A BRUTAL Masterpiece | The Punisher (2005) Retrospective Review

The Punisher (2005) sees Frank Castle as he continues to clean up the streets of New York City in the most brutal way possible. The development team "Volition Inc." leaned into the Punishers violent tendencies by putting you in the shoes of Frank Castle, allowing you to interrogate and kill criminals in unique ways. The Punisher is seen as an incredibly violent game, to the point it almost had a limited release, but it also has a lot of creativity. Garth Ennis & Jimmy Palmiotti took their experience writing Punisher comics and helped to pen the narrative of the Punisher game, providing an original story that ties to the 2004 movie in very minimal ways. We even get a lot of references to the wider marvel universe, with appearances from characters like Iron Man, Black Widow, and plenty more! In this video, we'll explore every angle of the Punisher game and discuss how it was made, where it excels, where it struggles, and ultimately how it holds up today.
Always Nerdy is a KZbin channel dedicated to all things nerdy and Marvel, with a focus on Marvel Gaming properties such as Marvel's Avengers and the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series. Retrospectives are a new series I've started, so more are on the way as well!
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[@destronlaserwave9566]

In my opinion this game is literally within the top ten best superhero games. It gets the character of Frank Castle right, soild gameplay, fantastic voice work by Thomas Jane, and a plot that while not deep, feels like a love letter to the character. I wish this game did get that sequel that was in the works before being quietly canceled, if only. It lives on as Saints Row. This game makes Manhunt look like child's play.

[@s-wo8781]

I wouldn't call Frank a superhero. He's just like any of these action movie stars that just happens to live in a world full of superheroes.

[@destronlaserwave9566]

@@s-wo8781 he's far from a superhero, more of an anti-hero. Though he does the occasional heroic deed, like tagging along other heroes in cosmic based missions. One of the reasons he wasn't arrested is because the heroes see Punisher as a bad guy who will still help them.

[@chillhour6155]

Also excellent one liner's

[@Gamesta100]

@Brupcat yeah as violent as this game is, Manhunt makes it look kind of tame

[@blackiechan6078]

@@s-wo8781 i definitely would. He saves people out of care of others. He has morals. His actions may be based in revenge but he still saves people he doesn't assassinate people for money and only fights those who are villainous

[@manofsense7859]

Frank’s nearly constant inner monologues are what made the comics so great. I really appreciate how faithful this game was to that.

[@azozazoz9196]

I love the fact that Steve Blum played both as the rivalry Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Bullseye.

[@slinkbradshaw8674]

I hope he's voicing Wolverine in his new game

[@D21BeastReviews]

@@slinkbradshaw8674 I'll bet Insomniac casts someone who's never voiced the character before. I would love Blum to return too. But watch it end up being Troy Baker. lol.

[@montecristosmith2343]

@@D21BeastReviews I'd be shocked if they recasted just because Steve Blum has voiced him in almost everything since X-Men Legends. He voiced him in Wolverine & The X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, EMH, and even the anime. Spidey on the other hand has a different voice in every cartoon or game franchise.

[@silverghost8536]

@@montecristosmith2343 he didn't voice him in ultimate spider-man and another couple of media but yeah for the most part he did the voice

[@montecristosmith2343]

@@silverghost8536 The cartoon I mean where Drake Bell voiced Spidey

[@kedjr88]

This game was just to a head of its time and Thomas Jane never gets enough credit for his portrayal of the Punisher

[@ArkBagas]

Although Jon Berthal portrayal was really dope, Thomas Jane deserves more credit to bring the character alive, much as Ryan Reynolds for Deadpool or Margot Robbie as Harley.

[@LeRoyBoxley434]

@@ArkBagas There was a short fan film of the Punisher with Thomas Jane reviving his role. He was more Punisher like in this film. Very well done too.

[@TETCOM.]

loved jane as punisher

[@MrPikaGammer]

@@LeRoyBoxley434 That is the best live action Punisher media period. Every Punisher fan should watch Laundry Day atleast once.

[@OxiigenV2]

@@LeRoyBoxley434 where can I watch it

[@DoritoGOD2811]

Always good to hear pre-MCU deep voice Iron Man

[@HSB819]

I definitly prefer the deeper voice for ironman aswell as him keeping himself as a bodyguard instead of him revealing his identity

[@DoritoGOD2811]

@@HSB819 I'm fine with the public identity, I just prefer when Iron Man had a cool deep voice and wasn't making jokes every five seconds.

[@HSB819]

@@DoritoGOD2811 I'm fine with a public identity but I kinda prefer him to keep his identity since that way, other characters see him as more of business man and less of a celebrity, I guess I'm just not a fan of when comics try to make being a celebrity and a superhero the same thing.

