Smilemo
Smilemo
Game
Game2023
Thunder Ray
Developer Purple Tree S R L
Thunder Ray is Arcade-Boxing, Retro-like gameplay with blood and violence. Defeat all the best fighters in the galaxy to become the GOAT of the universe. From the Steam store page
189 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Oct 12, 2026 · last updated Oct 12, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
57
Mixed
89 positive · 66 negative
95% range 50–65%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 89 | 66 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 7 | 2 | 23 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 2 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
101 of 170 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
57% recommend · 90 yes, 67 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 157 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (225 of 317 positive).
Players praise the game's art style and animation as top quality. [1][2][3] Some reviewers find the attack patterns unreadable and the gameplay frustrating. [4][5][6] Several players note the game is short but challenging, with a satisfying learning curve. [7][8][9]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
This game feels like a good example of what happens when game artists alone are trying to make a game. It lures you in with its aesthetics. But already in the first real fight you realize that this game does not understand what made Punch-Out so good. The opponents movement is unreadable. There is either no buildup at all or the existing buildup and the following attack do not correctly convey the actual move. …
- [5]
I got this game because I was a Punch-Out!!! fan and I was heavily disappointed. Attacks are unreadable - the direction you have to dodge has almost nothing to do with what the attack looks like. There is no way to stop enemy attacks with counter-attacks, and once you dodge the attack, it's random on how many punches you can get in. Charged punches do the exact same damage, and the direction you punch has no impact. …
- [2]
**Pros:** - Art: by far the best aspect, the art in the game is top quality, really good old school hand-drawn style with a modern twist. - Gameplay: dynamic and fun, keeps you hooked (pun intended). - Input: movement feels responsive, which is great for dodging and blocking punches. Attacks are telegraphed enough to know what you have to do to avoid them, but still quick enough to test your skills. - Challenging: …
- [8]
Fun game, kind of short, really wish there were more Fighters, but it's a quick little fun game that I enjoyed. Obviously this was inspired by punch out but I love it (block guard is inconsistent and flat out does not work please fix asap) Edited so after 2 hours of getting my face cave in because I couldn't block certain moves I finally figured out what it was I don't know if this is a bug or if it's supposed to be …
- [1]
Don't let the amazing art style distract you from the challenge that this game has to offer. Took me some time to memorize the anticipations and attack patterns, but it was a great feeling the first time I won without receiving damage.
Summarised from 34 of the 192 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
57% of the 157 Steam reviewers we collected recommend Thunder Ray. The complaint that keeps coming up: attack patterns are unreadable and confusing. Deal-breaker or nitpick?
Reactions
60 of 189 · most liked firstNo counters, can't change controls, no special interactions based on the different characters and approaches. Good art style, worse punch-out mechanics.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game feels like a good example of what happens when game artists alone are trying to make a game. It lures you in with its aesthetics. But already in the first real fight you realize that this game does not understand what made Punch-Out so good. The opponents movement is unreadable. There is either no buildup at all or the existing buildup and the following attack do not correctly convey the actual move. Additionally this is not your usual dodge and counterattack gameplay you know and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If it came down to visual presentation, game would get a 10/10. It looks gorgeous and has imaginative opponents that you fight. The problem, unfortunately, comes down to the execution. Boxing games that are attempting to evoke Punch-Out have some fundamental ground rules, and typically have a stronger emphasis on defensive, reactive play. Dodging attacks rewards you with the means to do damage. You can try to land blows when the opponent is in a neutral state, but that often doesn't do…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There are wasted mechanics, AI Voices, and no difference between the 6 attacks. No real learning except the dodging, The Art is amazing. Pay some voice actors man, Hell I have a VO group that could do all the lines free of charge.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Don't let the amazing art style distract you from the challenge that this game has to offer. Took me some time to memorize the anticipations and attack patterns, but it was a great feeling the first time I won without receiving damage.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →All style, no substance. Unfortunately Thunder Ray is really bland and unfun in terms of gameplay. the AI voices are also a heavy turn away, unlike Punch Out Wii where the voice acting made the characters likeable and fun, here in Thunder Ray the AI ""voice acting"" makes these characters lifeless and unbearable, its just genuinely made me not enjoy it. Do not get tricked by this game if you like Punch Out, it lacks all the good things from Punch Out
