Scott Pilgrim EX

Scott Pilgrim EX lands like a nostalgic fist to the face — in the best possible way. Tribute Games takes the familiar 2D beat 'em up template, layers on a new Bryan Lee O’Malley story, and injects it with upgraded sprites, fresh music by Anamanaguchi, and open-style exploration across a fractured Toronto. Fans of the original will smile at the callbacks, while newcomers get a bombastic, approachable brawler that still rewards timing and improvisation. I found myself grinning through the chaos — and occasionally swearing at a soft-lock or two.

Brawling Through Toronto's Time-Warped Streets

The heart of Scott Pilgrim EX is old-school side-on brawling that somehow feels both comfortingly familiar and spruced up for 2026. You move, you jab, you dodge, and you chain hits into flashy combos that the game happily rewards with sound, sparkles and a percussion-heavy soundtrack. Levels are interconnected more than in past Tribute outings — streets, back alleys and warped portals form a semi-open map that encourages exploration, revisits and a few ‘aha’ moments when a little trick or a specific character opens a new route. Combat is instinctive: light and heavy attacks, tech moves, throws and environmental interactions (yes, you can hurl a streetlamp) mix into a hectic ballet. I loved how improvisation is rewarded — whipping together a weapon, a throw and a special attack feels cinematic, even if it sometimes goes gloriously wrong. There’s a learning curve when it comes to spacing and reading enemy tells, but it’s the kind of muscle memory loop that keeps me wanting one more run.

Badges, Builds and Band Drama

EX dribbles RPG-ish progression into the beat 'em up bones via badges and gear. You spend coins to buy accessories, equip badges that tweak stats, and assemble quirky builds—think tanky Scott, nimble Ramona, or the weird-but-effective Robot-01. Unlike the original’s linear unlock pacing, this game starts you with a lot unlocked, which delighted me sometimes and annoyed others: several players noted that starting “overpowered” drains the satisfaction of gradual discovery. I can see both sides: I appreciated experimenting with outlandish loadouts from the jump, but I missed the little dopamine hits of unlocking new moves mid-playthrough. Quests and small side objectives pepper the map too, giving you reason to stray off the main path and find cameos, secrets and mini-boss encounters. Co-op shakes things up substantially — drop-in/drop-out is smooth, and four-player chaos is a riot, but do heed the reviews about save quirks when joining friends’ games.

Pixel Rock and Smooth Performance

Tribute Games nails presentation: the sprite work is crisp, frames feel buttery, and the animations ooze character — I never tired of the little victory poses. The soundtrack, courtesy of Anamanaguchi, is as bouncy and punchy as promised; it sells the comedy and the combat swing in equal measure. Sound design is playful: impact sounds, crowd reactions and a satisfying thud when you land a boss hit all add tactile weight. On my Windows test rig performance was solid; loading times were reasonable and online co-op lag was minimal in my sessions, though a handful of players reported soft-locks on certain quests — something to watch for in early days. Accessibility options are present but not exhaustive: difficulty adjustments and controller support are good, but I’d like to see more assistive toggles or clearer clarity around character-switch requirements in quests. Still, the overall package is polished, loud and lovingly crafted.

Scott Pilgrim EX is a spirited, lovingly-made beat 'em up that mostly gets the formula right: dazzling sprites, catchy music and enjoyable co-op. It stumbles in places — some progression choices and early save/coop quirks are frustrating — but the core combat and overall charm carry it. Buy it if you want a loud, social brawler with personality; wait only if you’re worried about the early technical hiccups.