[@MChedderbeef]

And in the Pentagon Armor, no less

[@HSB819]

@@MChedderbeef true, I've always liked that armour and it's even better when he has a deeper voice to hide the identity, I guess I've always like that armour because it looks powerful and kinda angry 😂

[@azozazoz9196]

I played it when i was 8 years old, good thing my mom didn't know this game was too violent.

[@alissa6]

Dude our parents were from a whole different era. All videogames even for 18+ are considered for babies to them.

[@seancollins6612]

@@alissa6 on moms bro,My mom got it cus she knew I loved marvel games, Certain parents didn't trip back in the day g,especially if we weren't Rowdy,knew better,and had discipline

[@ajax3748]

I mean I was always allowed to play violent games because my parents knew I wouldn't go out and try to kill criminals 😂

[@eldarsafarov9302]

I remember buying this game in a store when I was about 10 years old, the seller asked if it was too early for me to play such games, I said no, I play GTA and he sold me) This is one of my most favorite games that I keep coming back to so far

[@odethious5639]

I played this all the time when I was 8 too. Fun times.

[@ruudga1028]

"I'm gonna kill all the inmates and escape in the confusion" easily my favorite line

[@cadeseka6534]

I remember one kill you threw people into trees and they got ate by snakes this game will forever be unmatched

[@SomeGuy-mt4hq]

That was mentioned in this video...

[@carlisle6831]

Hopefully we get a Spider-Man: Friend or foe, Fantastic Four and X-men: Destiny retrospective in the future 🤞

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Definitely in the future! I’m just not sure when yet honestly. I have both of them sitting on my desk though lol

[@steelbear2063]

Oh, Friend or Foe, nice, recently played it with my friend, he liked Doctor Octopus the most

[@Mextlatec]

& X-Men Mutant Academy 1, 2, & 3

[@dwisaputra8286]

Cant wait

[@mangamegs]

I always thought the fantastic four movie game was a little underrated. For my enjoyment until events conflict I like to think: Ps2 the punisher Ps2 fantastic four 1 ps4 avengers Ps2 Hulk ultimate destruction ps3 captain America vr Iron Man ps2 Spiderman 2 Wii thor guardians of the galaxy nes silver surfer Are set in the same universe.

[@jackcollins1416]

I would love a Moon Knight game in this same fashion, only with less guns and more using your fists and weapons... maybe an open world would be nice too

[@h3was547]

Then Tigra, Werewolf by night and Deathlok. She Hulk and Spider Woman (any of them) may also need to be the big map type of game over being an open world type game to be good games. They all gotta have A long story. They all gotta keep the RPG type of play style with variety for replay value, no buying add on only bs. Bulky She Hulk or sleek I'm not picky.

[@josephlinden1630]

I think a game where you can pick either punisher, blade or moon knight would be good. They all sort of have the same way of doing things. They’re street levels heroes so it wouldn’t be that hard to adapt the game to play as each. Plus they’re sort of darker heroes fitting with the dark gritty crime ridden New York. Violence isn’t off limits.

[@kevpersau950]

So Batman…? 😂

[@mr.unpopularopinion6431]

But doesn't moon knight have two pistols?

[@eur0be4t3r]

@@mr.unpopularopinion6431 nah, he has random shit

[@demontorch]

Fun fact: in Saints Row: the Third, there’s a Punisher Easter egg in Kinzie’s hideout. It was a newspaper clipping of the polar bear pic. It was removed in later versions of the game due to copyright issues

[@antdujar]

Thomas Jane was the perfect choice for the punisher game since the movie didn’t do him as much justice. And it was dope that Ennis contributed writing to the game since he’s responsible for the iconic elements and tone of Frank castle. Plus, the music and tone of the game is just perfect. It’s something that I still feel hasn’t been perfectly accomplished in life action depictions of the character. But Jane really delivered and had the right kind of tone and grit/humanity that was true to the character. Plus, the fact that Jane really liked the character and the comics, along with befriending ennis etc really made this game a gem.

[@KingRemoji]

Thomas Jane did a better job than the second guy from the following movie The other guy was a better at action and violent scenes, but he had no personality, he was boring. Thomas Jane showed you “Frank Castle” the human being, the other dude, it’s like he was ONLY “the punisher” there was nothing more to him other than his vigilante persona 😂

[@supremedreams6789]

@@KingRemoji If you’re referring to Punisher Warzone, then absolutely not. Thomas Jane’s Punisher was by far the worst adaptation of the character in all of media. Punisher Warzone has flaws, but at least it actually got the character RIGHT. Thomas Jane’s Punisher was nothing like Frank Castle, though I don’t really blame him for it. Gotta blame the writers for butchering the character.

[@TETCOM.]

cool

[@TETCOM.]

