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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh yes, it was worth the wait, February 12, 2001
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.
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