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GC

North America

Knockout Kings 2003

by Andy Dursin - November 4, 2002, 9:51 pm EST

8.5

EA shows some love for the GameCube with the festive new installment in their acclaimed Knockout Kings boxing franchise. Andy says this fighter's got all the sweet moves for gaming goodness. Check out the full review!

EA's Knockout Kings franchise has made it to the GameCube just in time to claim its prize as the console's best boxing title. OK, check that -- right now it's the only boxing game on the 'Cube, so it's winning the title by default at the moment.

However, even though there may be a dearth of competition for this highly addictive and polished ring brawler, the truth is that you couldn't ask for a better boxing title than Knockout Kings.

This 2003 edition -- exclusive to the GameCube, in fact -- is apparently more of a "Knockout Kings 2002.5" to some degree, but that shouldn't bother any sports fan from picking up the 'Cube's inaugural boxing game.

EA's title is very straightforward in approach: this is boxing, my friends, pure and simple. It boasts a mix of historical and fictional fighters, the ability to create your own boxer, a terrific single-player Career mode, a more over-the-top Slugfest option, and nearly a dozen venues to fight in.

The game doesn't really offer much more than that -- well, sure, I'd say there's room for future enhancements, but the gameplay itself is fine-tuned, the boxing a superb blend of arcade action and sim realism, the graphics beautifully put together.

Indeed, it's all about the boxing, and right off the bat -- regardless of which mode you're playing -- Knockout Kings scores a knockout for its easy-to-learn, intuitive controls. The buttons on the GC controller correspond to different punches: B for a left hook, X for a right, A for a jab, and Y for a cross. The trigger buttons function both for defense (L) and uppercuts (R), while the Z button is mapped for each fighter's respective specialized punch. Various combinations of the Z button with the L, R, and B buttons give you the option of pulling off non-essential moves like low blows, taunts, and illegal backhands (alas, there's no "biting off your opponent's ear" option, as Mike Tyson has a licensed game of his own).

Moving around the ring may take a little more getting used to. Slightly tilting the control stick will make you fighter bob, weave, and dodge punches, while pressing harder on the stick will enable your man to move freely about the ring, either to challenge your opponent or back down from his massive flurry. After a few rounds of Knockout Kings, you'll find yourself easily adapted to the controls and ready to spar with any and all participants.

If you're playing alone, the Career mode offers a fine single-player experience. After creating your own boxer from a set number of physical and fighting attributes (assigning points in various categories), you start out on the bottom rung and work your way up by taking on opponents of increasing strength.

Admittedly, there's not a whole lot to the Career mode: there are no training options, just results following each match and the ability to distribute accumulated points to your fighter's attributes (depending on how well your last fight went). How quickly you can fight again and improve your record, though, depends on what kind of beating you took in your last match, so there can be a bit of a waiting period while your fighter regains his strength.

The computer AI in this mode, as it is throughout the game, is awfully good. Your opponent will block a fair amount of punches and sling a few nasty combos at you when you least expect it. Obviously, the difficulty level plays a major role in Knockout Kings, as the higher it's set, the more punches the CPU will throw and the quicker its reaction time will be. Suffice it to say, the hardest level is near-impossible, so setting it on Pro (after spending some time on Rookie) is your best bet for a satisfying mix of challenge and fun. Overall, the Career mode offers a solid gaming experience, and with Knockout Kings offering those robust skill levels, solo players should get a lot of mileage out of the title.

There are also simple Exhibition and Tournament modes here that should particularly appeal to multiplayer usage. You choose from your own boxer or one of the all-time greats (from Ali to Frazier, Lewis to Marciano) and duke it out, with each boxer offering his own trademark moves and sparring rhythms.

Knockout Kings 2003 also boasts a new mode exclusive to this GameCube-only release: Slugfest. As you may guess, this is a more over-the-top arcade mode that disposes of traditional boxing rules and pits fighters against one another in a mode resembling a typical fighting game. You fight without rounds, ending when you or opponent scores a TKO or knockout.

