Divekick: the best (and only) two-button fighter for PS3 and Vita

Divekick may be our Game of the Show. One True Game Studios' two-button fighter may have initially started as a parody of the fighting genre, but it has so much charm and nail-biting depth, that it's actually a remarkable fighting game of its own.

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Divekick may be our Game of the Show. One True Game Studios' two-button fighter may have initially started as a parody of the fighting genre, but it has so much charm and nail-biting depth, that it's actually a remarkable fighting game of its own.

And when we said it was a two-button fighter, we weren't kidding. There are literally just two buttons: dive and kick. With rounds ending after just one successful divekick, the game becomes a high-tension battle of wits and patience.

Perhaps no one is better equipped to make a fighting game parody than Shoryuken.com's editor-in-chief. As he explains on the PlayStation.Blog, "the game is purely about outsmarting someone and enforcing your will upon them. This skill is core to the fighting genre, but because we've peeled away the execution and memorization barriers that bog down other fighting titles, a huge number of players in the office have become very skilled and very threatening."

The notion of a two-button fighter is undeniably ridiculous. Even the custom fightstick made for the game is absurd, with one giant "dive" and another giant "kick" button. (There are no other buttons--you move forward and backwards by either diving or kicking.) Yet, once you get past the novelty factor, you'll realize that there is a surprising amount of depth. If you land a headshot, for example, you'll stun your opponent for the next round. You can also build up a meter by using kicks and unleash special attacks, and customize your fighter with special gems.

Being funded by Sony's Pub Fund, Divekick will initially be a PlayStation Network-exclusive, arriving on both Vita and PS3. I'm a big fan of the Vita version myself, as it features same-system multiplayer. Player one holds the left half of the system and uses the D-Pad, while player two holds the right half and uses the face buttons. It works perfectly, thanks to Divekick's two-button gameplay.

Divekick is coming to PlayStation Network this summer. And while our enthusiasm for this game may sound like a joke, it is not. This is an absolute blast of a game, one that simply needs to be played. If you want more, Giant Bomb has an incredibly detailed Wiki on the game.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 25, 2013 10:00 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Divekick: the best (and only) two-button fighter for PS3 and Vita.

    Divekick may be our Game of the Show. One True Game Studios' two-button fighter may have initially started as a parody of the fighting genre, but it has so much charm and nail-biting depth, that it's actually a remarkable fighting game of its own.

    • reply
      March 25, 2013 10:05 PM

      I didn't realise that there weren't any movement buttons, even. Hilarious!

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