BLACK & BRUISED
Boxer's Life guide
by Darrell Wong (DKW 001)
Contents
i. Stuff for CJayC
ii. Introduction
1. Things you should know by now
2. What you're up against
3. Boxer's Life - the field
4. Boxer's Life - the *really* tough ones
5. Codebreaker codes
i. Stuff for CJayC
------------------
Date completed: 6/2/04
Version: Final
E-mail address: dkw001@hawaii.rr.com
ii. Introduction
----------------
Why did I do this, you ask?
Well, let's see. I rented the game (twice, in fact), I thought some parts of
it were good, but there were a lot of parts that left a lot to be desired. I
saw how incredibly convoluted Boxer's Life was, and I also saw that no one had
covered it yet on GameFAQs. I hate a vacuum every bit as much as nature does,
so I put some serious thought in doing a FAQ, in hopes of guiding someone who
actually is thinking of renting or buying this game. Pretty much the same deal
as my Sega Sports Tennis FAQ.
I've always liked boxing games. Cathartic, simple, understandable, and...most
importantly...beatable. I never have to agonize over ammunition, formations,
spell points, platforms, tire damage, maintainence costs, negotiations,
stealth, strategy, or long-term repercussions in a boxing game. Just hit 'im
until he can't take no more. Of course, video game boxing usually adds an
element of flash, like the over-the-top specialties in the Ready 2 Rumble
games, but they're still by far some of the easiest to understand games around.
Of course, just because something isn't complicated doesn't mean that it isn't
hard. Take Aero Fighters, one of the most intense shooters I've played in my
life. Or the Puzzle Bobble series, for the most part an exercise in pain.
Black & Bruised starts off fairly benign, but it can get hard. Real hard.
Slam-your-head-against-the-wall hard. And nothing illustrates this any better
than Boxer's Life.
Yeah, I've been slugged in the gut by super-hard games more times than I can
count. Most of the time, I just grumble and curse the entire stupid industry.
Occasionally, I let others benefit from my suffering.
This, for whatever reason, is of the latter times. :-)
Footnote: Is it just me, or is the "special mode with various incredibly
impossible conditions" getting more and more common in PS2 games? I recently
starte playing the Crisis Missions in Time Crisis 3, and I swear that I have to
load up a different set of Codebreaker codes every five minutes just to get
through the dang thing.
1. Things you should know by now
--------------------------------
A match consists of anywhere from 1 to 12 rounds lasting one minute, one and a
half minutes, or two minutes. You can set the lengths for the 1P and 2P games
in options; they're preset for everything else. Whenever someone runs out of
stamina, he gets stunned, and his opponent has about three seconds to tack on
some abuse before he goes down (or do nothing; he'll go down anyway). A hook
or uppercut sends him to the canvas immediately (which is useful in situations
where every second counts), and a Super Punch drops him without any stunned
period.
Powerups cycle continually over the course of the round; when a reaches level 1
on his powerup meter, he gets the current powerup. Pounding the opponent
raises the meter, while taking shots reduces it (missed punches have no effect
on either side). Once activated, a powerup lasts for a certain time before
expiring. The end of the round, knocking down the opponent, or taking a
knockdown ends the powerup immediately. There is NO risk of losing a powerup
until it's activated, so building to level 3 is often a good idea.
The powerups and what they do (the in-game descriptions are a little
inaccurate, so take note):
- Defensive -
Level 1: Autoslip
You automatically defend against all punches thrown at you *when you're not
punching*.
Level 2: Armor
You take no damage from your opponent's punches.
Level 3: Power Shield
Any punches your opponent lands on you damage him instead (always less than
what you would've taken). Generally not that effective, since most opponents
are smart enough to not hit you and play defensively.
- Power -
Level 1: Heavy Punch
Your punches do more damage and throw your opponent backwards.
Level 2: Bulldozer
Same as level 1, but even more effective.
Level 3: Fire Damage
Your punches do a *ton* of damage.
- Specialty -
Level 1: Regeneration
You steadily regain stamina. If allowed to run its full course, it refills
about a third of the bar. It can be nullified by any hit.
Level 2: Stun
Each punch stuns your opponent, as if he'd just run out of stamina.
Level 3: Speed
Your punches become blazingly fast and very difficult to defend against.
- Build Past Level 1 -
Level 1: Poison
You're completely paralyzed and put into "bass-ackwards" mode (described in
Handicaps). Hence the category name. ;-)
Level 2: Vampire
Every punch you connect gets you stamina; you receive about 150% of the amount
of damage you did.
Level 3: Juggernaut
The next punch you connect completely drains your opponent's stamina.
- Autocombo -
Level 1: Short Autocombo
Every punch you throw is automatically followed by 2-3 more.
Level 2: Medium Autocombo
Same, but with 4-5 punches tacked on.
