Customer Reviews

Knockout Kings 2001

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was anticipating this one for awhile, as the release date was pushed back multiple times, which initially caused me to worry, "Are they pushing it back because it's so awful they dare not release it?" Well, KK2k1 is finally here, and the wait was worth it.

This series always had so much potential in its earier incarnations. But the boxers were always too unresponsive, play was too slow, and sometimes the AI was a little too brutal to the point where what was meant to be a boxing sim turned into a Ready To Rumble style arcade slugfest. Well, fear not, as the control problems have been solved, and we are left to gaze upon the best modern console boxing game available.

KK2k1 has TONS of real guys in all 3 weight classes: Ali, Frazier, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Butterbean (!), Hagler, Camacho, De La Hoya, Spadifora, Julio Cesar Chavez, Hurricane Carter (from the movie "The Hurricane,") Jake LaMotta (from the Deniro film "Raging Bull,") Rocky Marciano, Frank Bruno, Alexis Arguello, Ike Quartey, Pernelll "Sweet Pea" Whitaker, Jack Dempsey, and even more that I can't remember right now. Not to mention the female boxers. The roster is almost perfect (Though no Tyson, he's got his own really awful boxing game on PS1, and no George Foreman.) There are even a few hidden characters, like Oakland A's slugger Jason Giambi.

There are several modes available to fit all tastes. Slugfest mode basically echos the Ready To Rumble series, you take 2 boxers, with a very close camera view, and you just wail on one another. Exhibition mode pits any two real boxers against one another (regardless of weight class.) Career mode is the best though. You create your own boxer, then put him through a series of fights, just like in the old Punch-Out for NES. The guys you fight in that mode are classics! An old gray-haired guy with the nickname of "Old Bones," and other colorful characters. The fights start out easy, against no-names in sleazy corner fight joints. Then they progress to longer bouts in more impressive venues against real opponents. You not only get to customize yor boxer, but you also get to choose your gym, and your training team, each of which gives you between-match points to build your character's ability levels. There are also training sessions between matches that supply you with more points to better yourself. Very realistic, and very fun. The last mode is a "Fantasy Fight" mode that pits real boxers (often of different time periods) against one another in "what might have been" scenarios.

As for the gameplay, it is top-rank. Each boxer will have punches that work for him. As far as traits go, some boxers are speedy, some have awesome stamina, or maybe great power, some have sturdy chins that take a beating, and some get cut very easily. The combinations make every fighter different, and you have to know what they do/don't do well so you can plan accordingly. Wailing away at the head of someone with a 99 rating for Chin will be like wailing away at a brick wall. Each fighter has strengths and weaknesses that must be found and exploited. This includes your champ as well.

There are 4 basic punches mapped to the four buttons: jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. Body punches are achieved by holding L2 and hitting those same buttons. There are many different punch combos to utilize, some work better than others depending on your boxer. The control is very easy to learn, yet takes time to master. It isn't nearly as difficult to dance around the ring as before, but if there is one problem with the game, it is the same one that has plagued this series from the beginning: getting out. It is easy to come in and land punches, but backing up to get out isn't always as responsive as you would like it to be, resulting sometimes in your opponent getting a parting shot that wouldn't have landed if the control had moved your guy when you told it to. But other than minor control stickiness like that, there is really nothing bad to be found.

There are real fight venues (Madison Square Garden, Caesar's Palace, Wembley UK) real referees (Mills Lane) real ring announcers and real commentators that make other EA Sports games sound ultra-lame in comparison .... No doubt about it, this game is the pinnacle of boxing titles. It has all the realism of a real fight and all the fun of the best console boxing games to come before it. Did I mention the great soundtrack from rappers that can actually rap? Well, it's got that too .... This game has everything going for it, and gamers like me that have been waiting for a good boxing game for ages will eat this up. 2001's first "must-have" PS2 title.

Let me start off by saying that this is a FAR superior game to the newly released KO Kings 2002. The controls are great, you can actually choose to throw a punch to the body (unlike KO 2002)and the graphics are great. You really feel likwe you are boxing. KO Kings 2002 is nothing but a button mashing mess with no skill or control, plus a virtually non-existent career mode. The career mode in this game is one area that could have been improved (but thank goodness it is not half as bad as 2002) there is a very limited create a fighter feature, and only 17 contenders to face as you climb the ladder. There is also long and frequent loads. yet, again, after playing (and returning KO 2002) I am so grateful for what this game does have and really love the actual gameplay.

