I pretty much agree with the GameSpot review, so I wont repeat it all of it. Generally the gameplay is pretty solid and entertaining. I don’t know if I’d call “Total Punch Control” revolutionary, but I felt the game controls work well and are fun to play with. And if you are well accustomed to Street-Fighter controls, the punching will come naturally. Ducking away from opponents hooks and nailing them with uppercuts, leaning & countering with jabs, getting good with specific combos, etc., are all both fun to execute and fun to watch. If you’re into boxing at all, the realism is really something to behold. The ragdoll knockouts also look great. Except when you knock a guy out and he falls against the ropes; the victim sometimes tends to wobble and jitter a bit too much as if he was having a seizure (it’s sometimes kind of humorous actually). I didn’t care for the accessorizing with purse winnings minigame … seemed pretty uninteresting and tacked on. I really liked how you go from small venues to larger stadiums as you move up in the rankings. But I didn’t like the whole street/hip-hop/rap theme with the announcer and music. It gets very annoying very fast. I would have definitely preferred a more professional sports-style presentation. And apparently, the game also doesn’t allow the player to win titles in multiple weight divisions. You can fight outside of weight division in the Exhibition mode, but not in career mode? Why not? In real life, boxers are allowed to win titles in multiple divisions. And then there is the in-game dialog. When fighting a very aggressive opponent, the announcer will often say nonsensical things which aren’t on pace with the fight because the action is moving to fast. Your corner will also often say bizarre contradictory things like, “I can’t stand to look at you … I’m gonna throw in the towel if he keeps beating on you like that. You’re leaving him in your dust! You’re making me proud out there!”. The crowd and corner banter is pretty good though. But overall, the pros definitely far outweigh the cons. If you like boxing games, get it! It's probably the the best boxing game to date. And if you like sports or fighting games in general, I think you’ll probably like it.
By ghangiskhan1 | Review Date: May 27, 2006 | XBOX
Fight Night 2004, is the sequel to Knockout Kings 2003, just with a new name. Fight Night 2004 is my first boxing game since Punch Out, which I played on Animal Crossing when it came out. FN2004 is a very entertaining... Read Full Review
Gameplay: 7 Why: Well, simply put, this is a great boxing game. I mean I thought, "you know it's boxing, after a while it'll get dull and repetative." While it does get repetative, it is certainly not dull. You can ... Read Full Review
