Boxing on the Box.
Written: Mar 13 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Graphics. Gameplay.
Cons: Audio. Replay.
The Bottom Line: Issa rental.
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| search66's Full Review: Knockout Kings 2002 for Xbox |
"Boxing games have always been "hit or miss" (no pun intended) and with the Xbox's first attempt at the sport it's a TKO."
Let's get it on!
Who can forget the boxing game that truly started it all? Mike Tyson's Punch Out! was truly the best boxing game ever released. Remember kids, this is before Tyson went postal and didn't eat people’s ears or legs. Years later the Sega Dreamcast came along and in their flagship releases of games; Ready 2 Rumble was introduced, and boxing was back.
The Knockout Kings series has been around for some time, but was always fairly mediocre. This year, their newest release was introduced on the Xbox and the PS2. While in the past Electronic Arts (the sports gurus) targeted the series as almost a simulation rather than an all out arcade slam. Luckily, EA Sports all but canned most of the simulation aspects and almost totally focused on the arcade style gameplay.
For those who prefer the all-out simulation flavor, Knockout Kings features a nice balance between arcade and simulation. Fighter choice is outstanding. With 45 possible characters to choose from, the variety is great. From the 45 total fighters, 20 of them are real fighters. The other 25 are fictional characters. One thing EA has always done well; was the customizable aspects of their sports games. This one is no different, and you can create your own boxer and enter them into the season.
When it comes to boxing games, it is a mixed bag when it's said and done. Since gameplay is always going to be fairly linear. You choose your game-mode (in this case: exhibition, tournament or career) and duke it out until you either win it all; or lose. Making a good boxing game, again, depends on the "feel" and "fun" of the whole thing. The physics are realistically portrayed, and player animations smooth as silk. Controlling your boxer is your standard fare. Your buttons consist of: left jab, left hook, right jab and right hook. To execute an uppercut, simply press a trigger button along with a button. What makes the controls a bit unique is the way they fashioned the use of the left analog controller. The stick is pressure sensitive and actions are dependant on how far/hard you push. For example: Pushing slightly left will cause your torso to lean left. If you fully push the stick left, it will cause your boxer to move left. These combinations allow you to juke-n-jibe, but still concentrate on knocking your opponent down.
The most important factor in the game (and in most boxing games) is timing. Effectively blocking, and countering is crucial to the success of your character. I found that going at an all out frenzy, will drain my stamina and basically be hitting a brick wall. While I respect good A.I. within sports game, much of the fun was taken away from the adaptive learning curve that the opponents have. I experimented a good bit with the A.I.. One entire round, I did nothing but jabs. The next round I tried to do the same thing. The computer blocked every jab I threw. The third round I threw almost nothing but uppercuts. They landed about 75% of the time. This technique is fairly effective, but highly not fun. For true boxing fans, they might appreciate the depth of the block, block, block, block, hit of the game; however for me, I was hoping for a wee more action. While its not the most simmy game I've played, it was more than I anticipated, but not as bad as the previous in the series. Overall, the A.I. is respectable, although somewhat frustrating at times.
The multiplayer aspects are surprisingly good. Enter a tournament, and follow your players through the ranks, or just battle it out head-to-head. Other details such as the optional health meters, prove to be a great asset within the game. I found it much more intense to have the meters off, because it made you play with a greater passion. Since the game incorporates "real" boxers (past and present), there trademark moves have also been added to add some nice finishing touches. I also thought the various camera angles proved to be a successful idea. Each camera angle gives a totally different feel and totally different style of game. I preferred the first person view, but also found the 3/4 view to be equally as impressive.
Give 'em the 'ole one, two
On a visual standpoint, the 3D character models are flawlessly done. Hoping for a step up from the PS2 version; both are nearly identical. I appreciated the dynamically changes that took place during the matches. Facial expressions were effected by the games events, and if your guy took a beating; you could really see the damage that was done. Visuals also play a vital role in the game, by actually reading the expressions and demeanor of your opponent. Watching where they look, whether they look fatigued or are foaming at the mouth; all of these factor into winning a bout. The physics are near perfect, with fluid animation and hit contact. Landing a crushing blow will cause a chain-reaction that would be seen if you really did hit someone.
One of the biggest downfalls of Knockout Kings is the mundane and boring audio track. Old school L.L. Cool J provides some tunage, and Larry Michael and Max Kellerman provide the color commentary. The commentary was fairly bland and overly repetitive. The soundtrack was un-inspired and also repetitive. Sound effects were decently done, but I was hoping that EA would have taken advantage of the Xbox's custom soundtrack feature.
66 Says:
I can summarize the game up in one word: RENTAL. This is an ideal weekend renter for yourself or even for a group of buddies. The gameplay and graphics were solid, but it didn’t' quite keep me excited for more than an hour at a time. The tournament mode was fun, and there is a ton of matches to attend, all at real stadiums that were true-to-life. Small touches like this made the game enjoyable. However, the lack of any "special" moves and with a bland commentary; the game will gather dust on your shelf in about a week.
Gameplay: [8]
Easy to pick up and easy to move on. Depending on the difficulty setting you put on, also depends on the simulation factor. The harder the games settings are on, the more of a simulation it becomes.
Graphics: [8]
Some of the best character models you will ever see. Great lighting effects, and the detail was superb. The camera angles also produced some nice gaming effects; which you should really check out. Aside from the shady replay, the games graphics are solid.
Audio: [6]
This is a perfect reason why all Xbox titles should incorporate the custom soundtrack option. Sure the sound effects were good, but second-rate rap isn't my forte. Not to mention the bumbling commentary duo.
Replay: [6]
There really is a ton of stuff to do, and to beat the game it will take you a full 10 hours... But, more than likely, this game will hit the streets before you hit the top. Multiplayer was a good deal of fun, but even then the game loses it flavor faster than you can say punch-out.
Overall: [7]
Hey, this is a decent release for the XB and the PS2. It's an ideal rental, but would never justify a $50 purchase. Look for this at Blockbuster or at HALF.com...
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
search66
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Location: Maryland
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