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I got this game because I was a Punch-Out!!! fan and I was heavily disappointed. Attacks are unreadable - the direction you have to dodge has almost nothing to do with what the attack looks like. There is no way to stop enemy attacks with counter-attacks, and once you dodge the attack, it's random on how many punches you can get in. Charged punches do the exact same damage, and the direction you punch has no impact. There is no option to change the controls. The art of this game is most likely…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →No Counter Attacks, Opponent can still dodge/block/Super Armor attacks after avoiding their hit strings, visually difficult to see how to dodge/block/duck attacks (Especially at low health), and the difficulty towards the end is atrocious. I also ran into a bug or a intended feature that had me stuck on the 5th fight and he had a attack that you're suppose to block by NOT pressing the block button or any button at that matter. Also notice I beat the game in 2 hours and could have been less if…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you plan on playing through the story on normal difficulty, then you will enjoy your experience, especially now that it only costs $3 because of the summer sale. The bad news is when you decide to go for the harder difficulties. If you look at the most recent Punch Out game on the Wii, It is a puzzle game solved with punches and timing, so far from what I have seen is there are no puzzle elements. Sure Punch Out requires learning move-sets but there are secret moves that can lead to a huge…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thunder Ray developer, Purple Tree is working on a new Punch-Out-inspired arcade-style 2D action game, Baki Hanma: Blood Arena. Launching in Q3 2025 for PC, Switch, PS5, PS4 and Xbox consoles. Steam page: store.steampowered.com/app/3469230 #indiegames #steam #indiegame
neutral · AI labelView post →"Thunder Ray" is an abomination. As a gaming deity, I decree that this game is not worth anyone’s time or money. If you value your sanity and have even a fraction of my impeccable taste and skill, you’ll avoid this trash like the plague. Seriously, go play anything else – your brain will thank you.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →As someone whose played super punch out religiously, as it is right now, I can't recommend this game to anyone. The artwork is amazing but there's only so much the artwork can carry alone. Let me explain: 1. The controls are awkward and clunky. I don't know why devs decided that the controls should be like playing a MOBA instead of like an arcade game with simple controls like SUPER PUNCH OUT, is lost on me. ALSO THERE IS NO WAY TO CHANGE CONTROLS!!!!! 2. Opponents are not fun to fight, most…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Full Walkthrough: https://youtu.be/HNLLbmp6F9A ★★★★☆ Gameplay: Retro Graphics: Epic Music: Decent Story: Decent PC Requirements: Potato Game Time: 25min -1 hr
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →**Pros:** - Art: by far the best aspect, the art in the game is top quality, really good old school hand-drawn style with a modern twist. - Gameplay: dynamic and fun, keeps you hooked (pun intended). - Input: movement feels responsive, which is great for dodging and blocking punches. Attacks are telegraphed enough to know what you have to do to avoid them, but still quick enough to test your skills. - Challenging: opponents can get pretty challenging by the end (in a good way). The AI is not…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thunder Ray Now 71% Off! If you enjoy games like Punch-Out, this one's a great pick. 🔗 www.fanatical.com/en/game/thun...
neutral · AI labelView post →Very Disappointing... I respect the style and beautiful animations, however, that is as far as it goes, it's super hard to tell which kind of atk I am suppose to dodge, felt more like lucky and a guessing game. At least it was super cheap, hope the devs try again a more polished sequel one day.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Disappointing for how cool the art style is. AI slop voices with with no stamina or opening mechanics from what i could tell
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AI voices take me out of it hard. I even looked through the credits but no VAs are named.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I wish I could like this game, but some rough gameplay plus (apparently) AI voice is a no-go
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game doesn't have the back-and-forth rhythm that makes punch out fun. The animation is stunning, but not quite visually clear enough for how tight some of the dodge windows are. Plus, it has AI voice acting, so avoid if you have ethical concerns about that as well. Very promising though, and I hope the devs make a better game in the future.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →“HO!” -Ray when regaining health while looking at the screen for some reason Thunder Ray is as over the top anime as they come with a light boxing motif, that unfortunately doesn’t crack it as a game. X-Factor Let’s get this out of the way immediately, this game looks amazing as its sense of style and aesthetic is unparalleled, not only thanks to the character design and drawing expertise behind it, but also everything else, from how the motion is conveyed, to the subtle but necessary screen…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Art style is phenomenal. This game is unfinished garbage, AI voice acting drops it from a solid 7 to a cool 2.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The game has a good story and amazing graphics. The place where this game falls short is the in game mechanics. It is not as crisp as Punch out with counterplay. Also quite a few bosses are hard to read. An example is the Evil Rico fight...that fight leaves a sour taste after beating the game. The whole game is quite short as well but overall i'd give it a 6.8/10. It has a great potential to be a 10/10 though. Interested in DLC or future content.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First, due to the length of the game, I feel like the DLC should have been either an update added on, or included more to warrant the $5. I WANTED to like this game. I am a big fan of the Punch Out series, and this game LOOKED fantastic. And truly, it does have incredible visuals. But one thing Punch Out always did well was inform the player by UTILIZING the visuals. While this game looks nice, direction, hand placement, and boxer placement doesn't quite always dictate what the player should…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really wanted to like this game. I really did. This is game is bad. It's not fun. It took a look at everything that Punch Out did right, and decided to drop it. The good! - The art style, this game is beautiful looking. It's well drawn and I can't come up with a single bad thing about it. - The general concept of the game. I love Punch Out and always wanted a new one. The bad! - The mechanics don't feel thought out. The star replacement isn't interactive or good. - When at low…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great artwork but in normal mode it is way too difficult for me. Maybe it's being 50 years old for or just the way opponenets are animated: a lot of special effects and too many speedy frantic moves make a whole mess of my brain and I just can't keep up. Rookie mode is kind of easy but but not so interesting in my opinion. Gameplay becomes dull quickly. In a nutshell, old timers lile me might prefer Super Punchout on the SNES / FAMICOM. I'd rate this game something like 5/10 or 6/10.