I recently reviewed Atari's
Ready2Rumble where I discovered I was never, and never will be Ready2Rumble ever again, such was my dislike for an utterly poor game.
The Wii should be the perfect platform for boxing games in theory. So after having my fingers burnt by Atari's cartoony new release you'll forgive my intial scepticism as I loaded up 2K Sports' Don King Boxing.
When I think of Don King, I think big hair, loud American and was wondering what exactly having his name on the box would add to the game and the experience.
Well in truth nothing, but as a key promoter in the boxing world, King would probably have been reluctant to put his name to something that was going to be poor. And to be fair, he should be pleased with what 2K, a great production company, has produced.
This is no world-beater but it is instantly more enjoyable than the Wii sports boxing or Ready2Rumble and is a proper bonafide boxing game.
The best feature about the game is the option to use the balance board. For those who have one it adds massively to the experience and once you're used to it you really feel as if you are in the arcade fighting away.
DKB takes advantage of the Wii remote/nunchuck and when I first played the game, I started in the training mode to get a quick idea of what it was I would be dealing with.
This, for me, is where the game earns its kudos. You can follow the fitness progress of your fighter and do training sessions on the speed bag, heavy bag, and jump rope - all of which are immensely more enjoyable with the balance board.
The story mode, in which you start as a fighter nicknamed 'The Kid', is tinged with disappointment from the outset as the first thing I noticed was that the character could not be customised or edited - a standard pratice for most sports games on any platform or console.
In story mode, you encounter a number of characters including promoters, cutmen, trainers, and agents, some of whom are there to help you, others who just want a piece of you. It is fun and while I only played for a short time it is in-depth enough to make for a worthwhile experience in the boxing game genre.
The fight view is behind/in-body ala Super Punch Out and Wii Sports Boxing. At times this is a hinderance as, unless you have a large TV, it can be hard to see punches coming at you, but after a while your eye looks straight past it and you don't even really notice it. The view is also an integral part of the gameplay as you need to know when to block and being able to see where your gloves are positioned about your own body (which is only possible with this view) is vital so I can't complain about that too much.
In conclusion the game is enjoyable because you actually get physically involved. Punches feel more real, you almost feel the thud of the gloves on skin and possibly for the first time ever your footwork actually counts for something while fighting (not many games can say that...yet). The graphics however, are not the best but nevertheless this is comfortably the best boxing game available on the Wii to date.
DKB is definitely a game aimed at the more casual gamer who would enjoy giving their friends a beating (not literally of course). Not perfect but a good effort.
bucksherald.co.uk rating: 7/10.What do you think of this review? Let us have your views by clicking HERE or using the comments section below this story.