Level 3: Long Autocombo
Same, but with at least 6 punches added.
- Super Punch -
Level 1: weak Super Punch
if you connect with any punch while this is active, you automatically follow up
with a *really* weak specialty punch. 10% damage is typical.
Level 2: regular Super Punch
Same, except that it does a shade over 20% damage.
Level 3: hard Super Punch
The ultimate Super Punch (although still not worth three levels, IMHO). Damage
varies widely by boxer; most of them remove about 1/3 of the bar.
When one opponent goes down for the fourth time in the fight, he loses (None of
that "three knockdown rule" nonsense; times have *changed*, yo!). Of course,
he also loses if he fails to get up from a knockdown in ten seconds, although
the computer will always beat the count. If the fight goes the distance, the
one who got more knockdowns wins; if they're even, the one with more stamina
wins.
In survival, you face a series of opponents in order. Once you knock down one,
the next enters; you have to drop them all to win. Get knocked down even once,
and it's over. To make it a little easier for you, they take more damage than
usual, and you regain a little stamina between foes.
Well, those are the basics. Of course, Boxer's Life throws a few complications
into the mix...
2. What you're up against
-------------------------
This is a complete overview of the types of matches you'll be taking on in
Boxer's Life and the myriad of complicating factors that'll get thrown at you.
Most of the matches have either a handicap or a condition; none of them have
both (thank goodness). A handicap is either a disadvantage you have or an
advantage your opponent has. A condition is something you *must* do during the
match in order to progress. Even if you win the match, it doesn't count unless
you satisfy the condition. A match without either is a plain 'ol straight
fight.
+ TYPES OF MATCHES +
Normal: Exactly as described earlier.
Death Match: There's no timer for this match, meaning no rest breaks, and it
continues until one person stays down.
No Love: Same as a normal match, except that the judges are completely
corrupt and will not give you the decision no matter what (yeah, like *that*
ever happens in real life... ;-) ). You must win by knockout.
Make or Break: You only need one knockdown to win, but you don't have much
time to do it. If the clock runs out, you lose. Fortunately, your opponent
will usually be at less than full strength.
First Blood: Same as a Death Match, except that one knockdown ends the fight.
Ironman: A special match where the object is to last for three rounds. If
you're standing at the end, you win.
Survival: Also as described earlier.
+ HANDICAPS
cheap shot: You start with less than full stamina (amount indicated in
parenthesis).
glass jaw: You take about twice as much damage from head shots.
soft belly: You take about twice as much damage from body shots.
heavy artillery: You take much more damage from hooks and uppercuts.
kid gloves: Your punches do less damage.
powderpuff: Your punches are much slower than usual.
cement feet: Your movement speed is *incredibly* slow.
low gear: Both your punching and moving are slowed down.
bass-ackwards: All your controls are reversed. X and O are right body and
left body, respectively, square and triangle are right and left uppercut, and
holding R1 switches the buttons to straights to the head and hooks.
fog of war: The entire screen is obscured by a color, making it harder to see
what you and your opponent are doing.
sitting duck: You cannot defend at all.
extra step: Your opponent is a little faster than normal.
thick skin: Your opponent can take a little more damage than normal.
world effin' champ: Your opponent is fast. And extremely aggressive. And
tough on defense. And fantastic with combos. And an incredible pain all
around. :-P
quick recharge: Your opponent regains more stamina than usual between rounds.
second wind: Your opponent has much more stamina than usual when getting up
from a knockdown.
locked & loaded: All your opponent's punches do more damage than usual.
7 knockdown rule: Your opponent can take 7 downs before losing.
untouchable: Your opponent has an unbelievably strong defense; virutually
everything you throw at him will be blocked.
There are also numerous one-time handicaps, which I describe when they happen.
+ CONDITIONS +
third time's the charm: You must get the final knockdown in the third round.
a real knockout: You must either get the final knockdown with a Super Punch
or have a powerup active when you get the final knockdown (so it can't be a
Juggernaut).
final blow: You have one powerup, a Super Punch, for the entire fight, and
your opponent doesn't get any powerups. You must get the final knockdown with
the Super Punch.
total ownage: Your stamina cannot be below your opponent's at any time.
four & no more: The easiest condition; you just have to win by KO in four
rounds or less.
respect for the lady: You cannot knock your opponent down even once.
the best offense: You cannot throw a single punch (!).
3. Boxer's Life - the field
---------------------------
These sluggers are all available from the outset; obviously, you should do them
first. Some of them aren't really hard...but then, some of them are.
"DOD" stands for (what else?) degree of difficulty. The ratings, from easiest
to hardest:
* - About the same a regular match at the default difficulty ("Bar Brawl",
IIRC).
