Divekick is a 2D competitive fighting game originally developed by One True Game Studios, an independent collective made up of a group of competitive gamers. A demo of the game was showcased at several competitive events, and after a positive reaction, the group created a Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of a full version for release on Microsoft Windows. The Kickstarter project was canceled after it was announced that developer Iron Galaxy Studios had agreed to co-develop and release the game. The name "Divekick" is a reference to a common mechanic in many fighting games in which some characters can jump in the air and do a diving kick with a sudden increase in momentum. In fighting games, dive kicks are usually very powerful, abusable tactics. The gameplay in Divekick revolves entirely around this mechanic. The game was released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Microsoft Windows via Steam Greenlight on August 20, 2013 in English-speaking regions. The game was released in Japan on September 17, 2014. A major balance update to the game, titled Divekick: Addition Edition, was released in April 2014, and a port of the game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, titled Divekick: Addition Edition +, was released on October 7, 2014.
Gameplay
Divekick is a comedic parody of fighting game motifs and contains many humorous references to games (especially those in the Street Fighter franchise) as well as inside jokes from within the competitive fighting game community. Unlike most fighting games which are played using many buttons for many different kinds of movement and attacks, Divekick is played using only two buttons, Dive and Kick. Pressing Dive causes the character to perform a vertical jump, with each character having different jump height and speed. After Diving, the player can press the Kick button to perform a diving kick, with each character kicking at a different speed and angle. Pressing Kick while standing performs a backward evasive hop for most characters called a "kickback". Using these moves is the only way to move, evade, attack, and dodge. Performing a divekick will partly fill a Kick Meter displayed at the bottom of the screen. This meter can be partially expended to perform a special move, activated by pressing both buttons at once. Each character has two unique special moves: one used on the ground, and one used in the air. By performing a kick when the Kick Meter is filled entirely, players will activate "Kick Factor", a reference to the "X-Factor" mechanic in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Kick Factor gives the player a temporary speed boost and a slightly more advantageous kicking angle. Some characters also gain special properties, such as invulnerability, while in Kick Factor.
The game features a health bar for each player, but it is only there for humorous and stylistic purposes, as the round is lost after being hit only once. If a player wins a round by kicking an opponent directly in the head, called a "Head Shot" in reference to first-person shooters, that player will be considered "Concussed." A Concussion empties the player's Kick Meter and reduces their character's speed and jump height for a few seconds at the beginning of the next round. Kick Meter cannot be regained until Concussion ends.
Before each match, the players are allowed to choose a gem, a parody of Street Fighter X Tekken's gems. There are four different gems, each with a different special effect such as increasing kick speed or increasing Kick Meter gain. The beta version of the game included an unselectable "DLC" gem which would drastically buff the character if it were available, parodying Capcom's controversial strategy of forcing users to pay for additional DLC that is already written onto the game disc.
The game includes a mechanic known as "Hold the Line" to reduce the potential of draws due to the timer expiring. In the final seconds of the round a vertical red line will appear in the center of the stage, and if the timer runs out, the character who is closest to the line will be declared the winner. If both players are of equal distance to the line, the god of Divekicking's giant foot will crush both players, taking away whatever meter they have, and a draw will be declared.
Miscellaneous
Fraud Detection, a reference to an inside joke within the competitive fighting game community wherein a player who does not perform as well as expected is labeled a "fraud." If a player loses four games in a row without winning one, the game will activate a "Fraud Detection Warning". Losing afterwards will announce "Fraud Detected", but winning will avert it.
Choke Detection, a reference to another inside joke within the competitive fighting game community in which a player does well initially, pushing the other player to an overwhelming degree, only to lose the rest of the match, stating that he "choked." When a player is put into "Fraud Detection Warning", averts it, then wins four rounds in a row afterwards, the game will activate a "Choke Detection Warning". Like Fraud Detection, the game will announce "Choke Detected" if he loses and avert it if he does win the round, and thus the match.
Double KO, an act where both players manage to kick each other at both players hitboxes. The round is considered a draw and no points are awarded to either player and will take either player out of Kick Factor and Concussion. If both players manage to get a Double KO at least twice in a row, the game will declare the match "Staged", a reference to players who go into matches with a pre-determined outcome causing drama for the intention of entertaining crowds or both players decided not to take said match seriously, especially if both players decide to split the pot winnings (often referred to as collusion).
Reception
Official PlayStation Magazine said it was "A fighting game with subpar graphics and just one attack should not get more than 10/100, but it actually is pretty fun. When playing multiplayer." IGN said "It is unfortunate that there’s not a better single-player mode, and more unfortunate that Divekick’s cultural insensitivity can be downright cringe-worthy, but it’s still a successful experiment in simplified fighting." GameSpot said "Divekick's single-player game is lacking, but this two-button brawler turns into feet-flying fun with friends." Game Informer said "In the right environment and with the right people, Divekick offers some fun. But the lack of online lobbies drastically limits those opportunities. Like most novelties, the fun of Divekick is short-lived." Edge said "What had the potential to showcase to the uninitiated what makes fighting games so special has become a game aimed too squarely at those who already know." GamesRadar said "Though the path to boot-stomping nirvana is fraught with flaws, Divekick succeeds at simplifying high-level concepts into a bite-sized experience that only gets better with time." Joystiq said "Maybe Divekick is the future of fighting games. Maybe the hardcore tournament set really does want a fighter so barebones that it's basically marrow. Everyone else would be better served going elsewhere for their virtual pugilism fix."