@@supremedreams6789 butchered?.....nah.....Jane was great and most importantly,likable...something the second guy was'nt....frank does'nt always have to be dark and broody...he CAN lighten up and be human y'know....punisher 1 was alot of fun..warzone....meh...no personality

[@julianoviedo3104]

@@supremedreams6789 bro in warzone punisher is forgetable, he's only there to kill bad guys and does nothing else. Don't get me wrong I know punisher killing bad guys is basically what he does, but he also has a personality for example in welcome back frank he has like a dry sense of humor with his kills and we are able to see how he gets some "enjoyment" out of it

[@udemeebong3242]

I bloody love this game! After Insomniac's Wolverine game reveal, I really hope for a great Punisher game. Great new Deadpool game too of course.

[@Gamesta100]

If you've never played it you should really try X-2 Wolverine's Revenge. I think it's an underrated game and Mark Hamil voices Wolverine.

[@personman1148]

Wait what

[@Albino_Basilisk]

And a new ghost rider game ASAP

[@simoneidson21]

If they do a Deadpool game, I really hope he isn’t an embodiment of “lol random” humor and they go into the tragic side of his character.

[@My6119]

Ah yes, another childhood classic I fondly enjoyed

[@DancyHercules3]

I freaking LOVED this game as a kid, especially the torture parts

[@SomeGuy-mt4hq]

That's concerning

[@supremedreams6789]

@@SomeGuy-mt4hq Nah, this was my shit as a kid. Most kids can grasp mature themes believe it or not.

[@SomeGuy-mt4hq]

@@supremedreams6789 I'm talking about the fact they specifically loved the torture scenes as a child

[@supremedreams6789]

@@SomeGuy-mt4hq the torture/interrogations were one of my favorite parts of the game too. They were like the highlights of the game, because you actually felt like The Punisher when you did it. That doesn’t mean I’d enjoy watching or doing that in real life lmao. I’d be disgusted if that were the case.

[@SomeGuy-mt4hq]

@@supremedreams6789 damn. We really do be out here desensitizing kids

[@cobblefotique8741]

You're wild for making these hour long retrospectives within 2 weeks of each other. I just found your channel and I got a nostalgia overload for all of these marvel games. Thanks!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Haha 😂 I’m trying to get quicker with the release schedule but it’ll probably be more like 3 week gaps from here on . They take quite a while to make 😅 It’s a ton of fun though and I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Are there any games you’d like to see covered in the future?

[@cobblefotique8741]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I would probably like to see you cover the spiderman games and wolverine:origins. My favorite bits are when you actually showed the comic strips form where the game got inspiration from! Love your vids!

[@VanTemplar]

One of my all time favorite games! A true masterpiece! And Thomas Jane's delivery here is absolutely flawless. I can't think of a better voice for Frank.

[@montecristosmith2343]

Great review as always! 44:12 If you don't honor Takagi's request it actually makes the mission slightly more challenging since his Geisha guards immediately open fire and more spawn for the remainder of the level. 44:29 There's a special interrogation guard who can stop the countdown super early but enemies will try to kill him before he gets to Takagi's office so you gotta play bodyguard

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Great points! I actually didn’t know about the special guard. I guess I’ve been spending too much time hiding during that level 😆

[@zacharymcchesney299]

This game was way ahead of its time and honestly I would love a full blown remake and sequel

[@zacharymcchesney299]

But the real question is would marvel ever greenlight a remake or sequel?

[@silentecho92able]

@@zacharymcchesney299 If i were to give my honest opinion Marvel is to much of a pussy to make a game like this today especially if disney is involve and if they did they would heavily tone down the game. There by making the experience less enjoyable from beginning to end, or make a deadpool game as they can really depend on Deadpool comedic moments more then the serious violent moments.

[@zacharymcchesney299]

@@silentecho92able agreed. I thought about this. Also the Deadpool game was decent. I just wish the combat was better. The game itself is incredibly well written.

[@silentecho92able]

@@zacharymcchesney299 Same but i don't see a game like this being made unless its unrelated too marvel universe. Or they decide too take chance and make a game about the punisher. By giving it too a small time game developer and given some freedom in the work.

[@zacharymcchesney299]

@@silentecho92able agreed lol

[@WhyWeWatch1]

"I'm going to use you as a condom" is the best threat I've heard in a while. Maybe we need to bring some things from the 90s and 00s back

[@ImDimiko]

I grew up on this game (even though it was not meant for kids) and i remember my dad only letting me play it because it was a comic book character. I remember replaying this game at least 40 times. The. nostalgic feeling i get watching this video is overwhelming. I really wish i could replay this game now 13 years later

[@Claimer_YT]

If you love the punisher game, check out my remastered trailer ✊🏽

[@AlfredFJones1776]

Thomas Jane is my favorite Punisher. He just looks and sounds perfect. He deserved so much better. At least he got this awesome game out of it.

