Even compared to other brawlers, which don't exactly exercise your brain noodle to begin with, The Combatribes is as shallow as a half-deflated kiddie pool. But there aren't too many other games out there where you can headbutt groups of creepy killer clowns, and who wouldn't want to do that?

After you choose one of three characters, you (along with a friend, if you're so inclined) head to New York City, which according to the game's intro is the center of evil in the world. And this was before Eli Manning started playing for the Giants. Bad jokes aside, the story's just an excuse to go hog-wild.

The Combatribes is a bit different from most brawlers, actually being closer to Renegade, where the action is confined to small stages and you must defeat gangs of cronies before taking on the local boss. In true beat-em-fashion, they're cheap as hell and will take time and practice to get past, especially since your moveset is a bit limited and there are no weapons to be found. But you have still some unique stuff, like being able to grab guys by their legs and swing them around.

Overall, The Combatribes is definitely fun in the short run, if a bit frustrating. If you enjoy brawlers and have already played through stuff like Final Fight, this one is worth checking out.

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