Along the way, you receive points for each punch you land. As you build your score, you'll enhance your total when achieving a knockdown, etc., and unlock special punches and bonuses (like health replenishments and extra points). For example, the game will ask players to land a certain kind of punch within a set time limit, and whoever does first will nail a bonus. A total of eight different punches, meanwhile, will unlock a "super" punch, provided you land the four shots to the head and four to the body of your opponent (these are tracked by a meter at the bottom of the screen). Points accumulated can then be carried over into successive bouts. Slugfest is, as you might anticipate, a lot of fun for multi-player entertainment, as it is less structured and more colorful than the standard boxing setting.

Graphically, Knockout Kings offers tremendously articulated fighter movement, achieved through hand-drawn animation and motion capture technology. The fighters move at a rock-steady framerate: there are no herky-jerky movements or boxers who look like they're ballet dancing while trying to avoid jabs. Replay is available at all times, though the slow-motion makes some of the big punches look more like brushes than actual hits.

The various venues range from London's Wembley Arena to Las Vegas's Caesars Palace, with a few fictional arenas (like a jail cell!) thrown into the mix for good measure. The crowd animation and location backdrops are nowhere near as well-rendered as the fighters are, but because you'll have your eyes focused on your opponent and not the stands, you won't find that to be any kind of distraction.

The only aspect of the game that could use some polish is the audio. Max Kellerman and Larry Michael provide the commentary, but it's a repetitive, incessant play-by-play that grows tiresome after a few bouts. The soundtrack isn't quite as bad as "EA Trax", but it does offer some hip-hop tracks that become grating after a while. I'd rather hear Bill Conti's anthem from "Rocky" any day of the week (which you'll be able to do, incidentally, once that title arrives on GameCube by the end of 2002).

Overall, I am highly impressed with Knockout Kings 2003. The boxing is fast and fun, and the game is highly polished in both its game play and visual aspects. There aren't a ton of different modes here, but the ones included are more than satisfying enough to keep players coming back for one more round time and time again.

Score

Graphics Sound Control Gameplay Lastability Final
8.5 7 8.5 8.5 8 8.5
Graphics
8.5

The fighters are marvelously articulated thanks to hand-drawn animation and motion capture technology. The game moves at a smooth, consistent frame-rate with only some bland backgrounds and crowds being a very minor letdown.

Sound
7

Tiresome, repetitive commentary and bland crowd noise prove to be one of Knockout Kings' only drawbacks (and a fairly minor one all told). Typical hip-hop music may wear you down while navigating menu screens.

Control
8.5

The controls aren't too complicated and seem to be a fine match with the GameCube controller. You'll be sparring with the best in no time!

Gameplay
8.5

Fast, fun, addictive boxing mixes arcade-like thrills with realistic boxing action. The result is a terrific engine that should appeal to a wide diversity of players, with traditional and arcadey Slugfest modes available for whatever your persuasion happens to be. For solo players, the Career mode offers a superb challenge.

Lastability
8

Multi-player boxing addicts will undoubtedly find this to be their game of choice on the GameCube for some time to come. The Career mode isn't amazingly in-depth, but the varying skill levels should keep single players coming back for more as well.

Final
8.5

Knockout Kings 2003 is a polished effort from EA on nearly every level. At its core, though, is a solid game of boxing that should appeal to purists and old-time Punchout! addicts equally. While I'm sure future editions of the game will include a more diverse set of modes to choose from, it's hard to imagine that the core game play could be any more refined than it already is here. It's a knockout! (You knew I was going to say that, right? ;)

Summary

Pros
  • Great graphics, well-rendered fighters
  • Satisfying Career mode for single players
  • Terrific blend of arcade action and boxing simulation
Cons
  • Play-by-play commentary is repetitive and tedious
  • The game could use more modes and options
Review Page 2: Conclusion

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Genre Sports
Developer Electronic Arts
Players1 - 2

Worldwide Releases

na: Knockout Kings 2003
Release Oct 09, 2002
PublisherElectronic Arts
RatingTeen

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