** - Fairly challenging. You'll need to keep your guard up and can get
clobbered pretty quickly if you get careless. The standard level for Boxer's
Life.
*** - Difficult. If you don't have a good grasp of the game *and* sharp
reflexes, you don't have a chance.
**** - Insanely difficult. You might need twenty tries or more to beat this
stage.
X - Friggin' impossible. Maybe not *completely* impossible (as the responses
I got to my Sega Sports Tennis FAQ prove, some people can do *anything*), but
as impossible as it gets. In short, just plain ludicrous.
Note that there are no easy fights. The reason for this is that there are no
easy fights.
Comments included where relevant. For the most part, the speficic tactics are
pretty simple (e.g. soft belly = guard the body), so I won't expound on them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Mickey McFist |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: * 1/2
He's just an ordinary pug, so it shouldn't be too surprising that his road is
the easiest of all. For this reason, you should start with him no matter what.
Stage 1: Bronto Sore / 1:00 normal
Straight fight
DOD: *
A completley fair contest to start you off. Enjoy it while it lasts; it only
gets tougher from here.
Stage 2: Jackpot / 1:00 normal
Handicap - soft belly
DOD: *
Stage 3: Holly Vixen / 1:00 normal
Condition - third time's the charm
DOD: **
Holly's pretty tough, so the condition probably won't be an issue. If you
actually manage to deck her a third time in the second round, run her down and
then play keep-away until the round ends.
Stage 4: Jackpot / 1:00 normal
Handicap - The referee counts twice as fast as normal if you're knocked down.
DOD: **
You have enough time to get up from the first knockdown, but not the second.
Jackpot still requires four downs.
Stage 5: Knuckles Nadine / 1:00 normal
Handicap - cheap shot (40%)
DOD: **
Stage 6: Bronto Sore / 1:00 normal
Handicap - thick skin
DOD: **
Bronto tougher than before, but not much. Pretty easy for the last fight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Knuckles Nadine |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: N/A
Two words - Old Master. If you can beat him, the rest of her story is nothing.
In all likelihood, however, poor Nadine's going to be stuck in that damn
apartment for years.
Stage 1: Jumping Janet / Death Match
Handicap - glass jaw
DOD: **
Keep your guard up! Janet hits like a girl, so don't worry about her body
shots, just get in your licks whenever you can.
Stage 2: The Matador / Death Match
Straight fight
DOD: *
What the...TWO fair fights for as many boxers? What is this world coming to?
:-D
Stage 3: Old Master / Death Match
Handicap - world effin' champ
DOD: ****
After the first time you face him, you'll be overwhelmed by how quickly he can
destroy you. After the fifth time you face him, you'll be frustrated by how
hard it is to even hit him, let alone knock him down. After the hundredth time
you face him, you may require a straitjacked and padded room. Seriously. This
guy is a freaking monster, and (Sega Sports Tennis FAQ reaction be damned!) if
you beat him, you are an invincible titan of videogaming and should have no
trouble whatsoever with...oh, at least 75% of Boxer's Life. (Yes, it gets
worse. Keep reading.)
Stage 4: Royal Pain / 1:00 Make or Break
Straight fight
DOD: **
Stage 5: Pharaoh / :30 Make or Break
Straight fight
DOD: ***
Stage 6: Odiva / Death Match
Handicap - soft belly
DOD: **
~~~~~~~~
| Tiny |
~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ** 1/2
In stark contrast to Knuckles, his run's pretty balanced from start to finish.
His opponents love to take advantage of his slow punch speed, so mastering his
combos is imperative.
Stage 1: Ally Gator / Death Match
Handicap - kid gloves
DOD: ***
Ally's faster *and* stronger than you in this fight. Milk those combos for all
they're worth!
Stage 2: Survival - Maiagaru, Old Master, King Khan
DOD: **
Stage 3: El Luchador / 1:00 normal
Handicap - energy crisis
DOD: **
He regains a lot more juice than you between rounds, so you have to be
aggressive. Get right in his face and work those big combos.
Stage 4: Bronto Sore / 1:00 No Love
Handicap - one and done
DOD: ***
Stage 5: Jackpot / Death Match
Handicap - soft belly
DOD: **
*Really* protect that gut; you're taking a trainload of damage every time a
body shot connects.
Stage 6: King Khan / 1:00 normal
Handicap - cheap shot (80%)
DOD: ***
The handicap isn't a big deal. 2K's powerful combos and tough defense are.
Play this one fairly conservatively, and don't be too proud to settle for a
decision.
~~~~~~~~~~~
| Pharaoh |
~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ** 1/2
He has to cope with an interesting mix of handicaps, and in one fight, he even
gains an advantage to compensate. In all, his run's similar to Tiny's; a
couple rough patches, but nothing extremely tough.
