Fight Crab Review - Screenshot 1 of 4
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

We are witnessing the birth of a make new genre, friends. Nosotros've had games based on movies, television shows, comics and even literature; here, though, is Fight Crab, the first game ever made based on an blithe GIF. Aye! The pop GIF of a crab menacingly wielding a pocketknife has been adapted into a full-scale Switch title. What'southward next? That sloth in the hammock with pixel-art shades descending onto its face getting a full-calibration RPG? The adjacent Star Wars game covering the adventures of that one Stormtrooper pelvic-thrusting his style through some sort of visual novel? The sky'southward the limit, folks. Only it'south all for zilch if Fight Crab doesn't live up to its source fabric.

The premise screams "meme game" pretty loudly; taking command of a crustacean of your choice from a pick of snippy sealife, yous go into pitched battle with an opposing decapod in an effort to (ordinarily) flip them onto their dorsum. Damage is measured with a Super Smash Bros.-similar percentage guess, and the higher it goes the easier it is to knock over your enemy. You're not just limited to your claws, though; just like in the GIF, y'all can wield (or dual-wield!) knives, but also a selection of other weapons. Nunchaku, tonfa, fifty-fifty a revolver. Our initial sighting of a crab wielding said handgun, we're non ashamed to admit, had us laughing so difficult nosotros had to interruption the game.

Fight Crab Review - Screenshot 2 of 4
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

The controls in Fight Crab are a nightmare, but intentionally so. The D-pad moves your crab, with a double-tap letting them move faster – sometimes with the assist of jet propulsion. The left and right sticks control their respective claws, with ZL and ZR punching (or using the held weapon) and the bumper buttons pinching. In practice, this leads to directionless flailing, with the occasional delightful endorphin-buzz of actually managing to get concur of the enemy crab.

It's fair to say that describing Fight Crab's cadre gameplay every bit "directionless flailing" doesn't exactly constitute a ringing endorsement, merely given the comical nature of it all nosotros're inclined to pigeonhole Fight Crab alongside novelties (for want of a better descriptor) such as Goat Simulator, I Am Bread or Octodad. Accounting for the fact that it'southward inscrutable on purpose inclines us to care for Fight Crab more than charitably. The most surprising thing nearly it? It's actually a lot of fun, despite the seeming lack of depth.

Helpfully, the graphics are remarkable. It runs nicely, at a seemingly locked 30fps – in a game similar this, you could forgive a few Caprine animal Simulator-style performance issues equally they almost become part of the carnage, but Fight Crab feels well-tailored for the Switch. Battles, equally knockabout as they are, have a genuine touch on. It's a real thrill when you manage to get your opponent caught in a claw grip, and the close-up lock-ups experience surprisingly epic. Battles rarely terminal longer than a couple of minutes, which keeps things fresh and breezy.

Fight Crab Review - Screenshot 3 of 4
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)

There are a number of dissimilar locations in which to practice pincery pugilism, which can result in a change of focus and "tactics", such as they are. Among others, there'south a traditional stone puddle, a miniature city that gives kaiju vibes to the battles, a child's playroom (consummate with a lethal toy train) and a supermarket's fresh crab stall – upon which y'all fight alongside frozen crabs and tin can use said corpses as a ghoulish shield against the pincers of your opponent.

The silliness of it all takes longer to wear thing than you would look, helped along by an impressive array of unlockable venereal and weapons. Besides the main campaign – effectively just a series of battles with fiddling to no narrative thread that we could perceive – in that location's also co-op and versus, all online and in split-screen besides the co-op which is online-only. It's actually this local split-screen that we had the best time with, as both players are finer evenly-matched by the ridiculous control scheme. It'south nice that yous can unlock new things in this mode, but in that location's also a shop to purchase new $.25 and bobs in the campaign. This diversity gives Fight Crab more than longevity than it probably deserves.

Fight Crab Review - Screenshot 4 of 4
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)

Of course, Fight Crab can exist played skilfully if y'all are committed to learning how everything works – it uses every button, stick and trigger on the Switch and the skill ceiling is very loftier. The brilliant thing near the game is that even if y'all don't care to do this, it'southward withal fun. You could put it in anyone'southward hands and the weighty, freeform silliness of the play command volition elicit glee.

Conclusion

Fight Crab is an impressively full-featured and surprisingly good-looking game that transcends its lightheaded meme origins and ends upwardly every bit something much more. It could end upwardly a staple party game with its joyfully nonsensical premise and well-executed crab simulating gameplay, which goes above and beyond what a crab-battling game really needs to exist, and we applaud it. Some novelty titles are a complete flash in the pan, but Fight Crab sticks.