Bounty Battle might be the most ambitious cross-over event in indie gaming history. It unites 22 indie games under one banner and has their heroes duke it out in Smash Bros-esque fashion. This project might have been too ambitious though as the touted story mode is missing, the existing single player content is mundane, the AI needs work and the fight stages lack variety. Still, the game looks first-rate and with friends, all the mechanics are there for a good night of scrappy indie combat.

Online, and in 2006, Bounty Battle would have been an impressive experience. Playing with a friend is a fun little distraction, and seeing multiple indie characters under the same roof is refreshing. The issue is that for as much as this game wants to be Super Smash Bros., it doesn't put forth the effort to feel like a polished package. Exploding characters in a beam of white light when they fall off the arena isn't all it takes to be a worthwhile experience. Bounty Battle is a game that may find some fans, but isn't one that will be played for much longer than a few days except by the most diehard of indie fans.

With a fantastic lineup, interesting fresh mechanics like the minions, and a bounty target being placed on the player performing best, Bounty Battle was in a good position to succeed, but it’s frankly hampered by being clunky and not much fun to play. A real shame. [Issue#181, p.86]

Bounty Battle is a disappointment through and through. On paper, its concept is fantastic; many players will be tricked into picking up the game so they can see their favourite indie characters in action. But in reality, it’s a mess that will only serve to disappoint. From poor performance, lacklustre level design and lack of weight to the characters, there really are too many issues to mention. It might be nice to see some of those beloved characters again, but that’s all that Bounty Battle has going for it.

Sadly, Bounty Battle plays about as well as it looks. The goal is to empty the health bar of your enemies, but character animations are so basic and stunted that it's near impossible to tell what's going on — especially during three or four player fights. The controls are responsive enough, but the release is riddled with stuttering issues on PS4 — combat just never feels smooth, and that's a nail in the coffin of any fighting game.