Massive Game Review
Knockout Kings 2001
Can Knockout Kings bob and weave on the Rocky road
to puglilist perfection?
Boxing games have never really worked on the
Playstation. Round after round of bobbing, weaving, and
tactical slugging never seem that exciting when Marquis
of Queensbery has forbidden somersault kicks and
overhead body slams. On the great grey box it always has
been more fun to be grappler Prince Albert than pugilist
Prince Naz. Now EA's Knockout Kings 2001 is ready not
to out-fight the big name beat 'em ups, but to out think
them.

Rather than the big afro, big punching style of Ready to
Rumble, this year's update is a simulator, not a slug
fest. Out go short bouts of flying fisticuffs, in come
tactical toe-to-toe contests. For thier combatants EA
has trawled the long history of the noble art to create
a list as illustrious as it is violent: Sugar Ray, La
Motta, Ali, Bruno, Lewis, all the greats are here. But
the list doesn't end with the big boys, the midget
middleweights and tiny lightweights get equal billing
too, and there is even a chance to have a go at 'foxy
boxing' with the lovely ladies.

Following the classic fighter formula of including a
multiplayer Exhibition mode and an arcade action Slugfest
option, there are also classic match-ups taken from
pugilist history. So you can recreate such fights as the
Rumble In The Jungle, the Thriller in Manila and the
Serious Kicking Outside the Norwich Royal Oak. To make
these historical dust-ups go further there is a career
option where you can create and shape your own fighter.
Pick your style from southpaw to slugger, select trainers
and skills and then send them out to reach the dazzling
heights of pro punchers.

Your Round
The fights have all the usual EA trimmings. Digitised
faces mean that Frank Bruno looks like the tired panto
merchant himself, even if the fighters have all the
facial emotions of Rocky. BBC buff Harry Carpenter and
violent dwarf Barry McGuigan provide over-excited
commentary along with real judges and refs voices. Each
fighter also has thier own entrance movies and music, so
if the crowd are as grey as a holiday in Rotherham, the
big fight atmosphere is just like Las Vegas.

All this would make for a great contest if only boxing
could pass the test. While there are plenty of punches
and combos on offer, the action still feels sluggish.
You might spot an incoming left hook but you can bet
your boxer won't throw up his guard in time. When you do
get a punch away it can be quickly followed by another,
and another, until you inflict fifteen consecutive jabs
with no noticeable effect on your opponent.

This fighting-in-treacle style of combat undermines the
tacticle side of the game. If you can't block or evade
punches propely you can only attack. So you slug away,
pounding faces into somthing resembling chopped liver,
never feeling any power in punches. You don't get the
feeling of a detached retina, let alone broken bone or
internal bleeding. And where is the fun if there is no
internal bleeding? Stretch this action out over five,
ten or fifteen rounds and the excitment drains away
leaving you repeatedly bashing away in frustrated hope
rather than frenzied blood lust.

Raging Bullshit
Knock Out Kings 2001 is a nice attempt at making
simulated boxing work. The whole game is presented with
enough razzmatazz and polish to look great... Until the
fighting starts. The training might teach you all the
moves and lets you develop the fighter without having to
button bash, but this good work is let down once the
contest starts. With action as slow on its feet as
Mohammed Ali is now, and rounds that drag on like a six
hour documentary about German voles. Since fighting
games stand and fall by their combat, this slugger will
only sate real hardcore pugilist perfections.