Mocap Boxing

"Before you play this game, make sure you don't have to go out for the next three days!"

All summer I had been trapped in a semi truck, and on the last day my dad took me to a place called ''Boomtown'' 4 miles east of the California border on I-80, the place had over 200 arcade games, but one caught my attention the moment I saw it. The game was called ''Mocap Boxing'' made by Konami, the same people responsible for ''Police 911'' and the ''Silent Scope'' series, both of which I was familiar with. So I watched for a few minutes before inserting my card...

Graphics: 9

Honestly, the graphics were pretty good for an arcade game, the boxers looked tough and the ring looked real. The game moves smoothly with no slowdown and you can clearly see what's going on.

Sound: 8

The referee is very annoying, but sounds like a real ref as he counts out the other guy. The punches and groans sound real as well. The announcer isn't horrible either, but he doesn't talk that much to accurately judge.

Gameplay: 8.5

You play by standing on a mat with two plastic ''boxing gloves'' that are a few pounds each. During the game, white circles, what I call ''targets'' show up, and you punch at that circle to hit the other boxer. Sometimes when I punch, it doesn't connect directly with the white circle and fails to fall. Usually after that, the opposing boxer will throw a punch, in order to escape, you need to either duck, or move to the left or right while keeping your feet on the mat. At times, there will be a ''rush'' where you need to hit the guy around 30-40 times in around 10-20 seconds, get my picture?

After a while, those gloves start feeling like they weigh a ton, and by the time you finish, you barely have the strength to walk back. Oh, and if you do get back, just wait until morning when it will really start to hurt, and everywhere too. So, like I said, don't plan on going out for three days.

After getting in a real fight, I noticed that I don't get a real adrenaline rush like I get in a real fight. Maybe if there was a vibrating vest you could wear or something, the fight would seem more realistic.

Overall: 8

While not as realistic as it could be, MoCap Boxing is undoubtedly a fun way to get a workout, and a good workout at that. MoCap Boxing has become one of my favorite arcade games because of it's innovative, unique style.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/25/02, Updated 08/25/02