This game is visually and responsively pretty good, the graphics and gameplay are very good. However the major drawback of this game is all the loading time. It loads before the game, after the introductions, between rounds and after the fight when the decision is made. The Boxers come to the ring with no enterage and no robe. When you knock out someone in real life the ref doesn't take both boxers to the center of the ring for the decision (do the people who design these games even watch boxing??). Also you can't fight created boxers in exibition mode or against eachother. One last thing, the damage to your opponents is very limited. You can hardly see the cuts, there is no drippings of blood and very little swelling of the eyes or face. Overall the game is pretty disappointing, especially with the supposed enhancements of PS2. (Rent before you buy!!!!)

I was amazed at how fun this game was; it has a lot going for it: good graphics (although not spectacular), awesome career mode, loads of fighters, realistic boxing (ie: use strategy to win) and punches. The downside? Loading takes forever (even between cutscenes!), maddeningly difficult at times (when you fight legends, for example, even if you have the best possible fighter, your opponent will still throw and land punches faster than you).

Overall, I highly recommend it, especially as a change of pace from the ultra-unrealistic Tekken and SF series. A thinking man's fighting game!

So far i have been pretty disappointed with the ps2 and their lack of quality games. I know there are a lot more good games on the way such as GT3,MSG, etc... but thus far i haven't seen one must buy game. Some people will say madden is the greatest game ever, but they have obviously never played NFL2k1 for DC and rigth now i am a little disappointed i traded in my DC. But knockout kings has been the only game so far that i have taken a real liking too. anyone claiming that the ps version is just as good obviously has no clue about boxing and should be playing ready to rumble. first here's the good: the boxer's graphics are absolutely stunning and even in slo-mo you can see a nasty cut open or a mouthpiece come flying out. the game play is VERY realistic, unlike other versions. on the ps version you could just win by clinching and repeatedly pounding a guy, here you have to use strategy; counterpouching, blocking, ducking and jabbing are all used effectively and are usually necessary to win unless you have a big time tysonesque slugger. if you go into a match with a better opponent and just start mashing buttons, you will get clobbered as you should. the ability to throw good combinations in this game is also a great bonus, and i don't mean hitting random buttons quickly. they are also 3 distict boxing styles and unlike other games each style carries with it different strengths and various forms of punches. KK's features many of the greatest boxers ever including even the newest of champs and rising stars but still no tyson(damn them). also kk's has one of the best soundtracks i have heard in a while..... now the bad. this is a pretty short list; yes loading time is a bit long, especially for a high powered system like this but it is not something that takes attention away from the game at all. although the boxers and the stadiums are beautifully detailed, the crowd is one of those generic "let's take the same 6 cardboard cut-outs and fill the whole arena with them" crowds. the only other thing i can find wrong with this game is that the career mode is a bit short. although the number of star boxers in the game is great, the amount of lesser knowns available to fight on your way to the top is very limited, most boxers aren't fighting david tua or vernon forrest in thier 10th pro fight. i was hoping that at least you could continue to fight the good boxers again but you basically get to fight eveyone in that weight division once (if you win) and will finish roughly 20-0, i feel added lower class boxers and challenger rematches would have greatly helped this department. So overall i have to say that the those few probs are not nearly enough to lessen the great qualities of the game, in my opinion it is definitly worth buying but might be better to rent first(for you R2R,blitz losers who have no clue about real sports). The game is mostly free of minor inconviences and seems well designed. i say forget the other pieces of trash that are out right now (including all the terrible baseball games) and get this to tie you over until the summer frenzy starts...enjoy!!

For all the hype in previous reviews about this being the "Best boxing game ever made" this game sure has alot of flaws. First of all thats a pretty bold statement to make especially when this game lacks many of the features of its predecessor, the original Knockout Kings from 1999. In the career mode you have just 4 or 5 faces to choose from, unlike in the original Knockout Kings where a huge selection of trunks, hairstyles, and faces were at the gamers disposal for creating the ideal fighter. And why retire the fighter after he wins the title? Why not let him go deeper into career mode? Sure, the graphics in this game are improved but the hard hitting shots and sounds are lacking, making this a game that you easily get bored of. Sure there is a nice selection of fighters and they are recreated nicely here what with the amazing graphics of the PS2 but you just dont feel the exitement that you did in the original. In the original you could feel your player hit the canvas when he was knocked down. You could feel your player get rocked after a hard shot that stunned him, I just dont see those features here, and as a matter of fact its a mystery to me why Electronic Arts takes away many good features of their games each year, theyre supposed to improve on their flaws not completely change a nearly perfect game. The slugfest mode is a joke and is more attractive to people who like arcade games not serious boxing. The loading times in this game are atrocious. There is a huge loading time between every round and this ruins the game. There is no flow in a game that stops to load after every round. Too many flaws for a game that is supposedly claiming to be "The best boxing game ever". It will be lucky to crack the top 3.....