[@ajax3748]

He also got dirty laundry. An awesome short film. Definitely watch it if you haven't already. It's on KZbin

[@Disconnect350]

The atmosphere along with the soundtrack and psychological aspects when you trigger Frank's Vietnamese flashbacks while interrogating enemies. This game is a masterpiece. Still remember that insane boss fight with The Russian on that military island. Don't get me started on those quotes like "I'm innocent!" or "You think this is a game!?" that have stuck with me for over a decade.

[@ArchangelJ9]

This game needs a remake/sequel. So damn underrated. No other game like it

[@Philosophical24]

Honestly I’d even settle for a port

[@Kaden10]

I think it's time for a new Punisher game, I would love for it to have a cover system and a hand-to-hand combat system, and it has to be brutal and gory.

[@JoeyShadowKorn]

These retrospectives are amazing, most KZbinrs lament making long videos like this, but when it's done right, like these are, they can be super engaging, and I like how in depth it goes instead of just skimming through a few points like most others do, and I just absolutely love having long videos to watch. This game looks incredible and I really want to play it, I completely missed it when it released sadly. I really wish there were more Punisher games, I only know of a few, and have only played the old arcade beatemup personally, but this one, as well as Punisher: No Mercy has caught my eye and I'd love to try them out. Loved those songs too, I'm a sucker for 2000's rock in general lol, so I'm definitely gonna look those up and listen to them some more.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! They’re a ton of fun to make so I’m glad you’re enjoying them 😃 This is the only punisher game I ever got to play, so I’m curious to revisit some of the other ones too. Did you ever play No Mercy?

[@JoeyShadowKorn]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Keep up the great work man, been loving all your vids so far. And no, sadly, I never got to play No Mercy, that game was only available for a very limited time, and after disappearing off the market it has never returned, so it's a pretty rare gem from what I understand. It's a shame, cause even though reviews were poor, I know the fan response was pretty great, also it features Finn Cooley as a playable character, and he's my fav char from the Punisher comics, so I'm really interested in getting a hold of it sometime.

[@RabbitHole20]

Honestly the monologuing from Frank Castle when he describe his guns, reminds me of the Hanger from Star Wars: Rouge Squadron.

[@Daftanemone]

I just realized how perfect it is that Thomas Jane played a character whose family was killed. He just wants his kids back

[@kennethlaurie7809]

Another Marvel game that could go with the Halloween season would be the Blade game released around the time of Blade 2. I don't know the general thoughts on that one so it might be a video, I just remember it being on the Blade 2 Special features.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

I considered that one too, I just didn’t have a copy of it laying around lol. He’s also an unlockable character in the ghost rider game, so it felt like a good fit. I plan on playing those in the future though.

[@kennethlaurie7809]

@@alwaysnerdyretros That's cool, looking forward to your retrospectives

[@GinisisDroid]

This game was way ahead of it's time, I never seen this good game back when I played it, also the CGI cutscenes of this game was extremely realistic, it looked so real 2005 no game has this kind of realistic CGI not even final fantasy

[@ElMarko6994]

“I’m gonna kill all the inmates and escape in the confusion” is a badass line lol

[@denkerbosu3551]

I spent a lot of time on this one. Back then, I loved the punisher as a concept. One wronged man using all his military expertice to take on untouchable criminals. Heroism is an icon we should all strive for, but anti-heroic vigilantism has been one desired for the longest time. Frank Castle is an icon of all that. Truly a character that simply doesn't belong to this era by the mainstream.

[@AldoApachi-]

You left out one of the best lines - when Frank walks in to the library to fight Bushwacker, he sees all the books and says: Didn't know Ma' could read, must be 10 thousand copies of Godfather"

[@suaveshaungaming6803]

I’m sitting here bored scrolling through KZbin trying to find something to watch and than boom this W vid pops up 💯💯

[@outerheavengaming6196]

God I love this game. I got my hands on a copy last year and replayed it and loved every minute. The love and respect that the developers showed to Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon's Punisher run was incredible. And Thomas Jane killed it with the voice acting! Never felt like he was phoning it in, in fact he seemed to rather enjoy the role

[@luhedi6303]

Maybe they would have made a spin-off with daredevil as the main character. Shame, we will never know.

[@Fourbreakgaming]

Random note, ryker’s island is a real prison in nyc, but this doesn’t take away from the video at all, amazing video and I love punisher!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Yeah that was a dumb mistake lol. I’m cutting that part out for future viewers. Thank you for the heads up!

[@pheenmachine]

Rikers Island is a real prison. Ryker's Island is Marvels stand in.

[@nicktechnubyte1184]

It's currently known as the most deadliest prisons in New York City!

