Knockout Kings
Reviewed by Greatest One
Boxing games are a rarity for the new consoles. This could
be attributed to the fact that boxing is generally a very
boring sport. Unless you really understand the science, it
will seem just like two guys trying to beat each other up.
Therefore it is hard to make a boxing game that is both
realistic and fun.
EA's Knockout Kings tends to side with the realism part
more, but it still is pretty fun. The game consists of a
bunch of past and present greats like Ali, Marciano, De La
Hoya and Lennox Lewis (No Mike Tyson). The title bouts even
has Mills Lane as the refree.
The career mode requires you to create a boxer and move him
up the ranks to get closer to the gold. After each fight,
you get to train your boxer to try and increase his speed or
power. After you defeat enough guys in your weight category,
you get a shot at the title. If you win, you have to defend
your belts against a few boxers before you can retire.
This game has an interesting slugfest mode, which is like an
arcade mode type. In this mode there are no rules,
headbutting and low blows are all legal. You throw bigger
punches and there are harder knockdowns. This mode is
actually pretty fun.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game gets pretty boring soon.
After you beat the career mode once, you have seen
everything there is to see. Even the multiplayer isn't that
much fun. That can be attributed to boxing's boringness, though.
Graphics: 8.
The boxers look pretty realistic and Mills Lane looks very
real. During the entrances, there should have been more
audience members around the boxer, or maybe his trainers.
The way the battered boxers' faces swell up is pretty cool.
Sound: 5.
The commentary is very repititive. Other than Mills Lane,
there is just one generic ref. The music is average.
Gameplay: 5.
Nothing complicated here. Three punch buttons, one block
button and a few dodge buttons. The career mode is pretty
easy and soon I was able to beat heavyweights using
lightweights.
Replay Value: 4.
Unless you really love boxing, there isn't much reason to
play this game over and over.
Overall: 6 out of 10
Making a boxing game realistic sacrifices some of the fun
factor. This game is fun for a while, but gets boring soon.