Stage 1: Odiva / Death Match
Handicap - Bass-ackwards
DOD: **
Because the completely reversed controls can get so confusing, it's best to
keep it simple here. In particular, don't bother with "switching" combos;
stick to all high or all low.
Stage 2: Jackpot / Death Match
Handicap - cement feet
DOD: *
Jackpot's not much quicker on his feet than you. This is a routine fight.
Stage 3: Royal Pain / Death Match
Handicap - heavy artillery
DOD: **
Stage 4: Tiny / 2:00 No Love
Handicap - You only have one round!
DOD: ***
Challenging. You really have to pound him to win, and you can't afford to take
a knockdown yourself, either.
Stage 5: Bronto Sore / Death Match
Handicap - heavy artillery (but also move faster)
DOD: **
Fast but vulnerable? The strategy's obvious here: stick and move, protect that
head, and run off a combo every time you see an opening.
Stage 6: Odiva / 1:00 Make or Break
Handicap - kid gloves
DOD: ***
~~~~~~~~~~~
| Kid USA |
~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: *** 1/2
It's a long, miserable, thankless battle of attrition for him. Get ready to
tear your hair out *and* slam your head against a wall.
Stage 1: Major Flak / First Blood
Handicap - sitting duck
DOD: ***
The fact that this is the *first* match should tell you something. Anyway, go
wild with the combos and pray that an Autoslip shows up.
Stage 2: El Luchador / 1:00 normal
Handicap - world effin' champ
DOD: ****
See comments on Old Master fight under Knuckles Nadine. Yep, same deal.
Stage 3: Old Master / 1:00 Make or Break
Handicap - opponent has permanent Autoslip
DOD: ***
Actually not as impossible as it sounds (block and counter)...like that's any
consolation, of course.
Stage 4: Maiagaru / 1:00 normal
Straight fight
DOD: **
Stage 5: Tiny / 1:00 normal
Handicap - opponent can take an *incredible* amount of damage
DOD: ****
Fight Georgio Zott in Time Crisis 3 with just the handgun, and you'll get an
idea of what this match is like. He can take nearly twice as much punishment
as usual, and his offense isn't hampered a lick. I leave it to you as to how
to beat him. I certainly have no idea.
Stage 6: Old Master / 1:00 normal
Straight fight
DOD: **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Royal Pain |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ** 1/2
Surprisingly, Pain's path isn't too painful, with only a couple of really hard
matches.
Stage 1: Mickey McFist / 1:00 normal
Handicap - powderpuff
DOD: ***
Without combos, you're going to have to stick and move despite Pain's so-so
speed. Time your punches carefully.
Stage 2: Ally Gator / Death Match
Handicap - cement feet
DOD: **
No big deal; you just have to be patient.
Stage 3: El Luchador / Death Match
Handicap - Bass-ackwards, cheap shot (60%)
DOD: ***
Tough conditions, with the big one being that your opponent is El Luchador. Do
what you can with combos.
Stage 4: Jackpot / Death Match
Handicap - extra step
DOD: **
For Jackpot, "extra step" means that he can actually get across the ring before
the crowd falls asleep. Still managable.
Stage 5: King Khan / Death Match
Handicap - top-heavy
DOD: **
The handicap is really nothing, so just do your usual thing.
Stage 6: Survival - Ally Gator, Jackpot, El Luchador
DOD: **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Bronto Sore |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ***
Bronto's served plenty of hard time, so the matches he has here should be
familiar territory for him. A difficult journey from beginning to end.
Stage 1: Major Flak / Death Match
Handicap - cement feet
DOD: ***
With your already-glacial foot speed further compromised, you have no choice
but to let Flak come to you. Your hands are as quick as ever, so combo away.
Stage 2: Odiva / Death Match
Handicap - glass jaw
DOD: ***
Stage 3: Kid USA / 1:00 normal
Condition - third time's the charm
DOD: ***
Stage 4: Jackpot / Death Match
Handicap - extra step
DOD: ***
He's faster than you, and in case you haven't heard, that's bad news.
Stage 5: Holly Vixen / Death Match
Handicap - heavy artillery
DOD: ***
What can I say? She's Holly Vixen. You're a fat slug. You take hooks and
uppercuts hard. It's going to be painful.
Stage 6: El Luchador / Death Match
Handicap - quick recharge
DOD: ***
What can I say? He's El Luchador. You're a fat slug. He's going to undo most
of your effort every...well, you get the idea.
~~~~~~~~~~~
| Jackpot |
~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ***
Starts out fairly hard...and ends up unbelievably hard. A good choice if you
want a nice, natural progression, in other words. :-)
Stage 1: Kid USA / 1:00 normal
Handicap - cheap shot (65%)
DOD: **
Jackpot's got plenty of muscle behind his fat, so making up the difference
shouldn't be a problem.