[@MrAjking808]

Yeah I think people know this already

[@alissa6]

@@nicktechnubyte1184 Is it worst than Cali's Pelican Bay?

[@tomekkijak6701]

Best line of the game is 32:31 Not only is it funny as fuck, but it shows that frank has a reputation for not letting anyone live

[@markmagician2471]

Early 2000s was the real MCU

[@MarkanVaran7]

I agree. Marvel movies these days are so stale and sterile. Nothing special about them!

[@letterCsquared]

I'm only about 1/3 of the way through and the scale of this game looks amazing! Incredibly violent, but very much "in tune" to the nature of the Punisher. Look forward to watching the rest in the small moments of time i get, but amazing work Nerdy! I'm still kind of blown away that Black Widow and Nick Fury have shown up and helped you on the mission...can we have these kind of gameplay interactions in all new games? =3

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thanks for checking it out! Totally agree too! I would love these kind of fun cameo appearances to show up in all marvel games. They add so much to the experience

[@venomsward5497]

Game is "criminally" (pun intended) underrrated. Also about Punishers outfit - you played PS2 ver, so you we're unable to put cheatcodes mannually. There was sort of preorder bonuses, that gaved access to 3 alternative skins via cheat-codes saw on boxes. For example: If you type WOODCHIPPER in cheat menu, you will finally embrace full glory of Tim Bradstreet thin skull on a blue t-shirt. That guy maded all front-covers for Punisher: MAX series. Also, you putted Bradstreet reference in your video, when you showed poster from Punisher: WarZone movie. I haven't found those remarks in comments, but chance that you didn't know that is low. Thank for your content, you warmed my skull-loving nerd hearth. PS. If you played PC ver, with better controls, you can obtain KILL\REGAIN perk in the middle of the game, if score multiplier was kept intact till the end of the level. Killing bosses with x5 multiplier is incredebly challenging, but amazingly rewarding.

[@GEMINIRED300]

I'll never forget putting flamethrowers in people's mouths for melee kills. Miss this game.

[@Bizzarovid]

A punisher sequel with more upgrades, side quests, different outfits and more bossfights would've been great. Definitely could've included the infamous fight with wolverine and the roller

[@luhedi6303]

Found your channel recently and I got to say that I am enjoying your content so far. For a long form video, you make the video engaging and entertaining. Hell, I feel hyped enough to dust off my old Xbox and give the punisher another play through, a underrated game.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you for telling me 😃 I really appreciate that and I’ll do my best to keep it up! Thank you for the support!

[@johnnykopp7304]

The Punisher game is backwards compatible on the Xbox 360.

[@mr.unpopularopinion6431]

That daredevil concept suit looks similar to Ben Affleck's daredevil. Maybe if they did the sequel daredevil could be voiced by Ben Affleck(I would love that since I have this game,love Thomas Jane has the punisher and love the movie and I love Ben Affleck's version of daredevil and the movie)

[@joshuaperez441]

It's cool that you like the Daredevil movie. Not many people do

[@doom3926]

The PS2 Ghost Rider game would be good to cover here. It was a really good hidden gem that went overlooked not just because of the stigma against movie licensed games but also because, the game came out on PS2 and PSP while the 360, PS3 and Wii were still brand new. It had a GBA version that came out around the same time too, not sure how that was though.

[@maxwella.gamingps4631]

Punisher's "this is gonna hurt" line before fighting the Russian, stuck with me so much for some reason, that I still say it to this day when Im about to embrace something painful 🤣🤣 Honestly this game is what we expected of The Punisher series. Frank hunting targets that either did him wrong, or were connected. By interrogating their henchmen through brutal methods, going to different missions and leaving carnage in his wake, and most inportsntly, creative kills as punishment to people. Seeing the criminals be afraid of the skull.

[@Gemma-Bricks]

32:31 Random criminal dude after a brief sigh of relief: "I can believe he let me live" Nuke: NOPE!

[@jaceboland1931]

i love this fucking game so much, i played it before i knew anything about the punisher and its the biggest reason that got me into the punisher. this game is so fun, the gameplay, the story is just perfect for the punisher.

[@satfat1232]

The story, setting, characters, voice acting, gameplay, even the graphics. This game was ahead of it’s time, and I think it’s a top 10 superhero game.

[@thedestroyer2alltrolls411]

It’s not a superhero game, it’s a nonsuper antihero game.

[@andrebrown1835]

An absolute classic of a game ,I played a level not long ago it's still fun and unique to the day,looking forward to your next retrospective.

[@fenrir_Lokison9]

7:07 the level of trolling in that moment made me fall in love with this game.

[@ddrm4rc]

This game honestly is so awesome, especially with all the nods and influences from the comics. One missed opportunity though would’ve been making the Bullseye fight more similar to the Punisher Max fight, or at least give Bullseye his t-shirt and jeans look from the comics in one moment.

