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Having had four titles and seven years to perfect their craft, Fight Night Champion would be released in 2011. These innovations revolutionized boxing video games, making Fight Night the gold standard for any that followed. On top of that that, Fight Night 2004 implemented a new blocking system that included bobbing, weaving, and parrying, also involving the right stick. Gone was the button mashing of the past and in its place came what EA Sports called Total Punch Control, a robust system that utilized the right analog stick to throw punches. And though the four sequels they produced – Knockout Kings 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 – did their job of constantly improving upon the already established formula, it became obvious that some serious innovation was needed to carry the boxing genre into the future.Įnter Fight Night 2004, a huge benchmark for the boxing genre. Despite Knockout Kings’ success, EA still had a ways to go if they wished to perfectly emulate the action boxing fans would be treated to on a weekly basis. But with such engaging gameplay that was immersive in its time, the Knockout Kings debut was a hit and set up a handful of successful sequels that always built upon the game’s core fundamentals and sturdy foundation. In comparison to more modern titles, the original Knockout Kings was pretty bare bones, featuring only three modes: Slugfest, Exhibition, and Career. It was a perfect balance between a sim and an arcade experience, and it catered to a multitude of gamers not just in the boxing realm, but fighting game fans in general. Featuring a roster that sported fighters ranging from legends like Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey, to contemporary stars such as Oscar de la Hoya and Lennox Lewis, the first Knockout Kings game featured cutting-edge graphics, smooth motion-capturing, and a decent control scheme that gripped players and set the tone for any game that would follow. Starting in 1995 with the influential Foes of Ali, EA embraced boxing wholesale in 1998 with the release of Knockout Kings 99.

In the late 90’s, it was EA Sports who were way ahead of everyone else when it came to replicating the sport of boxing in video game form. RELATED: ‘Creed: Rise to Glory’ Review - A Legit VR Workout on the Oculus Quest However, the sport of boxing was still looking for that true digital doppelganger as it approached the new millennium. Nintendo’s Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! in 1987 wowed gamers upon its release and, even today, is considered one of the best video games of all time. Developed by Activision and released in 1980, the game features a primitive top-down view of two faceless figures who duke it out for a round of 2 minutes, or until one of them lands a total of 100 punches hardly a simulation of the world’s purest sport.

One of the earliest examples of boxing video games was a game called.

Yet, for a sport based in such simplicity, the ‘Sweet Science,’ as it’s also known, has been nearly impossible to replicate in a video game due to the sport’s technical nuance and idiosyncrasies. It’s that kind of purity that has sustained the sport’s popularity for almost the entirety of human existence. In many ways, watching two competitors in minimal garb, trading gloved punches in a cordoned-off area is about as primal as it gets.

There is something truly amazing about the sport of boxing.