Stage 2: Bronto Sore / 1:00 normal
Handicap - glass jaw
DOD: **
Stage 3: Royal Pain / Death Match
Handicap - cheap shot (65%), sissy right
DOD: ***
You can throw rights...just don't expect to accomplish anything with them
(unless you have a Super Punch or Juggernaut activated).
Stage 4: Ally Gator / Death Match
Handicap - bass-ackwards
DOD: ***
Stage 5: Major Flak / 1:00 normal
Handicap - second wind
DOD: ***
Stage 6: El Luchador / 1:00 normal
Handicap - low gear
DOD: ****
Your punch and movement speed both take a *big* hit in this fight...and you're
up against one of the fastest fighters in the game. Just thought I'd point
that out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Holly Vixen |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ** 1/2
Except for the first match, nothing you haven't seen before (provided you've
beaten at least a couple other stories).
Stage 1: Mickey McFist / no-powerup Death Match
Handicap - Cannot use any lefts
DOD: **
This one's actually pretty straightforward. Move in, pound him with straight
rights and right hooks, maybe the occasional body shot to keep him honest, and
block whatever he throws back at you.
Stage 2: Jackpot / Death Match
Straight fight
DOD: **
Stage 3: Ally Gator / Death Match
Handicap - extra step
DOD: **
Stage 4: Bronto Sore / Death Match
Handicap - 7 knockdown rule
DOD: ***
Stage 5: Royal Pain / Death Match
Handicap - powderpuff
DOD: ***
Thankfully, Holly doesn't suffer nearly as much from speed loss as the really
slow hitters. You should still be able to do combos.
Stage 6: Survival - Bronto Sore, Mickey McFist, Royal Pain
DOD: **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| El Luchador |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: X
His childhood was full of misery and torment...and Boxer's Life seems intent on
keeping the tradition alive. Two, count 'em, TWO impossible matches. It's
tasks like these that make some gamers' insistence of "honor" and "playing the
game like it was meant to be" inexplicable to me.
Stage 1: Thug / :45 Make or Break
DOD: ***
Stage 2: Thug / Death Match
Handicap - fog of war, bass-ackwards, powderpuff
DOD: X
If you have any doubt about my difficulty rating...even the *tiniest* little
doubt...take another look at that laundry list of handicaps. For crying out
loud, how are you even supposed to *hit* the guy?
Stage 3: Bronto Sore / Death Match
Condition - a real knockout (L3)
DOD: ***
1. Don't get a Poison 2. Don't get a Poison 3-99. Don't get a Poison 100.
*Try* not to get an Autoslip, but if you do, run him ragged before firing up
the Power Shield.
Stage 4: Royal Pain / Death Match
Handicap - locked & loaded
DOD: **
Stage 5: Survival - Bronto Sore, Thug, El Luchador
DOD: ***
Tougher than the usual survival mainly because of your "evil twin". Keep
everyone at arm's length as much as possible.
Stage 6: Royal Pain / 1:00 normal
Condition - final blow (L1)
DOD: X
The condition is daunting, especially considering how pathetically weak that
Super Punch is, and Royal Pain won't hold anything back with his back to the
wall. In short, forget it. Unless...naw, just forget it. :-D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Ally Gator |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ** 1/2
It's a long, strange trip for the young social activist, but really only a
shade tougher than average.
1: Royal Pain / Death Match
Handicap - cheap shot (65%)
DOD: **
Not only is Royal Pain's speed not hampered, you start out less than 100% due
to the exhaustion of rescuing him, proving, once again, that this entire game
is out to get you. A straight match otherwise, so putting him down shouldn't
be extremely difficult.
2: Major Flak / Death Match
Handicap: fog of war
DOD: ***
The haze isn't really a hassle...compared to Flak's offensive, anyway. Defend
against his punishing combos or pay the price.
3: Jackpot / :30 Make or Break
Straight fight
DOD: ***
Ally ain't a bruiser, Jack ain't a creampuff, and half a minute sure as hell
ain't a lot of time. Your fists have to fly here.
4: Jumping Janet / Death Match
Handicap - extra step
DOD: ***
5: Mickey McFist / 1:00 normal
Condition - four & no more
DOD: **
6: Kid USA / 1:00 normal
Handicap - heavy artillery
DOD: ***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Major Flak |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ****
As you might expect from his lofty rank, his story is a major pain in the butt
that will give you major headaches for a highly major amount of time (like, for
as long as you own this game), and there's a major threat of you majorly
throwing major objects at a major part of the screen.
1: Holly Vixen / 2:00 Make or Break
Straight fight
DOD: **
2: Survival - Kid USA, Ally Gator, Tiny
DOD: **
3: Jackpot / 1:00 normal
Condition - total ownage
DOD: ****
To recap, your stamina has to be above Jackpot's for the entire fight. And you
have to win, of course. With your stamina above Jackpot's. For the entire
fight. (I mean, think about it.)