[@MrYungReggie]

This is 100% one of the greatest Marvel games. If something like this came out today, minds would be blown. Insomniac Games is probably our only hope to have something like this again

[@Dlyles16]

I recently bought this game heard nothing but good things about it cant wait to play it for myself. This retrospective was fire.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! Definitely play it if you get the chance. It’s held up incredibly well

[@zoltanz288]

bought it? its freeware. you got scammed. or do you mean for console?

[@Dlyles16]

@@zoltanz288 nah I got it for console. PS2. It’s been playing pretty well so far. the game is fire

[@Gamesta100]

I've beat the game many times. It's one of my favourite games to play over and over and over again

[@LuchoLavalle]

This was one of my favorite games as s teenager. Played the shit out of it for years. Glad to see it getting some light!

[@officerspider7996]

Punisher is perfect for a video game. There’s nothing more perfect than a gun slinging psychopath to base a game around. Deadpool did it so we should get one for Punisher

[@ernestobesto9990]

I just replayed this game last weekend on the og xbox. still holds up. childhood classic!

[@ElZo1212o]

I’ve played through this game a dozen times or more since it was released. Every one of the story beats and Easter eggs you’ve mentioned were old hat to me- except for that thing about Soap dropping the file to uncuff Frank. I positively adore these kinds of small details and this one I never caught. But as soon as you pointed it out, I noticed Frank’s posture is set like he’s got his cuffed hands off to the side. This game was such a masterpiece.

[@rollcaskett1812]

Been eagerly looking forward to this video. I really liked your Marvel Nemesis video, long videos like this are perfect for while I'm working.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! They’ve been a lot of fun to make too. Any other games you’d like to see covered?

[@rollcaskett1812]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I wouldn't know where to begin! You put so much work into these my suggesting anything would have to really be worth your time. You've covered a lot of what I like already and I'm extra appreciative of the positive coverage of Marvel's Avengers, which I haven't been able to play due to a fried graphics card. I've been playing the new Marvel Revolution though and it's been surprisingly interesting, not that I think it'd make for a good video. I guess the one thing I'd like to see covered in-line with what you already do is Marvel Heroes, but that might be hard to get footage of now. One off-topic thing that felt relevant to this video though. I don't remember if you covered audio logs in Ultimate Alliance 2, but Bullseye's audio log was one that always stuck with me from that game. Until that audio log I always just thought of Bullseye as a b-list villain with a dumb costume, but there's a real deranged psycho under that mask and I think that's what makes his character stand out to me now, especially after Daredevil season 3. Just something I felt like sharing that stuck with me from my UA2 experience.

[@SugarRayCharles.]

I always laughed my ass off every time I would use one of the Gnucci's as a shield while they get shot up to death and fall to the ground. I could hear someone in the background say "I never liked him anyway." 😂

[@thedestroyer2alltrolls411]

OMFG! Same here! The Gnuccis are hilarious! This game has the funniest enemies in the history of gaming. One time a fat Gnucci accidentally killed a fellow Gnucci and he yelled “cry about it, bitch!”.

[@SugarRayCharles.]

🤣🤣🤣

[@thedestroyer2alltrolls411]

@@SugarRayCharles. The one who yelled “cry about it, bitch!” was voiced by the same one who voiced Louie in the first section of the Gnucci Esate level. Same Gnucci model.

[@thedestroyer2alltrolls411]

@@SugarRayCharles. Also when I played the game a skinny Gnucci accidentally killed a fellow Gnucci and he reacted by yelling “get up, you faker!”. When another skinny Gnucci (different model and voice) accidentally killed a fellow Gnucci with a shotgun that sent him flying down the stairs in the third section of the Gnucci Estate he reacted by saying “oh fuck”. When a Gnucci (voiced by whoever voiced Carlo Duka and Eddie Gnucci) accidentally killed a fellow Gnucci he reacted by yelling “next time, stay out of the way!”. When a Gnucci voiced by the same guy accidentally kills a fellow Gnucci he reacted by saying “oh for shit’s sake”. Once a fat Gnucci (different model and voice from Louie) accidentally killed a fellow Gnucci and he reacted by saying “you’re gonna be fine, ya big baby”.

[@SugarRayCharles.]

@@thedestroyer2alltrolls411 Each of those lines took me out. Especially the "next time, stay out of the way." 😂💀

[@alcottic]

This is one of the best games I ever played. I’m actually playing it while watching the vid 🤣. But the story of this game was good and the combat was nice. The interrogations that you could perform in this game were crazy. Even though they had to be censored, I think it made it better💀. Great video and I hope everyone has a nice day!

