The Second Round is a Knockout!
If you look at my reviews, you can see that I reviewed Rocky for the Gamecube a while back and I really like that game. But this game beats it in almost every way imaginable.
1. Graphics-
The graphics are spectacular. The characters are rendered in a very realistic way and the real boxers closely resemble their real life counter parts. As the fight wears on, each boxer takes on a certain amount of damage. Instead of generic ugly cut up faces, you see that gradually the face gets cut, bruised, swollen, etc. The colors are bright and vibrant where it needs to be and I can't find any fault with the graphics. The slo mo replays of knockdowns are particularly intense.
2. Sound-
It sounds great. You could feel the punches even without the rumble on. The harder the punch, the louder the sound effect. Think of the slo mo scenes in Rocky II. My only complaint is the music. Mainly personal preference as the music is mostly rap, a form of music I don't like. You can turn the music volume to 0 in the options menu, however.
3. Gameplay-
Usually when a game looks this good the gameplay factor is less than spectacular. But this game's playability lives up to its' looks. You can throw a variety of punches using EA's new "Total Punch Control." Nearly all punches are thrown using the C stick. For the most part, this doesn't pose a problem. More on that in a minute. You can parry, block, and lean using combinations of the L and R button along with the control stick and/or the C stick. Pressing Z or A will make your boxer throw a "super punch" to the head. Holding down L while doing this throws a super punch to the body. These can be devastating to your opponent when landed, but when missed, can leave you vulnerable. There are also illegal blows and taunts. The illegal blows vary, but include head butting, elbowing, and hitting below the belt. The beauty of this is the referee doesn't always see it (although the announcer does) so you can sometimes get away with these several times during a fight.
4. Options/Extras
There are a couple different modes of play. You can do a career mode, which can be done one of two ways. You can create your own boxer or "rebuild a legend" which takes an existing boxer like Ali or Marciano (and many others) and have them start from scratch and build their way up. When creating your own boxer, you have a certain template to work from and as you advance, you can buy things to enhance gloves, trunks, mouthguards, etc. There is also a mode that allows you to fight using super punches and other haymakers and earn points for the number you land. During the career mode you start out as amateur and spar with your opponents. After a match, you earn more power by mastering the controls of the game. When you feel comfortable with your progress, you can turn professional. Now you will get money for each match you enter. With that money, you must hire a cut man. This is very important, as between rounds your cutman will take care of your swelling and bleeding. You only have 40 seconds to do this, so act quick. If you get too bad, the ref may stop the fight, so it is very important. As you get more money, you can buy different things that are unlocked for you, such as different illegal blows and power punches. Before each fight, you are presented with a bill for your cutman, entourage, entrance music, and entrance effects. You don't have to buy all of this, but each one gives you a certain boost for the fight. Then you train. You can either do focus training or quick training. The quick training changes your rating without you doing the exercise, but playing the training exercises give you more of a boost. You can lift weights, hit a heavy bag, or a dummy. Each one affects different areas of your skills. Your boxer also ages as you go on, and at some point you will want to retire as you go from knocking out anything that moves to getting tired so quickly a four year old can knock you out. There isn't a mandatory retirement age, it is left up to you. The extra on this game was unexpected for me and a great addition. It's the Super Nintendo game version of "Super Punch-Out!" The game is very close to what I remember and the only problem I have with it, is the sound seems a little tinny and the graphics slightly blurred. The control is also completely different adapted to a Gamecube controller, so it takes some getting used to. Once you beat Super Punch-Out, a hidden unlockable becomes available for use in the main game. That unlockable is none other than Little Mac from Punch-Out fame. He can also be used in the career mode under rebuild legend.
5. The Verdict
This game is a 9.9 out of 10. The only thing that keeps it from being a full 10 for me is the very thing that EA advertises for it and that is the total punch control. It is not too hard to use, but the main point is to master the haymaker to really get your opponent. In my opinion, this would have been easier if they were separate controls rather than certain combinations of movements on the C stick. But, honestly, this is a minor irritation. If you love boxing games and/or the sport itself, you won't be disappointed with this title.