4: Holly Vixen / no-powerup 1:00 normal
Handicap - sitting duck
DOD: ****
Okay, the thing is, you can't block at all. Which means that if she's in
range, everything that she throws connects. And there are no powerups to help
you out. Which gives her an even bigger advantage. And this is Holly Vixen
we're talking about. And you have to win. Got all that?
5: Bronto Sore / Death Match
Handicap - world effin' champ
DOD: ****
Um, you don't need me to tell you that if a guy's really strong and tough, and
somewhere along the line he also becomes incredibly fast and adept with combos,
he's not going to be the easiest opponent, right? Oh, good.
6: King Khan / 1:00 normal
Handicap - heavy artillery
DOD: ***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Jumping Janet |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ***
She suffers from some pretty stiff handicaps throughout her tenure, not to
mention the one that never goes away, her lack of power.
Stage 1: Knuckles Nadine / no-powerup Death Match
Handicap - hurting left
DOD: ***
It's okay to throw lefts, but only in combos. Long combos. That don't have a
lot of lefts.
Stage 2: Holly Vixen / Death Match
Handicap - locked & loaded
DOD: ***
Wish she'd thought of that when Bronto and Royal invaded the shop, huh? ;-)
Stage 3: Odiva / Death Match
Handicap - low gear
DOD: ***
Your speed is down to hers. Her power and toughness are not down to yours.
Stage 4: Maiagaru / Death Match
Handicap - cement feet
DOD: ***
Stage 5: Jackpot / Death Match
Handicap - bass-ackwards
DOD: ***
Stage 6: Survival - Holly Vixen, Maiagaru, Jackpot
DOD: ***
Definitely tougher than the usual Survival. Maiagaru, in particular, will be
all over you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Maiagaru |
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: *** 1/2
Man, that is one hardcore dojo. She has what's easily the third-craziest
Boxer's Life of the basic bunch. You're gonna need every bit of her speed,
strength, and tenacity to make it.
Stage 1: Tiny / 1:00 normal
Handicap - thick skin
DOD: ***
He's pretty tight on defense, too.
Stage 2: Mickey McFist / 1:00 normal
Handicap - glass jaw
DOD: ***
Stage 3: Jackpot / Death Match
Handicap - soft belly
DOD: ***
Stage 4: Pharaoh / First Blood
Handicap - fog of war, bass-ackwards, powderpuff
DOD: ****
Yep, the same BS El Luchador had to deal with. Sometimes it doesn't pay to get
out of bed, ne?
Stage 5: Ally Gator / no-powerup Death Match
Handicap - second wind
DOD: ***
Stage 6: Old Master / 1:00 normal
Condition - a real knockout (anything)
DOD: ****
Try *hitting* him with anything, and you'll see how hard the condition really
is.
4. Boxer's Life - the *really* tough ones
-----------------------------------------
Thought the Kid had it tough, huh? Well, hang on tight, because the unlockable
boxers are going to crank it up several more notches. Let me put it this
way...even WITH CODES, some of these matches are painful. (Trust me, words
can't possibly do this level of pain justice.)
To get these boxers, you have to win the tournaments; you unlock them in
*reverse* of the order they're presented here. If you can actually do this,
you're well on your way to reaching a level where you do not instantly feel
like breaking the disk into several hundred pieces after seeing the
requirements for some of these matches. In particular, the World championship,
which pits you against about 200 superpowered inhuman death machine juggernaut
monsters, should more than prepare you for Odiva's battles (provided, of
course, that you haven't already broken the disk into several hundred pieces at
that point).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| The Matador |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ****
The women may adore him, but if this is what his life is like, there are very,
very few men who want to be him.
1: Tiny / no-powerup Death Match
Handicap - simple 'n stupid
DOD: ****
No big combos. No powerups. Opponent who'll be bringing the thunder. And
this is the FIRST match? You'd better believe it.
2: Mickey McFist / 1:00 normal
Condition - final blow (L2)
DOD: ****
Aw, geez, not this "must finish with the one Super Punch" nonsense again.
3: El Luchador / Death Match
Handicap - heavy artillery
DOD: ***
4: King Khan / 1:00 normal
Handicap - quick recharge
DOD: ****
5: Kid USA / 1:00 normal
Handicap - world effin' champ
DOD: ****
6: Bronto Sore / Death Match
Handicap - soft belly
DOD: **
And the easiest match is the last. You got a problem with that, gringo? :-D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Old Master |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ****
"Why do I attempt the nearly impossible, you ask? It is the continuous attempt
of the nearly impossible that allows it to become less impossible, or at least
less impossibly impossible in a possible way. Or maybe I'm just senile, I
dunno."
