Any fan of professional boxing can easily get thepicture. The tuxedo-clad announcer strides to the
center of the ring and grasps the microphone that
drops in from over his head like a deus ex machina
ready to rescue the hero in a Greek comedy. His enunciation,
tinged with the Bronx overtones forever associated
with the sport, describes the combatants for all
of the assembled fans: "In the blue corner, the number
16 contender, weighing in at 219 pounds... a record of
20-0 with 18 KOs from Exeter... The Wol! In the red
corner, the number 14 contender, weighing in at 201
pounds and also undefeated... from San Mateo...
Ugotabe Kidding!"
The fighters shuffle together and test each other's
strengths and weaknesses, dancing the modern
equivalent of the warrior's pre-combat ritual. Astute observers
gain some prescient sense of what is to occur
and the announcer prepares to describe the second
round.
"A bad first round for The Wol as his inexperience at
this level shows. Kidding is advancing confidently
across the ring and fires a quick combination. The Wol
still looks groggy from that first round. Somewhat
foolishly, The Wol is continuing forward, maintaining a
strong body attack with occasional hooks to the head.
A huge right hand from Kidding has Wol in trouble by
the ropes, he's down... 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8... 9...
10, Knockout! The fine unbeaten streak of the Wol has
come to an end at 1:35 of the second round."
The fiction used to introduce this review actually occurred
on the reviewer's computer as he suffered his first defeat in
Electronic Arts' 4D Boxing. This reviewer's initial reactions
were rather negative, but the game itself proved to
have even more heart than his fighter.
Such a positive perspective certainly
could not have been predicted from looking
at the box cover or getting one's
first taste of those strange-looking
polygon-filled boxers. After five games,
however, one becomes perfectly at ease
with the graphics. What causes the
change? There are two basic factors:
familiarity and accuracy. During the action,
the punches flow so smoothly and land so correctly that
one can readily understand why the polygon choice was made.
Once one sees the advantage in terms of the accuracy of physical
modeling that is possible through the polygon technology,
one overlooks the surrealistic nature of the boxers themselves.
In the Gym (Preparation for Play)
The best way to get into 4D Boxing is to create one's own
boxer. The program provides the gamer with the opportunity to
choose the boxer's weight, height, hair color, jersey and shorts
color, skin pigment and facial "shape." Then, one can use the
"facilities" of the gym to increase one or more of the boxer's
skills: speed, power and stamina. In the early going, most
players will find that power and stamina are much more important
than speed. Stamina, the ability to take punishment and
trade inside punches, is vitally important for a beginning fighter.
Then, once the gamer has developed some familiarity with the
game, it will become possible to develop a "stick and move"
fighter such as the great Pernell Whitaker. One will have to
master the basic interface, however, before moving to this style.
It takes considerable practice to be able to score sufficient points
to win with a "stick and move" approach.
The Main Event (Game Play)
The fighter starts off as the number 51 ranked fighter and
moves (one hopes) up the rankings by beating a fighter of a
higher ranking. This seems quite a quaint concept, causing one
to wonder why the major boxing organizations do not simply
take a page out of 4D Boxing's book! (grin!)
I he top 50 fighters are a punster's delight. Lance Boil, Sadie
Mazo-Chisholm and others add a silly side to this product, but
one should not make the mistake of thinking that this is a silly
product. Players will need a lot of skill and, ultimately, an understanding
of the strategies of boxing in order to be successful.
This is not a Low Blow-type of game.
Trainer Talk (Strategy)
As one's boxer climbs the rankings, it is profitable to look for
the fighter with the lowest stamina rating. Naturally, these are the
easiest to knock out.
Never forget that the body is an easier target than the head and
that boxers can still score effectively while in close. Indeed,
though this reviewer is not entirely certain, but it seemed that a
counter punch thrown correctly scored more effectively than a
regular punch.
Combinations are important. The jab is only an effective
weapon if it is used with a second or third punch. Remember to mix it up with both head and body combinations. Mike Tyson
was particularly effective in his early career by doubling up a
right hand to the body and then to the head. It is very nice to see
that work in the 4D Boxing program.
Indeed, the more one plays this game, the more one sees that
for all its "game" trimmings, this is, in fact, a very accurate
boxing simulation.
Television Coverage (Camera Angles)
This is an option which this writer used very infrequently. The
program provides nine different camera angles from which to
view the fight. This can be an effective learning tool. It is particularly
useful for replaying a round of action and picking up
tips and pointers.
Another one of the nice touches that this product delivers is the
ability to see the fight, while one is fighting, from any of these
camera angles and through either fighter's eyes. As the manual
notes, "This is a good way to look at your opponent close up....
You can really tell when he's about to go down. It's also a rather
interesting view if you get knocked down." They are not kidding
— there is a very weird sensation when one's boxer drops to the
canvas.
Press Coverage (Newspaper Headlines)
After the decision of the fight is announced, the last couple of
seconds of the fight are displayed against a newspaper format
background with suitable headline ("TKO Stuns Crowd").
Whoever thought of this delightful piece of
chrome is a "genius." Although it is just a
five-second piece, it adds a considerable
amount to the atmosphere of the game.
Counter Punches (Critical
Remarks)
At the risk of being called a purist, the
reviewer must question the idea of a fight
scheduled for eleven rounds. One usually
has fights set at ten rounds, twelve rounds
(the current championship distance) or even
fifteen rounds (the traditional championship
distance), but not eleven rounds.
The manual also says, "All amateur and
professional boxing matches use 3-minute
rounds." While this may be true in the United
States, it is not necessarily true in other
countries (most notably in the United
Kingdom).
The Decision of the Judges
Many serious boxing aficionados may well
be put off by the "unrealistic" graphics.
Those who get past that reaction and experience
the smooth, realistic motion, however,
will find an enjoyable product that will
entice them to return on a regular basis. 4D
Boxing is an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable
game with an effective representation of
boxing skills. 4D Boxing scores a real TKO —
Technological Knock Out — and should be a
welcome and often-played addition to any
sports game library.
Tag :
1992 games,
Sports
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