Title: Toughman Contest Released: 1995 Genre: Boxing Developer: Electronic Arts Publisher: Electronic Arts Regions: USA, UK Availability: Rare

Yet another mildly “upgraded” port of a mediocre Genesis game, Toughman Contest had the potential to be a great boxing simulation. It was produced by Electronic Arts, one of the most respected and accomplished developers in the business, particularly in the sports categories. It was heavily influenced by Nintendo’s classic Mike Tyson’s Punch Out!, still considered one of the finest console boxing games ever made. It was based on the popular let’s-just-beat-the-hell-out-of-each-other fighting tournament of the same name, so it should have been entertaining. Unfortunately, potential and pedigree are sometimes not enough. Toughman Contest just isn't fun to play and comes across as being just another sloppy 16-bit game with prettier colors. The game is played from a third person perspective, with your character represented by a transparent chalk outline. Your view of the opposing boxer is often obscured by your own character, leading to misses and mistakes. Once the game begins, your opponents will pound you relentlessly, and the control pad will often simply cease to obey your inputs. The graphics are a bit cleaner than the Genesis version, with smoother animation and busier high-resolution backgrounds, but these enhancements don't disguise the fact that the cart shows no signs of 32-bit processing power. The sound effects and soundtrack appear to be unchanged from the Genesis original, consisting of a standard assortment of punches, grunts, and crowd noise. Toughman Contest does feature a generous selection of 24 fighters, an assortment of over-the-top punches, and some hidden “power-ups”, but the control just isn't nearly as responsive as it should be and the gameplay is as bad as the box art. It's great to see someone attempt a 32-bit update of Punch Out!, but you'll have a lot more fun if you stick with the NES original or the Super Nintendo's wonderful sequel.