Stage 1: Maiagaru / First Blood
Handicap - top-heavy (but also have permanent L1 autocombo)
DOD: *
Of course, the match where you get an advantage is the one that's over in a few
seconds anyway. Like, whaddya expect.
Stage 2: King Khan / Death Match
Handicap - fill 'er up
DOD: ****
A Death Match against King Khan, who has unlimited L3 powerups. Every bit as
fun as it sounds.
Stage 3: Bronto Sore / 1:00 Ironman
Handicap - untouchable
DOD: ****
Don't even bother trying to hit him (you'll fail). It's all running and
blocking, all the time.
Stage 4: Jackpot / 1:00 No Love
Straight fight
DOD: **
Stage 5: Jackpot / 1:00 Ironman
Handicap - untouchable
DOD: ****
Same contest as the one against Bronto Sore, same strategy.
Stage 6: Tiny / 1:00 normal
Handicap - low gear
DOD: ***
~~~~~~~~~
| Odiva |
~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: ****
Forget Pharaoh. *She* should stick to her day job.
Stage 1: Pharaoh / Death Match
Handicap - glass jaw
DOD: ***
Stage 2: Holly Vixen / 2:00 No Love
Straight fight
DOD: **
Stage 3: Knuckles Nadine / 1:00 normal
Condition - a real knockout (L3)
DOD: ****
As the famous saying goes, "The higher you set your expectations, the more
disappointed you'll be." Good luck satisfying the very difficult condition.
Stage 4: Bronto Sore / Death Match
Handicap - 7 knockdown rule
DOD: ***
Stage 5: El Luchador / 1:00 normal
Handicap - world effin' champ
DOD: ****
Boy, if this is his idea of deference to a lady, I'd hate to see what he does
to the guys...
Stage 6: Pharaoh / 1:00 Make or Break
Straight fight
DOD: ***
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| King Khan |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Overall DOD: X
...oh, hell, see for yourself.
Stage 1: Survival - Kid USA, Mickey McFist, Bronto Sore, Royal Pain, Major Flak
DOD: ****
Stage 2: Tiny / 1:00 No Love
Straight fight
DOD: **
Stage 3: Maiagaru / no-powerup 1:00 normal
Condition - cannot ever knock opponent down
DOD: X
That's right. You have to win this fight by decision *without knocking her
down even once*. Which means that you have to avoid being downed yourself and
have more stamina AFTER THREE ROUNDS. Well, I suppose there's no such thing as
"too hard" for a PS2 game, right?
Stage 4: Old Master / :30 Ironman
Condition - cannot throw a single punch
DOD: X
Stage 5: Trainer / 1:00 normal
Condition - must connect with all 8 punches
DOD: ****
Good news: You don't have to win. Bad news: You still have to complete the
condition before getting decked a fourth time.
Stage 6: King Khan / 1:00 normal
Handicap - locked & loaded
DOD: ***
5. Codebreaker codes
--------------------
When Wolfenstein 3D was in development, the programmers added something called
debug mode. This allowed them to avoid taking any damage, get tons of ammo and
all the weapons, go through walls, etc. This permitted them to test the levels
without any of the dangers of actual gameplay (e.g. dying). As was common
practice, going through the trouble of removing it from the finished product
wasn't worth the effort, so it remained. Later, players would use these to
make the entire game a breeze. The original purpose long gone, debug mode was
now called what it had become...a cheat mode.
Response from the super-duper-ultra-hardcore contingent was predictable, and
countless bulletin board system respondents (in the pre-Internet days, the BBS
was the primary means of mass electronic correspondence) ranted long and hard
about the evils of cheat modes. But for all the white noise and posturing, not
to mention lots and lots of non sequiturs ("It's *dishonorable* to use cheat
codes! You are a *wimp* if you do so! You are *destroying* the game! You are
*lame*! You are *pathetic*! You are going against the *creative vision* of
the programmers!"), it didn't stop a single person from actually using cheats.
Go figure, not dying and having tons of ammo was actually fun. Given a choice
between that and some nebulous, phony baloney, half-baked pseudo-concept of
"honor", well, no contest.
Like it or not, cheats were here, and there was no turning back. The
exhilarating sense of pure, unbridled *control* was irresistable, and no way in
hell were players who were used to it going to give it up. Sometimes a game
would be decent for the most part, but have that ooone part that was torturous,
way too hard, bewildering, way too hard, incomprehensible, way too hard, or way
too hard, and it was always great to have a way through.
Which brings us to the PS2, a system that seemingly was *designed* for cheat
devices. Let's get one thing straight...a lot of the games have really, REALLY
impossible sections. I mean, off-the-world hard. Sega Sports Tennis does
(King & Queen). As well as CART Fury (Driving 101, Simulation Mode). And 18
Wheeler (parking tests). And Street Fighter EX 3 (medals, EX M.Bison). And
Time Crisis 3 (everything besides the main game). And King of Route 66
(uh...about 98% of the game?). And Guilty Gear XX (story mode, challenges).
