Gaming Target - Game Boy: Punch King

Written by Daniel Ekman on August 19, 2002

Second Opinion: 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.

What we have here is a boxing game that in many ways is more than adequate, but still, somehow, fails in a couple of key categories. Read on to find out what that means. Developer Full Fat and publisher Acclaim have brought the gaming public a boxing game for the Game Boy Advance. Many, of course, would probably rather see Nintendo's Punch Out series on the handheld, but Punch King will have to do for now. At first, however, one might be fooled to believe that the title is a follow-up to the much-revered Super Punch Out for SNES because of similarities in the visual presentation. As in Punch out before it, a transparent boxer hero, jabs, feints, blocks and uppercuts are all integral parts of the game.

What is not similar is how the same fighting style can be used against every boxer in the title and be highly effective. For example, one will quickly find out that hitting the opponent just before he throws a punch works like a charm against harmless drunkard and athletic broiler likewise. That the adversary's gloves start glowing every time he prepares for a swing doesn't really make one's life more problematic either. The problem seems to be stemming from bad AI routines and not so well thought through gameplay mechanics. In every fight there is a KO meter that fills up as you hit your opponent and once it's full you won't lose any stamina, stamina that otherwise depletes with every punch you throw. Oddly enough, when the meter is full you will directly win the fight if you knock out the other fighter. No TKO needed here.

Even if the gameplay is a bit unbalanced, the game could have made up for it with a plethora of options and modes. That's not the case here, sadly, as there is pitifully little to do in Punch King. On the main menu one can find Arcade Mode, Vs. Fight, and Survival Mode, but chances are that the only mode you will ever play is the arcade one. Vs. Fight, as confusing as it may be, is not a two-player experience but rather a mode where you can fight in one-on-one battles against previously knocked out opponents. The funny thing is that there is no way to save your progress so every time you restart the game there will only be three opponents to choose from in Vs. Fight. Arcade Mode, on the other hand, is way too easy because of the reasons stated in the above paragraph. Winning the world championship belt may take you only 20 minutes and can, without a doubt, be accomplished the first time you're playing the game! After the last bout there is thankfully an extra fighter who's a bit trickier, but still, Arcade Mode leaves much to be desired.

Of course the sound department can't make up for the rest of the game, but at least it's a bit above average. Hits are accompanied by the expected sound effects and the sampled speech, albeit cheesy, makes a welcome addition.

No mention of the storyline has been made so far. Well, that's because it's as good as non-existent. The hero has a coach who he for some reason doesn't know has been a boxer before, and when he finds out he acts really surprised. Uh, bringing a coach who you thought had nothing to do with boxing sounds like a good idea when you're about to challenge the world's greatest boxers, doesn't it?