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Knockout Kings 2002

Score: 95%
ESRB: Teen
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Games
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Sports


Graphics & Sound:

I really believe EA Sports has found out what game systems like the Xbox are capable of when it comes to graphics and sound. The appearance of Knockout Kings 2002 is just that... a knock out. Player models were completely done over from a year ago. The boxers are bigger, have more expression on their faces, and get a lot bloodier as the match goes on. I instantly fell in love with the game the second my opponent's left eye shut from my sweet right hook. Of course, this was followed up with a huge uppercut to his jaw, which sent my opponents mouthpiece flying! I'm not kidding, the overall presentation style of the game truly won me over. There's even a great replay feature during the match for when somebody gets knocked down. Everything gets slow, and you'll see the final blow over and over again until the head hits the canvas. A big concern I had from a year ago was whether this year's version would contain a large amount of collision-detection flaws. Well, there are still times where a "phantom punch" may be thrown, but all in all, I didn't find too many whatsoever. Another quick note was the great animations: not just for the fights, but also for the talking referees and managers. Everything looked very realistic when it came to movements and actions.

Now the audio. To truly experience what Knockout Kings is all about, hook up your stereo speakers to the television, then crank the volume. This is no joke: body blows, jaw-breaking uppercuts, they all sound so real. Plus, the commentary follows the match for the most part, so you'll feel like you're watching an actual fight. Overall, this was some of the best sound effects I've heard in a long time. And the soundtrack is great too, highlighted with rap artist LL Cool J, making this section that much better.


Gameplay:

EA changed up a few things for KK 2002, including the game modes. For this year's version, there are only three main modes: Exhibition, Tournament, and Career. With any of these modes, you can be one of 45 different boxers, and fight your way to glory. With Tournament, you basically set up a bracket, and keep fighting until you're the champ, or until you lose. The highlight of the game is obviously Career, where you can either select a boxer already on the game, or create your own. You then fight your way up the ranks, building up your attributes (Power, Speed, Stamina, Chin, Heart, and Cut) after each victory. However, if you lose three matches throughout your career, you'll end up retiring sooner than you'd like. By the way, you can also use your created boxer for either Exhibition or Tourney, but make sure he's suitable to fight, and not just a lame duck.

Gameplay itself, if you haven't already figured it out, is awesome beyond belief. This is a game you and your friends will be playing for hours on end, talking trash before, during, and after the match. There are so many different types of boxers, you'll have no trouble finding one that suits your fighting style. Maybe you want Ali, who will kill anybody that steps into the ring. Or maybe you want a challenge by taking Butterbean, somebody that can take a punch, but takes an hour to deliver one himself. No matter what, this game rocks much better than last year's version.


Difficulty:

Knockout Kings 2002 has four different levels of difficulty: Amateur, Rookie, Pro, and Champion. The higher the level, the more often your opponent will block your punches, and then wail on you. And like I mentioned earlier, fights are also geared on who's fighting in the match. If your boxer can throw a series of combinations in a short amount of time, he may not be able to take as many blows. Something new to this year's game is the Offensive and Defensive Tutorials you can take. This shows you what button does what in a very simple manner. However, there's no way to practice on your own without stepping into the ring against an opponent and getting your brain beaten for a while.

Game Mechanics:

The gameplay actually falls into this category. During a fight, when your power bar is near the end, your controller will start shaking like mad until you're knocked down. I don't mean a little jiggle; I'm talking about your man is quaking in the knees. Besides this little added bonus, the rest of the section stands above everyone else. I liked the way the controller configuration fit my hands. I found very little difficulty in using multiple combination-punches. Plus, don't even worry about loading time or memory usage. Very little is used in both.

If you were at all disappointed with last year's showing, don't shy away from Knockout Kings 2002. Pound for pound, this is the best boxing game available.


-Red Dawg, GameVortex Communications
AKA Alex Redmann

Microsoft Xbox FIFA Soccer 2003 Microsoft Xbox Madden NFL 2003

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated