Boxing Fever
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Majesco Developer: Digital Fiction, Inc. Media: Cart/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Miscellaneous
Graphics & Sound: Okay, let's just get this out of the way - Boxing Fever looks impressive. Yeah, I know, you see that screenshot and say 'StarScream, what are you smoking?' Trust me, once you see the game in motion, your jaw will drop. I don't know what kind of engine Digital Fiction threw together, but it looks like a cel-shaded sprite...okay, so I can't describe it. All of the boxers are animated very fluidly and look great! The backgrounds look just as good, and resemble a blurry old photo; it adds a lot of charm to the game. My only problem is the dizzying move the camera makes when you knock your opponent down. I think they were trying to recreate the boxer jumping up and down in excitement, but the result just gets you seasick. There's not a lot to say about the sound department. The music is just okay, but nothing you will catch yourself humming in the shower. The announcer's voice is a little strange - it sounds great, but for some reason or another he becomes your ring-man during fights, shouting words of encouragement to you. It's strange, but nice to hear.
Gameplay: Okay, you're a boxer and uhm, you box. There's not much of a story here, you just pick one of ten boxers and then take your disembodied boxing gloves through the different ranks. Be careful who you choose though. Do you want the slow powerhouse, or the quick lightweight? I suggest spending some time in the Training mode before going into the Championship mode not only to learn the game, but to learn about the different 'styles' and find what you're comfortable with. In addition to your regular jabs, you can perform special punches, but doing so requires you to charge up punches and leaves you open for attacks. It would have been great if you could dizzy your opponent, like in other boxing games, and then unleash the special, but sadly that is not the case. The structure of Championship mode is probably the biggest downer of the game. Instead of making you go through the ranks, you can start in any class you want from the start. Having you unlock these modes would have added a lot more replay value to the game. There's also an added Survival mode, but I found it to get old quick. The real star of Boxing Fever, however, is the two-player link mode; so find a friend, link up, and beat each other into oblivion.
Difficulty: As with most games, Boxing Fever is hard if you try to pick it up and beat it. But after completing the Training mode, get ready. As I eluded to earlier, you can choose between different circuits, each more difficult that the last. If you go through the circuits in the way they are meant to be done, there is a very nice learning curve - but for the brave ones, by all means have fun going for the top title.
Game Mechanics: Boxing Fever's controls are set up in a very easy to use manner. A & B control your left and right punches, while pressing up or down will control whether they are high or low. The shoulder buttons allow you to shift out of the way. It's very intuitive and fits the frantic paces of the matches wonderfully. Once you are down, rapidly pressing B will get your man up, unless his stamina bar is red. Do I recommend it? If you really like boxing games, sure - but those looking to recapture the Punch-Out experience may want to try it out before buying. The single player mode is fun for awhile, but unless you have someone to link-up with and play with - the game gets old.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Baseball Advance Breath of Fire II