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I only wish this game were multiplayer so that I could level 3 every negative reviewer for being a pansy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was SO excited for this game when I heard about it a couple days ago and bought it as soon as I got the email that it was up for purchase, but in just 15 MINUTES it made me feel like an idiot for doing so. If you have never played Punch-Out or Super Punch-Out, you won't need to worry about this review. If you have played them, this game will PUNISH YOU for having done so. In Punch-Out you are able to dodge a punch from any direction; if the opponent threw a left punch, you could move right…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →AI voices. Refunded. Also the indications for attacks and sound design are a major step down from Super Punch Out and Wii Punch Out.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A lot to really say here.... I don't think this will help since the game's been out over a year, but who knows. I wanted to like this game. I'm a fan of the Punch Out series, which this is clearly trying to be a worthy successor to. It doesn't meet that goal though. Sound Design The effects need some cleanup, some things are randomly loud or have heavy bass, other things don't. Voice Acting This probably can't be helped with an indie game, and its probably one of the developers(sorry man),…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to play Punch-Out, but it's not quite Punch-Out. Attacks are confusing to parse, especially when in many cases a right swing can either be a "dodge into it", a "dodge away from it", or even a "block it". Had no clue you were supposed to block a certain attack until I saw the trailer. Since the punches are all functionally similar and counterpunches do not offer much of a reward, it ends up feeling like you have one actual punch. Charged punches take too long and aren't worth the DPS, and…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really like the artstyle but nothing else about it. Gameplay is meh compared to Punch Out and honestly doesn't feel like it has fairly telegraphed attacks at all. This includes both visuals and sound cues. Overall a 4/10 for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →100% eye candy nothing more There isn't a counter system so you can't daze opponents by hitting them at the right time while they are punching and if your health is low the game punishes you by zooming the camera in all the way so you cannot read attacks properly. The game is being heavily carried by its visuals which are nice, but if you take the art work away, you have a poor man's Punch Out style game. I'd rather just play Super Punch Out or the upcoming Big Boy Boxing. The game also does…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →if your looking for a good punch out like game, look else where
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Bought this thinking it would be Punch-Out inspired. It's sort of not, really. There's not really visual clarity for when boxers block certain ways, there's not clear openings for super move timings, some of the attack timings are super generous and others require snap reactions. The AI voices also suck ass. If you like Punch-Out and are hoping this game is another one of them, it isn't. Avoid it, unfortunately.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game, kind of short, really wish there were more Fighters, but it's a quick little fun game that I enjoyed. Obviously this was inspired by punch out but I love it (block guard is inconsistent and flat out does not work please fix asap) Edited so after 2 hours of getting my face cave in because I couldn't block certain moves I finally figured out what it was I don't know if this is a bug or if it's supposed to be this way. But the character has some kind of weird neutral block. If you…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i just want a new good punch out. I'm sad to say, this aint it.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Big Punch-Out!! fan here. I've especially played Super and Wii quite a lot, as well as watched a lot of speedruns of all 3 console entries of the series tons. This game is very flashy and cool-looking, but for me, it fell extremely short in its design. There are a lot of things I could talk about to explain what I mean by that, but I'm going to stick to one, and the one that I think is the biggest killer for the game. tl;dr is "not a lot of sensible cause and effect between what you do and the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun & challenging, 2 things I'd rather RT< be super & it can be visually overwhelming and hard to tell Dodge or Duck attacks.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cant run in windowed mode or change res super tempted to refund right now
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →as a long-time punch out veteran i could barely sit by for this, i mean, the artstyles nice, but the sound cues are just not all there, and the voice acting for the game being very clearly ai-generated makes me just not rock with it, i would've rather had none at all.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Art of this game is amazing, but the gameplay is so awful. I hated the fight with Evil Rico , so many unfair punches, you just got to GUESS when or where that fighter was gonna strike, not bueno. Also the animations felt weird at times, you might think you should duck an attack (the swing of the enemy), but it is not a duck that you should do, its something else, block or left or right, I'm not an expert on fighting games but I think it should have more ways to predict where the attack is…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Feels incomplete tbh and there isnt much real flair or anything not enough personality. Just like AI voice that sounds pretty jarring
