Gaming Target - Game Boy: Punch King

Written by Matt Swider on June 28, 2002

Review: So very much like Punch-Out, as Full Fat's other game, Dave Mirra 2, was very much like Tony Hawk last year. Next up, the adventures of Super Larrio Brothers.

Several times over, developers have attempted to duplicate the excitement found in Nintendo's old school boxer, Punch-Out, but remain unsuccessful in capturing the same glory. Despite the fitting nature of Game Boy Advance for such a title, Nintendo continues to pass up the golden opportunity to release another Punch-Out game on the system. So, periodically, new developers come along to uphold this cause. Previously, Majesco has been the only other company to release a title for Game Boy Advance that is based off the sport by producing Boxing Fever. While not in line with what Punch-Out was all about, critics met Boxing Fever with some acclaim.

Since we might not see a rendition of Punch-Out from Nintendo for quite some time, the developer of Game Boy Advance's recent Dave Mirra hit makes the effort to fulfill the requests of boxing fans. While Punch King takes a lot from Punch-Out, like we've seen many times with other reproductions, it doesn't quite capture the same quality we've been accustomed to in the past.

Punch King's arcade mode places you as boxer Tiger Armstrong who displays a unique fashion in having green hair and assumes the determination of John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever. With manager Joe poised by his side, the two deliver some campy but amusing dialogue before fights and between rounds. Full Fat sure took notes when it came to mimicking the look of Punch-Out. Like it, Punch King features cartoony visuals and pits players as a translucent boxer. Each opponent is distinguishable as well. Going from country to country, you'll meet up with a total of twelve boxing champs, each with their own stereotype. From the noble mustache manner Englishman to a super sumo from Japan and finally to the All-American hometown boxer Bucky Booth, climbing the ladder will be the only way to achieve victory in this game.

In visiting so many different countries to compete with these challengers, players are treated to a number of music selections. Each song is an accurate tune from given countries heritage. The amount of sound effects found in Punch King is sufficed. You'll hear the crack of the bell, a couple of punch samples and a count from the announcer when down on the ground. Like the visual department, Punch King's audio presentation should be adequate for any gamer.

The two downfalls that dethrone this king are its slightly unbalanced mechanics and lack of longevity. Including the aspect that limits players from throwing a single fisted massacre combo is a good thing. However, waiting for the stamina meter to fill back up puts a downer on the game, making it frustrating as anything when a good shot is left untaken. Having the game based off of this facet rather than knowing which part of the body to work tends to get boring real quickly, real fast. Although it's part of the strategic portion of Punch King's gameplay, its seriousness limits the action we crave from a boxing game more than anything.

Though the phrase Уlong live the kingФ is spoken of royalty, this title just doesn't live up to those words. While it offers three different modes, arcade, Vs. mode, and survival, the only difference found within each are basically the end goals. Arcade is the basic story mode were you fight through the ranks, Vs. Mode is a single match with a selectable settings/rules and the survival mode is the most challenging in requiring players to last all twelve boxers with health recovery or continues. While this is all well and good, it can't hold up to most gamers' satisfaction. All three modes contain the gameplay, making the full picture seem one sided and otherwise repetitive after a while.

Including more than just boxing has always been a hefty challenge for developers in the past, however the recent Ready 2 Rumble used a nice training mode to spice things up. With it, they included the ability to buy new gear and enhance your boxer performance. Of course, here, you can't track your boxer's performance or even check up on any other stats due to the fact that there's no save method intact. Since there is no save option available, to play against any other boxer in Vs. mode besides the English noble, you'll have play through the main game to unlock them without turning off the system. Fixing this dilemma can be quite a hassle that could easily be avoided if Punch King spent a little more time in development.