| Introduction
With his controversial criminal record Mike Tyson
may seem like an odd choice to front a boxing title.
None, however, can doubt his boxing prowess and credible
record of 49 bouts, 43 of which were by way of knockouts.
On top of that, he is also a two time World Heavyweight
Champion. Suffice to say, the Tyson name still pulls
in the crowds and the majority of his bouts sell out
almost instantly. As impressive as all this is though
computer games are a little different and transferring
the excitement of any sport to an entertainment title
has always been inimical. So here we go with round one
of our game review and hey, no munching on your opponent's
ears.
GamePlay
Although this title contains four different gameplay
modes some players will just want to jump in the ring
and start punching an opponent right away, fortunately
this is catered for in the practice section. Any two
boxers can be selected here and as soon as the bell
rings can just start slugging it out. In addition you
can select the location and number of rounds giving
you great flexibility and should satisfy everyone's
gaming needs.
Of all the various styles of game the 'world' mode
is possibly the most interesting and it's here that
a boxer starts on his career to become a world class
fighter. This is where everything starts, you'll not
only have to train your boxer but manage him and enter
various prize fights to get him better known. The training
aspect is actually more important than it sounds as
a rigorous and varied regime is required to produce
a good all-round fighter. This can all be saved at any
time using the game's two handy save slots and as it's
so time consuming I'd suggest you do so.
Controls
Navigating through the various menu systems is very
easy but the actual boxing section is a little more
difficult so getting your chosen fighter to throw even
the simplest punch can be a challenge in itself. The
problem is that the whole control system is very complicated
and not at all user friendly. In addition, because of
the way the ring is viewed, even if you do manage to
pull off a Super Punch you'll hardly notice and some
of the moves are possibly a little too subtle for a
computer game.
Graphics
The graphics are reasonably impressive and the ring
rotates as the boxers fight around it. This is a novel
use of 'mode 7', which we normally see in GBA race titles,
and it will now hopefully be put to other similar uses.
Everything else is sprite based and while pleasing to
the eye never really rises above that. The menu systems
(of which there are many) are easy to navigate but as
with the various fighters appear to be more functional
than a game highlight.
Sound & Music
The audio is the best thing about this title and
everything sounds incredible through headphones. The
music is crisp and clear although it doesn't play through
the actual boxing as it would obviously be a little
distracting. Sound effects are also of a very high standard
with the punches and ringmaster's voice creating a realistic
atmosphere. The fact is if the gameplay matched the
standard of the sound you'd be in for a truly impressive
experience.
Final Comments
The biggest problem with this title is it's just
not as much fun as it should be and as a result you'll
find very easy to put down even mid-fight. The 'world'
mode and the training sections do go some way to addressing
this but unfortunately, not far enough. There have been
a lot of fighting games on the GBA since its introduction
last year but sadly Mike Tyson's Boxing is not one of
the better ones. There are several similar titles available
now and I'd urge you to look around and try them before
parting with your cash.
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