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Could be nice and praise the game on it's art style and attempt at capturing the feel of old arcade boxing games. But in truth this game has far too many issues in it. Better off just pirating punch-out instead of wasting your cash and time slogging through this game. If for whatever reason the creator reads this, my only real comment to make is instead of spending all your time and money on an art style, Maybe go back and play the games you're trying to imitate and learn what actually made…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I always knew I was an easy sucker for video games, but nothing explains what this game did to me. From the moment you hit "play," the visuals take you on a trippy journey that, along with the music, sound effects, and the coach's deep and velvety voice, makes you forget you're getting pummeled, and all you want to do is keep playing to continue on that amazing world. Thunder Ray is just right - perfect, spot-on, and it's clear that the studio that made it put not only a lot of love but extreme…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I was really excited to play Thunder Ray, but I quickly found myself wishing it used the NES Punch-Out!! viewpoint instead of something that is more like the arcade original. The animations are great, and the alien opponents give the game a lot of personality, but even with that strong style, it still feels a bit empty once you get into it. There aren’t many fights, the story is barely there, and the whole experience is over far too fast. That said, the actual boxing feels good. Landing…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →cool throw-back looking game with interesting premise but the controls are clunky-AF...i'm usually great at these games but because of the weird latency issues i'm facing with this game (and only this game) - its just nearly impossible to play...i've tried all kinds of controllers and different PCs so i know its the game. i wish i woulda played it sooner so i could've gotten my money back on it. it feels as if the controls were designed to be clunky as a way of implementing a false sense of…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Artstyle is good. I wasn't expecting Punch-Out, but the gameplay here is honestly horrible. Punch-Out, Fight Night this is not. It's like a kind of, hit the button and hope you hit. There's no real fighting "game". I'll fight you drunk and you'd be able to learn my punches. I mean... yeah. I want to love this game so much, but it's a no.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Punch-Out this ain't. Telegraphed attacks frequently are anything but. Power attacks are functionally useless. Sensory overload. And the AI voices, come on, guys. This is supposed to be an intergalactic boxing championship and we're given all the emotional narration of the Allstate commercials. Requesting a refund.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Playthrough https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LOm9-kUTRg The Review A beautiful boxing game. The art and animation is smooth and high quality. The game while short is very tough. This is an easy recommend.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗦𝗶𝘀𝗶’𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆: Thunder Ray ⚡️ This awesome game is like a new Punch Out!! 💥 🥊 The animation is very beautiful & the enemies super cool with lots of interesting attack to learn 😮 This is by @PurpleTreeStud2 and publish by @eastasiasoft for Switch/PS4/PS5/Xbox and even Android!
neutral · AI labelView post →Clearly punch-out inspired ,but an alteration of mechanics to provide a unique flavor end up falling flat. If you go into this expecting punch out the cadence is entirely off. instead of waiting for the opponent to attack then punish the game allows you to throw punches randomly which is odd cause you start off waiting for opponents attacks to punish and it makes the game feel very slow. From this point you should wipe your memory of punchout and start wailing. I presume it was meant to make…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Sadly, Style over substance amazing art stile and animations, but that's about it; Otherwise its a very generic punch out clone with nothing special to distingish itself
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like Punch-Out. Give this a play, its worth the price. It only took about an hour for me to get all achievements but it was still worth it. Some of the punches really tripped me up as they REALLY felt like ones you're supposed to dodge INTO and not away from, but maybe I've fought Don Flamenco and Great Tiger too many times.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →i dunno but for one that sort of already happened, "Thunder Ray" is a spiritual remake of the shitty, unofficial punch out sequel "Power punch 2". More indies should do this, take a shitty game that failed and remake it as a good spiritual successor.
positive · AI labelView post →I finished every opponent in Thunder Ray (excluding DLC) this game is A S S S S S S S S - unreliable damage states - unreadable attacks - inconsistent attacks - seizure inducing - gorey for shock value - AI generated voices (allegedly)
negative · AI labelView post →Good game overall but holy the clues for attacks are SO ♥♥♥♥♥♥
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A great Punch out style game for people (like me) who like Punch Out but aren't the super fans that can beat all of the Punch Outs! I've gotten to Super Macho Man on the NES, and I've beaten everything in Wii except for the DK Match, and I haven't touched Super. this game provides a fir challenge and makes you feel good when you win but isn't too difficult and cuts out a lot of the unnecessary things of Punch Out like Rounds. I also like the super punch system where I don't have to search for…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the visual style but the actual fighting mechanics are my definition of hell. Hated every fight. The boss made me want to cry out of rage. Not for me.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Its okay. Stunning art, but the matches start getting repetitive quickly.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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