more skills to hone.

While the boxing is fantastic, the kooky cast of aliens is arguably Thunder Ray’s biggest draw. From a giant grotesque blob creature to a flashy movie star droid, there’s astonishing variety in both their designs and fighting styles. Every opponent feels distinct, demanding you rethink your strategies. Their over-the-top personalities and taunts add plenty of humor between punches as well. I found myself eager to progress not just for greater challenges, but to see what absurd fighter I would encounter next. The roster is chock-full of memorable, interesting characters - getting to know them is just as essential as besting them.

Review: 9/10

For fans of classic arcade boxing, Thunder Ray is a nimble fighter you’ll want in your corner. It masterfully captures the intense action, charm, and challenge of retro greats while also packing in spectacular hand-drawn visuals, deeper mechanics, and a ton of content. Each bout is a wildly entertaining test of reflexes and pattern recognition against the game’s diverse and unforgettable rogues gallery of boxers.

Pros:

• Gorgeous hand-drawn visual style
• Massive and varied roster
• Retro gameplay with modern tweaks
• Humorous opponent personalities
• Packed with content and replayability

Cons:

• Very challenging even on lower difficulties
• Story is limited
• Occasional difficulty spikes