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Review: Victorious Boxers |
Strictly speaking, Victorious Boxers isn’t a fighting game. But hell, it pits two opponents in a ring with the sole aim of flooring someone or the other, so I feel it has some sort of relevance to this site. And if the questionable Guilty Gay X can pass as a fighter, then so will this. Now with that said, lets get down to business.
Upon first seeing Victorious Boxers, your impressions would probably be similar to those of many. It’s a boxing game, based on a Japanese manga and features anime-like visuals. So naturally, you would expect it to be a shallow, un-inspired button masher. But your expectations would be wrong, because VB is in fact the most realistic simulation of the sport that this entertainment medium has produced, despite it’s deceiving exterior. And what sets this title above EA’s best offerings is not just the visuals, or the licenses, which are a world of difference apart, but more importantly it’s the gameplay dynamic that makes VB so special.
Players are free to move around the boxing ring, whilst a Zelda64 style ‘Z Lock’ ensures that your boxer is always facing the opponent. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the ‘Z Lock’ system, pushing ‘up’ on the analog stick will always make you advance towards your opponent, no matter where you are or at what angle you are viewing your character. ‘Down’ will back you away, and ‘left’ or ‘right’ movements will circle your opponent. The clever part is in pushing these directions lightly, so instead of moving around your boxer will stay put and duck, lean back, or bob and weave. This innovative system allows players to execute all body movements seamlessly with just the left analog stick without the worry of remembering the mapping and functions of several other buttons. Control always feels natural and immediate, which is important when you want to concentrate on your tactics rather than which of the 8 PS2 buttons trigger the duck function.
Thankfully, punching also feels natural. Only four buttons are used for punches – two for jabs/straights, and two for hooks (both with left and right hand variations). But this doesn’t mean that punching is limited, because the boxer will throw a different type of hook or jab depending on the angle of his upper body. So whilst you are ducking, you might want to attack your opponent’s lower body with belly or rib strikes, or you can lean back to avoid a punch then shoot forward with extra momentum for your attack.
This diverse control scheme inevitably paves the road for a diversity in play styles. A player might choose to charge in with an endless offensive approach, one might keep his distance with a defensive style, another might find he is good at low body combos and concentrate on ducking in then out etc. This diversity is put to noticeable use in the CPU AI. Nearly every CPU character has his own method of boxing and keen players will notice and exploit weaknesses. One of this reviewer’s most favourite and memorable fight was against a boxer who well known for deadly counter attacks. The whole 10 round fight consisted mainly of body attacks with little focus on upper body/head strikes, to avoid a possible gap where the CPU opponent might throw a counter. Through all of this, every approach and every punch had to be quickly considered, for any mistake can be rewarded with a nasty surprise. It’s this type of involvement the game requires to really immerse players in more difficult situations.
Unlike many boxing titles out there, VB has no life or stamina gauges at all. Instead, players must look out for visual clues to know their character’s status. During the course of the fight (some can be very long), the boxers will get noticeably sluggish if they move around too much or throw too many unnecessary punches. As in real life, this obviously wares out the body, and makes them vulnerable. Players can use the realism of the engine to their advantage. For example, if a button masher was to endlessly throw random punches, his stamina will fall, and an experienced player will choose the right moment during the flurry of attacks to execute a deadly counter attack. The risk of knock-out is higher, due to the lack of stamina and the added momentum from the button mashers own attack. So you can relive great moments such as Muhammed Ali vs George Foreman!
Knock-outs aren’t the only way to win a fight. Cautious players might want to keep away instead, and deliver a few clean blows when he can, to win the fight by points. Alternatively, an instant win can be achieved by scoring a TKO. So if you know that you can’t possibly win by points due to bad performances in earlier rounds, u can attempt to knock-out your opponent 2 – 3 times within one round to floor him permanently.
The incredibly deep system does take time and practice to learn, but once it is mastered, players will enjoy the system and feel natural with it. So successful is VB’s dynamic, that EA has totally revamped their upcoming Knockout Kings instalment to borrow heavily from it. So those of you who are looking for an official license AND the gameplay of VB might want to wait for that.
The presentation of VB is definitely not one of it’s strongest points. The visuals are simple, although this is understandable due to the nature of the license. The audience around the ring are flat 3 – 4 framed sprites, whilst the cutscenes sprinkled around the story mode aren’t exactly cutting edge. But having said that, the things that do matter; the boxers, are very well rendered and animated. You can make out little details like contours of the muscles (ooeer matron) and facial features. The boxers move very fluidly and convincingly. A joy to watch! There are some noticeable collision issues regarding the players and ring corners though. Sometimes the character models go right through! Thankfully, this does not disturb or detract from the game.
The sound effects are equally convincing. From smacks to heavy thuds and even squeaking boots, they’re all here. The fight music varies a lot, and are suitably dramatic sounding or uplifting. What’s nice is that sometimes you won’t notice it’s there, so it won’t be intrusive on your concentration.
Game modes are limited to Story Mode and Versus. In Story Mode you go through a series of fights to win the championship for various characters (you can’t choose who to start with, the game sets the order) and boxers you beat are unlocked in Versus mode. You’re treated to some FMVs during Story Mode, whilst your mentor gives you various advice on how to beat some opponents and sometimes gives clues as to how you are doing in the fight. The usual stuff really.
Victorious Boxers is without a doubt a rewarding game. Not only in the sense that through each gruelling victory you feel your effort has paid off. And not only because you will notice your improvement when suddenly, each step you take carries a purpose and each punch you throw is carefully calculated. But through all of it, this simulation is immense fun.
It is unfortunate then, that most of the general public will miss out on this gem simply because it features a license us westerners care not of, and because the lack of marketing hype. But for those of you willing to give it a chance, you really will be surprised at how enjoyable this low-key title is. And you WILL feel the thrill as you land a brilliant blow to your opponent, greeted by a huge cheer and flashing cameras.
