It's not that the game isn't not not fun...

It's just that it's been surpassed so much, both before and after (Wayforward's own River City Girls, Castle Crashers, Scott Pilgrim, Streets of Rage 4, TMNT, etc), that your time and dollars are better spent elsewhere.

It also has to be said, the art style and vibe isn't going to be for everyone. and the gameplay just doesn't feel quite as good as most other brawlers.

I would recommend this when you've played the rest of the genre and you're looking for what's left. And it's definitely better with a co-op partner as the difficulty spikes can be more frustrating than most games in the genre I've played.

Right now I'm stuck on (maybe?) the last level, and I'm slowly coming to the realization I'm gonna have to go back and grind to beat it.

Like I said, if you're a fan of the genre and you've got a partner to play it with, pick this up on sale. If you don't, maybe just check out the excellent soundtrack, concept art and some gameplay online.and ask yourself if you there really isn't another game you'd rather play first.

An updated dose of nostalgia packed with awesome music.