Victorious Boxers: Ippo's Road to Glory

"One of the better boxing games I've played!"

The only boxing game I've ever liked was the good ole' Mike Tyson punch out from the NES days. I rented this game and was instantly satisfied. When you first turn it on and go to Vs. mode you only see 2 unlocked boxers (a downfall for when there are 2 players) but after a while of story mode, you'll see the screen fill up with anime characters. Story mode isn't really hard, once you figure out little secrets to fighting and then can repeat them over and over again.

Graphics: 8. They are cartoony, but that makes them fit the game. There really isn't much to be said about them, the anime isn't too bad, and once your in the middle of the ring fighting your opponent, you really forget to notice.

Sound: 8. I was hoping for a boxing game where the sound let you know how the punch felt. Sometimes you are left wondering if you hit your opponent or if he blocked it (so it's better to keep hitting!!) No announcer (which might be a plus.) Also, the crowd cheers after you start a nice little combo on your opponents head and body, which was nice to see.

Gameplay: 8. The gameplay is really really good, unlike the old Tyson game, you can circle around your opponent, but that also causes some of the downfall. Since the fighters are a little fast, you often find yourself off-balanced swinging at the air, and Vs. human opponents you see yourself getting knocked backwards a lot off of simple jabs! Story mode isn't much of a story, just you going through each match, with hints before each round, but it does keep you occupied if you want to unlock the 30-40 different fighters each with their own special combo's (that usually knock down fighters in 3-4 blows in a row) and the 10 different fighting arenas.

Rent/Buy: Buy. There isn't much of a choice of good boxing games (upcoming Knockout Kings and the new Mike Tyson game.) Even they might not match the realism of Victorious Boxers, and since they are still a little while away, I highly recommend getting this game, even off of eBay or pre-owned. The only reason I say to get it pre-owned is because of the praises of the new Knockout Kings, and the way the graphics of the new Tyson game look. Either way, you can't go wrong with VB!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/21/02, Updated 03/10/02