Knockout Kings

by Playstation

Product Features

• EA Sports
• Playstation

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000IKQD
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 25, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,300 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Knockout Kings is not only the first boxing game released here in the States for the PlayStation, but is also the most accurate representation of the sport of boxing in a video game to date, though it still has plenty of room for improvement. One area that doesn't need any improvement is its authenticity. The game has 38 boxers from the light, middle, and heavyweight divisions from the past and present including Evander Holyfield, Ike Quartey, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moore, Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya, "Sugar" Ray Leonard, and Muhammad Ali. For even further authenticity the designers have included real-life venues to fight at like Caesar's Palace and Madison Square Garden.

You can select from three modes of play. Exhibition allows you to pick your favorite fighters and go at it. Slugfest, which is an arcade-style mode, allows you to pick any two fighters from any weight division and slug it out in a match with exaggerated knockdowns and punches. The career mode lets you create your own boxer from scratch and try to take him from the bottom of the ranks to the top for a shot at the title. In this mode you have 30 generic fighters that you must face. Before each fight you can select what type of training you would like to do. You can select between working the heavy bag, which improves your power, or hitting the speed bag, which helps your speed. Unfortunately, this is merely something to watch for a minute.

Visually, Knockout Kings is simple but effective. The fighters are made up of 3D polygons, but they don't look like the typical boxy polygonal characters we see in most games. Instead, the fighters have smooth, realistic-looking bodies, with shoulder and elbow joints that work accurately. The animations of the punches, knockdowns, taunts, and general ring movement also look great. Also, most of the fighters look like their real-life counterparts, not only in facial features but also in body size and motion. The only negative aspect of the graphics is the crowd, which is basically just a still picture. Although the sound of a roaring audience almost makes that still image come to life.

All of the sound effects are fairly accurate. The punches, referee, and fighters' grunts are all pretty good. But what makes Knockout Kings sound so real are the real voices of Al Albert and Sean O'Grady of Tuesday Night Fights fame, who provide commentary during the matches, though their vocabulary is unfortunately a bit on the limited side, as they pretty much just stick to saying "nice (insert name of punch here)" again and again. Knockout Kings also has the voice talents of ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. and referee Mills Lane as a nice touch for big fights. When you're climbing the ranks you have generic refs and ring announcers that work the matches.

On the control side of things the game feels a bit sticky because you have to get used to the amount of time that it takes for the animations of different punches. But once you get the hang of how the fighters move around the ring, it's not a problem. However, the game only has three control configurations. And the simulation control setup isn't what I would consider an ideal setup. The D-pad handles ring movement, you have a left jab button, right cross button, body blow button, and an uppercut button. You can pull off little preset combos, power hooks, and low blows by holding a shoulder button while pressing another button. You can even head-butt your opponent (no, there's no ear biting). When defending, you can block high and low, bob and weave, duck, clinch, and shove your opponent away. All of these moves are executed by hitting various button and D-pad combinations. While the preset button configurations get the job done, it would have been better if you could assign specific punches to the button of your choice. The AI of the computer boxers is fairly decent. As in real life, there are two main types: boxers and punchers. Toward the top of the ranks the opposition gets a little tougher, since each opponent seems to be able to hurt you with just about any punch and is nearly impervious to damage.

Overall, Knockout Kings is the best representation of the sport of boxing in a game so far. Although it is missing some of the little nuances of real boxing. It's easier for a die-hard boxing fanatic to see all of the little things it could have done a touch better; like parrying, working the angles, and punching power balance. The casual boxing fan probably won't notice and will think that it's the best boxing game of all time. Which is true, though it's still missing a few things that keep it from being the perfect boxing sim. Any boxing fan will love Knockout Kings, and being one myself, I just hope that Electronic Arts continues the series and keeps making it better. --Ryan Mac Donald
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very fun when playing against an equally matched friend, November 15, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Knockout Kings (Video Game)

Let's start with the good things about this game. KK gives an enormous array of professional boxers to choose from, both past and present. Each boxer is rendered pretty true to form. The controls for the game are fairly straight forward, and can be memorized in a matter of minutes. This game is very exciting to play against a friend of the same skill level. However, this game really lacks when fighting the computer. Because the computer basically has incredible defense, and you basically can't block anything, you have to throw 3 or 4 times as many punches to win each round. Also, every action you take, there is a pause before the game will let you make another. This pause in your controlling ability leaves the computer opponent more than enough time to knock your block off, every time. This all leads to slow gameplay. Graphically, it looks as though fighting in an abandoned warehouse.

Great game if you live with someone to play against, as the problems effect both of you, allowing the most skilled to prevail.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Horrible AI and slow gameplay make this a huge bust, December 5, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Knockout Kings (Video Game)

This game rates as the worst I've played. The controls respond pathetically slow, so forget blocking, and the dodges that you do are so pathetic looking it is funny. The AI does nothing but block, block, block, and once an eon throws a punch. However, the game is pretty exciting in 2 player mode. Get yourself Ready 2 Rumble, or if you are a hardcore boxing fan hungry for something with real guys, take a gamble on KK 2000, I heard they corrected their screw ups.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better boxing games, November 16, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Knockout Kings (Video Game)

This is definately one of the better boxing games i have played.What makes it fun is that you can create your own boxer and take him to the top, or you can fight with all the greats, like Ali. So I recommend this game highly.