[@zoltanz288]

yeah, you are right about the interrogations. there is a version where they are not cencored, i think it was a pre-release build that was floating around the web at the time. and so without the filter you can just see the limitations of the graphics and it actually looks wonky. the filter makes the interrogations look much better.

[@thabesttheris]

Are u playing it on the xbox?

[@alcottic]

@@thabesttheris I’m playing it on the ps2

[@JazzyUnderscoreTrumpeter]

Now THIS is an appealing video!!

[@Mextlatec]

I LOVE this game, one of the best tie-in games with Spider-Man 2

[@huntercollard]

Always love watching these videos! Thanks man!

[@isinganddootherthings4616]

I should mention this more but I like that you make these retrospective video kinda like documentaries I appreciate it so much hope you are doing well and thank you for making these long videos I'm glad they are doing very well in terms of views man

[@mikefink7548]

This is honestly my very favorite Marvel game of all time still to date!

[@LuisZavala-bq4mf]

Great video! Just this past month I bought the game and played it myself for the first time ever, and absolutely agreed with your points! Great, replay-able experience!

[@romandobrov8460]

You did an excellent job as a reviewer. Well done and thank you.

[@TaylordUpBadAzz]

This game brings back so many memories, I literally grew up on this game , me an my dad loved this game. R.I.P Dad.Brings back Good memories 🥰

[@jakestumm4101]

This game was such a gem, glad I re-discovered it a few years back. The funeral and zoo levels were some of the best levels I’ve ever played from that era of video games.

[@devonaveii2675]

This game badly needs a Remaster. I remember trying to find it and play it on my pc years ago and struggling to get it to work with my video card

[@Everyman2019]

Great retrospective! I love how different it is from other Marvel games, but the cameos from other characters and the references don’t feel out of place, even though the atmosphere is much darker. Would love a video on X-Men: Next Dimension too!

[@WorldsWorstBoy]

First time I hear a movie actor get hired to reprise his role in a game version of the movie just to put in just as much effort as the film reading the lines.

[@pheenmachine]

Looking at you Tobey Maguire!

[@ScarletKako98]

Recently found your channel and just got done watching all your retrospective videos They're all so good, it's obvious that a lot of effort goes into them Keep up the great work

[@ido304s4]

Just found your channel and I’m loving it. Keep doing what your doing.

[@jiovanysoltero923]

I remember this game played a lot like saints row 1 with the shooting and throwing mechanics which is pretty fun at the time.

[@visassess8607]

Makes sense since it's by the same people

[@pheenmachine]

The sequel they were starting work on eventually became saints row

[@spidernelly7]

Aye I love when this channel brings back old games from my ps2 days

[@tomasprado1486]

Actually in the takagi level, You can escape faster without waiting 4 minutes, You need to interrogate an enemy that spawns in the kitchen, who's gonna to open the secret door. And in the second level if You talk with the woman in the chop shop, She's gonna to tell You to talk with the trucker, if You go, You can see a little reference of the first number of punisher "welcome Home Frank" Nice video by the way!

[@FIRESHARKTERMINATOR]

Amazing videos, the xmen legends 2 brought back so much nostalgia and made me realize i didn’t even beat the game when i was a kid. Me and my friend love the game and had no Tony was in it. Now im hooked on watched all your vids, great content!

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you I’m glad I helped! Tony is definitely a blast in that game and one of my favorites! Definitely try to unlock him next time you play 😃

[@FIRESHARKTERMINATOR]

@@alwaysnerdyretros sadly i never played the punisher game or owned it. But after the x men legends 2 video im tempted to buy a ps2 and buy these games. Especially to try to play alliance and legends with my buds. I really couldnt believe I didnt beat legends 2, i think seeing nemesis as a boss made me realize that. But the format of your vids are really awesome and engaging looking forward to more, thank you for the hard work!

[@SylvesterAshcroft88]

The art looks epic from punisher 2, considering it was only a rough draft, it gives me mgs vibes, especially the art for the character's in the manual of the game.

[@pheenmachine]

I can't find the video but Volition had released early test footage of what they were working on. It was going to be full open city with driving too. It eventually became Saints Row.

[@thetrueghost]

I have been binging on your videos lately, and I want to say how much I love them, that's it, keep up the awesome work 💪🏾

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you so much for commenting to tell me! It means a lot to me :)

[@thetrueghost]

@@alwaysnerdyretros I've also learned a lot of stuff frommy favorite games such as the X-Men Legends series and marvel ultimate alliance 3

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

@@thetrueghost That’s awesome!! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the channel. Thank you again for commenting. Positive comments like these help me maintain the motivation to do more :)

[@Johny40Se7en]

Cracking video, I was hooked right the way through. Don't worry too much about monotone, it's hard not to do that when you're talking about things and listing key details at the same time. Speaking of, Thomas Jane's voice acting was so awesome and fitting in this game. 1:16:52 Really glad you didn't neglect the wonderful, varied music too, many overlook it during reviews / retrospectives.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! I really appreciate your feedback 😃

[@pheenmachine]

The sountrack to this game is absolutely phenomenal. Those peeps swung for the fences and nailed it.

