Genre: Sports
Developer: EA Sports
Publisher: Electronic Arts
# of Players: 1-2
Memory: 5 blocks
ERSB: Teen
Also On: none
Features: Dolby Pro Logic II
Introduction:
In an odd twist of fate Knockout Kings 2003 is a GameCube exclusive title, not appearing on the Playstation 2 or X-Box. Why? Electronic Arts real intention may never be known but nevertheless GameCube owners are in for a treat.
Knockout Kings 2003 for the GameCube is more or less an enhanced version of Knockout Kings 2002 so it’s not exactly much of a new game. But it does feature enough new features such as the arcade-like Slugfest mode to make itself a worthy purchase for any GameCube owner.
Presentation:
For once the GameCube isn’t getting a sloppy Playstation 2 port and Electronic Arts has put out an EA Sports offering that really, truly shines on the GCN; though not all is perfect in the squared circle. Load times in Knockout Kings are too length for my liking; though not long but thumb twiddling long. Also, the intro FMV is a bit grainy despite being excellently put together and until all developers begin utilizing DivX for GameCube cube owners shouldn’t be surprised when they see poorer quality FMV when compared to the other consoles. Despite these minor drawbacks just about everything else is done well, menus are stylish and feature hip hop themes in the backdrop that fit the game very well. Another cool little addition is a scroll bar at the bottom of the fighter select menu in career mode that tells you the results of matches from other bouts other than your own.
Gameplay:
Knockout Kings 2003 is game that requires lots of time to actually get the hang of, for many gamers this may be a nuisance. Once you get the controls down though, you’ll feel like you have accomplished something and in truth you have.
Your boxer is controlled by the Analog stick, push up and you move the fighter forward, push down to move backwards, left to move him to the left and right to the right… Doesn’t sound too odd does it? Trust me it is, that is because no matter what position you are in the ring these controls stay the same giving the game a somewhat 2D feel in a 3D world. (Example: let’s say your player is on the top of the screen and your opponent on the lower half, to move your player to the right side of the screen you would have to push left on the control stick) Punches are set to the four face buttons, A for jab, Y for straight right, B for left hook, and X for right hook. (Take note: If your fighter is a south paw button functions are reversed) When pressing them on their own they are positioned to take a shot to the head but thanks to the game’s intuitive controls if you press lightly on the control stick you can take a shot to the body and to be a successful boxer you really need to get the hang of delivering shots to the body. The dodging system also works is a similar fashion, when standing toe to toe with your opponent you must press the control stick lightly in the direction you want to avoid his attacks in but like the ability of using the body shots this takes time to learn and first timers will most likely use the L trigger to block attacks instead. Knockout punches (does not necessarily mean they knock a fighter out) are assigned to the Z-trigger but unless you connect it’s not wise to use it often since they take like split second more to execute and with a game like this were timing is important that split second counts. Low blows and uppercuts can also be performed by using the combination of the R button or Z button while pressing one of the four face buttons , but be aware that if you use a low blow or illegal maneuver in any mode other than Slugfest the referee may disqualify you. The fights themselves require lots of strategy; you must learn your opponent’s weaknesses and strengths as well as your own. If you bruise up your opponent’s right eye keep attacking him on the right side of his head where he’s blind and if your punches begin to slow down in speed try to regain some stamina by avoiding your opponent’s attacks.
Knockout Kings features a vast amount of gameplay modes to keep you busy and what else should be expected from an EA Sports franchise. The game features Slugfest, Exhibition, Tournament, and Career modes. Both Exhibition and Tournament modes are pretty self explanatory so let’s discuss the game’s main attractions… Slugfest which is the newest addition to the series is a Ready 2 Rumble style game mode that manages to deliver an excellent arcade like experience. In Slugfest you have a super gauge meter which is built up by filling the Head/Body gauge which is done by landing punches in the head and body. When this meter is filled you’ll be able to deliver some Super Punchout! style maneuvers mauling your opponents and for a very short period of time you’ll be able to deliver an automatic knockout punch. Slugfest does add some spice to Knockout Kings 2003 but more hardcore players will be drawn to the game’s lengthy Career mode. In Career mode you start off creating your own boxer, unfortunately not much variation can be found in the creativity department but I did successfully create a good Apollo Creed look-a-like, when you’re done with his looks you are then given 200 points to adjust the fighters’ skills by dispersing these 200 point in the Speed, Power, Stamina, Chin, Heart, and Cuts bars. Spread these points in each area wisely because it can make or break your boxers’ career. Now you’re ready to begin you boxing career starting out at the bottom of the ranks slowly making you’re way up by winning bouts and earning more attribute points to increase your boxer’s performance level. If you lose most likely your boxer will be badly injured and have to rest up for a few months before he’s cleared to fight again so try to do your best winning fights and protecting your boxer’s own health because you’ll be shocked when it’s time for you to retire.
Visuals:
Knockout Kings 2003 is a beautiful site to behold…
Right away you notice that the boxers look and move just like their real life human counterparts. This is because EA Sports went the extra mile using face scanning technology to get the fighters as realistic as possible and motion capturing technology causing each fighter to move fluid and lifelike. Another outstanding visual treat in Knockout Kings 2003 is the bruising of a fighters face, punch enough in the right spot and they begin to bruise and swell causing their faces to morph into something no mother could ever love. Textures are also amazing on both fighters and clothing, but I have to say that sometimes the fighters look more plastic-like than sweaty. The game’s visuals really shine in instant replays when everything goes into slow motion, for example, Ali gets clobbers Lennox Lewis with a nice right and upon connection spit flies out of the mouth of Lewis as his entire face shifts to the left because of such a hard impact. Not everything can be perfect though, the sprite filled crowd is something I could never approve of because no matter how many you put in they all look lifeless, shadows on fighters are pretty unimpressive as well and despite the grand size of the arenas; they fail to capture glitz and glamour boxing events are all about.
Audio:
Featuring the talents of Larry Michael and Max Kellerman Knockout Kings features the best if not one of the best color commentary in any sports game to date. It’s executed so well that it seems that these guys actually are watching the fight in the flesh giving their real input of what each fighter should do and be careful of. That results in you actually adjusting your offensive or defensive technique during the match and that’s just too damn cool. The punches, slaps, jabs, etc… are all done very well but there’s one Audio drawback in Knockout Kings 2003 and that’s the crowd. At some points they get loud but I was hoping they would get even louder especially when the bouts would heat up. Previously I mentioned that the game featured a fitting hip hop/rap rock sound track but those are only heard when navigating menus and really there’s no where else to put them. Personally, I was responsible for the music in Knockout Kings 2003 I would have just had LL Cool J’s “Momma Said Knock You Out” throughout the entire game…
Lasting Appeal:
Knockout Kings 2003 main draw is the single player Career mode and luckily it’s a lengthy one; it will keep you busy for some time. On the multiplayer side of things the Knockout Kings 2003 could be a blast but that is only if you’re playing against a skilled friend but that is very unlikely to happen right away since the game features a moderately long learning curve. Of course you could toy around with the other modes such as Tournament and Slugfest for quite some time but you really get your money’s worth in Career mode.
Final Thoughts:
Knockout Kings 2003 is the best installment in the series and a great title overall. I recommend it to any GameCube owner who thirsts for some great boxing action in both arcade and simulation categories.
The Good: -Lengthy Career mode
-Intense fights
-Great visuals
The Bad:
-Create-A-Player lacks enough options
-Losing sucks
-Did I mention losing sucks? Where’s that reset button?