Hard, torturous, painful, sickening, vile, filthy, evil sections of nearly
every PS2 game in existence. And even if you somehow manage to conquer them
legitimately, what then? After taking 500 tries to complete the Day 5 Crisis
Missions in Time Crisis 3, do you actually feel *good* afterwards, let alone in
the proper frame of mind to tackle the final day? If endlessly repeating
impossible tasks is the source of a game's replay value, it has no replay value.
Hence, codes. As a pure necessity. I assure you that not one person who
actually uses these shares any of the approximately 500,000,000 hang-ups the
super-hardcores have been carrying long before Playstation became a household
name. Remember, these are the same people who scream bloody murder about
"padding" (again with the non sequiturs!) IIDX stats by playing easy songs.
The same songs everyone who plays the game is allowed. I mean, c'mon now.
All codes taken from http://www.cmgsccc.com/ps2/index.php?game=370. If you're
using a Gameshark instead, that's fine...they'll work.
Get Odiva 2A27BB7C 00000002
Get King Kahn 2AD7BB7C 00000002
Get Matador 2AB7BB7D 00000002
Get Old Master 2AA7BB7D 00000002
If you don't feel like slogging through all the tournaments, you can get the
whole unlockable gang this way. There's also a code for the Trainer, but
getting through training is easy enough.
Infinite Stamina P1 2A474F29 461C4000
Infinite Stamina P2 2A3B4EBE 461C4000
Like all infinite codes, this fixes your stamina at a certain amount, which
*might* be a bit less than 100% for some boxers. It should still be enough for
you to win any fight where a fast knockdown isn't imperative.
Not enough for: Make or Break fights and short No Love fights. You'll probably
want a No Health code for your opponent, or some powerup help.
DO NOT USE for: Major Flak stage 3. You'll start out at about 95%, which is
enough to foil the condition.
No Health P1 2A474F29 00000000
No Health P2 2A3B4EBE 00000000
Self-explanatory. One punch (and a bit 'o stunning) and he's down.
Not enough for: The two matches which require a level 3 super finish. You'll
definitely want to give yourself one beforehand.
Completely useless for: The Ironman matches and King Khan stage 3. You'll
still get beaten into the ground without an infinite stamina code.
Infinite Time 2A5F25D2 00000000
The clock stops; you have as much time you need to finish the job. Makes those
annoying Make or Break matches a *lot* smoother.
Not enough for: This code's pretty much useless by itself.
DO NOT USE for: Any condition where you cannot win in the first round.
Max L1 Special P1 2AFF4EF9 41200000
Max L2 Special P1 2AFB4EF9 41200000
Max L3 Special P1 2AE74EF9 41200000
Max L1 Special P2 2AD34E4E 41200000
Max L2 Special P2 2ADF4E4E 41200000
Max L3 Special P2 2ADB4E4E 41200000
This fills each super level the instant you reach it. For example, if you
entered only Max L2 Special, the meter would fill normally until it reached
level 2, then immediately complete that level and go right to level 3. You
must enter all three codes to have permanent level 3 supers.
Not enough for: Anything with a DOD above **. You'll want some more help.
Completely useless for: No-powerup matches and the final blow condition.
Set Powerup 2A8B4E35 000000**
The powerup you and your opponent gets is always the same. Once you complete
one level, it's yours. Building to higher levels has no effect; the powerup
remains the same.
Since both fighters benefit equally from this, I recommend using it only for
fun, not if you're seriously trying to complete Boxer's Life.
Powerup For Right P1 2AF34F2D 000000**
Powerup For Left P1 2A5F4F2E 000000**
Powerup For Right P2 2AD74EA2 000000**
Powerup For Left P2 2A334EA3 000000**
Time to have some fun. When you enter a powerup for a hand, you activate that
powerup every time you connect with a punch with that hand. It even works for
no-powerup matches! For some real fireworks, set an autocombo for one hand and
a different powerup for the other.
Not enough for: These are great standalone codes; about the only thing they're
not good enough for is the King Khan match where you can't throw a single punch.
Powerup modifiers
00 - Nothing 07 - Regeneration 0E - Auto Combo 2
01 - Autoslip 08 - Stun 0F - Auto Combo 3
02 - Armor 09 - Speed 10 - Super Punch 1
03 - Damage Shield 0A - Poison 11 - Super Punch 2
04 - Heavy Punch 0B - Vampire 12 - Super Punch 3
05 - Bulldozer 0C - Juggernaut
06 - Fire Damage 0D - Auto Combo
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FAQ coypright (C) 2004 by Darrell Wong (DKW 001)
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