I have been a boxing fan of video games since the original atari's came out. I enjoyed Knockout Kings 2001 graphics, different boxers and the ability to create your own boxer. You see mouth piece's flying out, blood and everything. The only drawback I see is it takes a while to load. But it is worth the wait. The punch combos are great, and the training bouts really help you figure out the combos. If you are a boxing game fan, this is the game!

I remember playing intelevision boxing back in the early 80s thinking "This has got to be the worst piece of mess that I've ever seen". Then I played Punch out on Nentindo in the late 80s and then Nentindo came out with a Middlewieght Boxing game in the early 90s that was at best "OK". After playing these games I thought that the possibility of ever playing or seeing a high quality boxing game was null and void.....That is until the KNOCK OUT KINGS series. Needless to say this series is excellent. It's the JOHN MADDEN of Boxing Games. It a game that will be the model for future boxing games.....and it just keeps getting better and better. The Latest version of KK is by far THE BEST BOXING GAME EVERY MADE. Most of the all-time greats are represented in this game people like HEAVEYWEIGHTS MUHAMMAD ALI,JOE FRAZIER,KEN NORTON,LARRY HOLMES,ARCHIE MOORE,FLOYD PATTERSON ECT. MIDDLEWIEGHTS...SUGAR RAY ROBINSON,MARVIN HAGLER,SUGAR SHANE MOSELY,SUGAR RAY LEONARD,ROBERTO DURAN ECT. LIGHTWEIGHTS...ARRON PRYOR, ALEXIS ARGUELLO, HECTOR CAMACHO, DANNY LITTEL RED LOPEZ ECT. It has an excellent Career Mode where you can retire your boxer. This game kicks butt. It's a must buy....and again the best boxing game ever....that is until KK 2002?

When making a new edition of a game it has become customary to add to previous editions. EA Sports has obviously ignored that standard and not only not added anything new to this game but has ommited so many options that game is actually worse than the original Knockout Kings for PS1. I don't even know where to start, so why not with the graphics. Ignore the fancy images you see on the box or maybe in magazines, the game doesn't look any better than just a higher resolution version of it's PS1 counterpart. They are nowhere near what EA has accomplised with it's other PS2 games, like Madden, NHL or even SSX. And that's just the beginning. The create a boxer option is so limited, you have a total of six different looks for a boxer. That's right, only six. You can't choose whether you want a certain skin color with a certain hair style mixed with a certain face. Even the original KK had an almost unlimited create a boxer range, and that game came out three years ago. As far as gameplay, why bother. All you have to do is use the same combinations over and over again to knock out an opponent. Hardly a challenge. And the career mode is a joke. Even if you win the title, after three defenses of the belt the game retires the boxer. That's not a career. There's no reply value in that. What about defending the title until your boxer gets old and his skills deteriorate and it's actually a challenge to keep winning. The way it is now, your boxer will be a skill level of 100 on all abilities by the time he wins the championship and is unbeatable even against Ali. I knocked him out in the 5th the first time I fought him. The career mode is the equivalent of playing Madden without a franchise option. Who cares if you win the Super Bowl if you can't defend the trophy. It is obvious that EA held out so many options on this game because they figured while lacking what it's PS1 versions have it's for the PS2 and they can add those opions next year to justify making a 2002 edition. If that's the case, you might as well skip this version and wait for next year. Just load up your PS1 KK 2000, adjust your PS1 browser to run at fast speed and smooth out the graphics, and you have a much better game that doesn't look that much different, and has a lot less load times throughout the game. A truly disappointing effort, and because of it I will never buy another version of Knockout Kings. I sold it back three days after I bought it for half the price I bought it for, so I lost half my money on a game to a company that didn't even have the decency to put half an effort into the game. It's a low blow.

i bought this game last night and its the best. this game isnt your ... arcade boxing game like ready to rumble this is a great sim