Knockout Kings

Knockout Kings is boxing for those who grew up watching fights of past decades. There are thirty-eight fighters, among them legends from different eras, and the Press Start studio tried to convey not only the appearance, but also the manner and set of techniques characteristic of each. Rivals differ sensitively: with one it is advantageous to go forward, with the other it is advantageous to wait. Controls are built around strikes, blocks and movement, and stamina acts as a limiter: series of “waving until I fall” style quickly end with the opponent catching the hero in the opposite direction. There are dodges and body work, and an accurate counterpunch can decide the round. The modes are different: individual fights to test your strength, the tournament ladder and a long ascent from a debutant to the title, where the result of each fight affects the next opponent. Settings allow you to change the number of rounds and difficulty, adapting to the player's level. Separately, it is worth noting that the blows differ by zone: working on the body is beneficial in order to take away the breath, but this can result in a sensitive counter-punch. Setting the difficulty changes the activity of the opponent, and at a high level the computer begins to exploit errors instantly. There are also weight categories, which adds variety to the selection of fights. The graphics and animations today look old-fashioned, and the sound does not offer variety. But as an arcade box with real names and simple battle logic, the Knockout Kings remains a strong option: the main thing here is to guess the moment and not be fooled.