
Overall, the game is a delightful package.
TORIBASH KICK MODS
Further still, there are mods that introduce different weapons such as swords or knives, if the default mano a mano action isn’t quite to your taste. Should the standard sparring leave you wanting more, the game features an insane number of modded modes that range from fighting in myriad locales such as rooftops or bars, to the more surreal, in which you turn into a bear… thing, or are launched at your opponent on a pair of beams that ultimately crush you. I can’t believe I spent money on this degree. There are also online rooms you can join, allowing you to spectate among those who may be many belts above you in skill. Existing in the world of modern games, Toribash now offers a ranking system to try and pit you against opponents on the same skill level as you. Thankfully, the latest iteration of the game features a tutorial which has a very snarky Sensei teaching you the basics of fighting: throwing punches, grabs, kicks, and so on.
TORIBASH KICK SERIES
Executing each turn over a series of frames, the game exponentially increases the number of frames passing per turn as a round progresses, forcing you to think further and further ahead as to how your movements will play out, as well as your opponent’s. Its unique brand of fighting is hard to put down, as it allows for some extremely satisfying moves once you begin to wrap your head around the way your ragdoll adjusts to every ab and elbow twist. In a fearsome move, I’ve broken off both of my legs attempting to reach over the counter. Eventually, you too can leap into the air and spin-kick the head off your opponent… then take your skills online to get absolutely demolished.


Up against a training dummy, you can spend time getting a feel for how each change affects your body, and learn the ropes of the physics. For the skilled, it allows for some extremely slick and cool looking fights to unfold. For the uninitiated, the game is insanely hard. You’re able to contract, extend, relax, and hold each joint as you mix-and-match contortions in an attempt to throw a punch or kick. Originally released back in 2006, Toribash ( from Singaporean developers Nabi Studios is a free-to-play fighting game in which you and your opponent simultaneously take turns adjusting various joints on your characters’ bodies to perform moves.
