Knockout Kings 2003
Score: 90% ESRB: Teen Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Games Media: GCD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Fighting/ Sports
Graphics & Sound: As long as there have been video games, there have been boxing video games. Until now, Punch-Out on the NES was looked at as the boxing game to beat, resulting in a string of arcade boxing games, making it hard for sim fans to find a 'real' boxing game. Fan prayers were soon answered in the form of Knockout Kings from EA. While not a full out boxing sim (since that could get a tad boring), KK offers the same EA blend of arcade and simulation, making for an extremely fun game. Graphically, this is one of the most impressive games in the series. Each of the boxers looks incredibly life-like and move exactly like their real life counterpart. Sharp-eyed gamers will even be able to pick out details such as realistic cloth textures and facial expressions. The fighters even sweat and realistically bruise, which not only help to make the game look that much better, but also give you an idea of where your opponents weaknesses are. The arenas are spectacular to look at, but as is the usual in EA sports games, the crowd looks very flat and detracts from the immersiveness of the entire experience. When it comes to sound, KK 2003 is packed with the familiar grunts and punch sounds you'd expect in boxing game. The soundtrack consists of the now standard rap and hip-hop songs, but unlike other EA games, none stand out as particularly noteworthy.
Gameplay: Career mode is the main feature in Knockout Kings 2003 and, as if you couldn't guess from the title, it has you create a boxer and work your way through the ranks until you win the championship. As you progress through the mode, you will fight made up boxers in order to gain rankings which lead to fights with real boxers such as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Rocky Marciano. Fighters who are able to go really high on the ranking ladder will even get a shot at top championship fighters like Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Sonny Liston. The Create a Boxer mode is fun, but a tad limited. Most of the boxers are already pre-loaded and only allow you to choose things like skin color, facial hair, and outfits. Of course, this didn't stop me from creating a near-perfect version of Little Mac from Punch-Out!, but I would have liked a few more options. For those whose tastes lean more towards the arcade side of things, KK 2003 also offers a Slugfest mode which is more of a survival mode than a true boxing match. Unlike normal matches, Slugfest matches aren't divided into rounds, but instead end when one boxer is knocked down three times. After this, another boxer will enter the ring and start a new fight. In order to help balance things out, there are power-ups such as fire gloves, super speed, and double damage, as well as health bonuses for hitting your opponent in a certain spot or blocking a certain number of punches. As you do more damage to your opponent, a 'hit tracker' goes up. Once this meter is filled, your boxer can perform a special hit that KOs your opponent.
Difficulty: Knockout Kings 2003 is more arcade that sim, which leads to a little less strategy and a lot more fighting. Most of your matches will revolve around beating the pulp out of your opponent rather than carefully choosing when to punch and when to block. On the plus side, this gives the game a quicker, more exciting pace but it can also lead to simple button mashing contests. This is one of the first EA games that I didn't give me problems with the AI. Each of the difficulty levels, as well as the AI of each boxer, has a nice slope to them and don't have the tendency of getting too hard, too fast or pulling cheap moves at opportune times.
Game Mechanics: The controls are very intuitive and work well with the GC controller. Each of the buttons is mapped out in just the right spot and gives you maximum control, regardless of the situation. One of the ways EA was able to achieve such a flexible and easy to use control scheme stems from the fact that your boxer is always locked on his opponent. Instead of forcing you to constantly readjust your fighter as he moves around the ring, it's automatically done for you. Pressing hard on any of the directions causes your fighter to move, while lightly tapping allows him to bob and weave. This is possibly the hardest thing to master, but after a few rounds, even this becomes second nature. Overall, Knockout Kings 2003 is a well rounded and well done package. Nearly everything is where it needs to be, making for a fun game. Combining the awesome graphics and the challenging, yet fun game play, KK is a must have for any boxing fan.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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