[@theoutlawking9123]

This is one of the Greatest Games ever made, it needs a remaster, remake, sequel, ANYTHING! The Punisher Deserves Justice!!! Also, Thomas Jane did a phenomenal job voicing Frank in this, he also voices Jonah Hex in a DC animated short that's included with the Batman: Under The Red Hood movie. He sounds so good as a badass anti-hero, whether it's Frank Castle or Jonah Hex!

[@derrickmiller9776]

I remember getting this game as a gift from my grandfather and playing nonstop on the og Xbox. This game was my childhood. It really sucks there may never be another good Punisher game made, at least not any time soon, not with the way Marvel is now. I can only hope.

[@yautja89]

This game was very ahead of its time, I feel it could've done well if it came after the evolution of the Gears of War cover shooter mechanic. Also some sort of health renewal would've been good, not CoD jam on the lense but maybe a Doom-esque health for murder mechanic.

[@lesterbronson2385]

This game needs a remake!

[@miggrezzy83]

Great content! Keep up the good work!

[@LarryHazard]

This game was like the hard boiled version of a game like Spider-Man for psx. They both found a way to tell a good story about the main character but also creating a world based on the comics thanks to all the cameos. I think these two plus maybe Hulk Ultimate Destruction were some of the best videogame adaptation of the marvel universe at the time.

[@Maxx________]

Man I wish I could play this one again. I remember playing through it several times when I had it on PS2 back in the day

[@Mister_Clean]

"I can't believe he let me live!" **gets fucking nuked 5 seconds later** Frank Castle is too cool

[@atlantajoe1734]

This game is the shit bro I recently bought it again especially with the cheats after I beat it

[@MLGorilla]

This game was an incredible and pivotal part of my childhood (My parents were pretty irresponsible when I was younger) I thought I was alone in having this memory.

[@stepniak18]

Fun facts: 1. Punisher and Black Widow eventually teams up again in an animated movie from 2014 'Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher'. 2. Teaming up with Nick Fury is probably a reference to the arcade game The Punisher where Nick Fury was playable "Player Two" character. 3. If you don't grant Takagi's wish and you don't kill him with the ceremonial katana, his 2 female bodyguards will start shooting at you instead of dropping their weapons. 4. Prison level is probably a tribute to the Punisher's first own comic series, named after the first issue 'The Circle of Blood', which starts with Punisher being in prison. Also not a fact but an opinion. I played both PC and PS2 versions of the game and it's extremely easy on PC. Probably because developers set the difficulty having the problematic aiming in minds. However, it's not the case on PC where you can be very precise with aiming using a mouse.

[@daseancedoesgeek2667]

Hell yea! This game was dope af. I love the the little things frank says when you scroll the menu

[@davidarredondo2017]

That score is just sublime

[@punchaduck6946]

Bro these early designs look sick! I don’t know who’d make fun of the artist for them, they’re amazing.

[@kennethlaurie7809]

I'm planning on marathon a lot of Marvel games from 2000's Spider-Man PS1 and and X-Men mutant academy to Insomiac's Spider-Man 2 so The Punisher is a game I absolutely can't wait to replay. This video just makes me want to get to it all sooner. Thank you for sharing the info for the unmade sequel and a great video overall.

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! That marathon sounds like so much fun too. I’m going to replay all those too, just much slower lol

[@sTiKmAnHAHAHA]

One Way Street is performed by Alex Berne. You can find different versions up on KZbin, unfortunately this specific version only seems to be available in the end credits.

[@samsdarkpassenger]

Found out about your channel some days ago, I dont use KZbin that much but your vids are worth watching, keep up with the great job

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

Thank you! I’ll try to keep them coming. Any particular games you’d like to see covered in the future?

[@samsdarkpassenger]

@@alwaysnerdyretros Thanks for answering me:) There was this game that I played when I was a kid and never got to finish it on Ps2, Wolverine's revenge, it was really hard to me, but probably I was just a dumb kid at the time, I dont know if you cover dc stuff too but there was a Batman begins tie-in game that I loved to play

[@alwaysnerdyretros]

@@samsdarkpassenger oh great suggestions! I had the same experience with wolverines revenge lol. That game was really tough. To the point I’m nervous to play it now 😆 I loved that batman begins game as a kid and I totally forgot about it until you mentioned. I’d love to cover that soon too. I’ll definitely discuss both, just not sure when yet. Thank you for the support and the great suggestions!