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IGN Review of Don King Boxing
To team up with the release of Don King: Prizefighter on the HD consoles, 2K Sports – specifically 2K China – is putting out a similar Nintendo offering in Don King Boxing. On DS, Don King Boxing is a great attempt at touch-based brawling, and a title that has some obvious promise if it had a bit more polish and a bit of engine refinement. On Wii, however, the game is suffering pretty bad, and while you'll get the same attention to storytelling and "Don King influence" as 360 and PS3, the Wii tech just isn't up to what the team was trying to do, and you've got no other options outside of a sketchy, all-motion boxing experience.
Wii MotionPlus can't come soon enough.
We've seen a few attempts at boxing on Wii, and thus far none of them have really been able to capitalize on the system's motion-sensing technology. Obviously when Nintendo can only get it half-right with the original Wii Sports Boxing – a game that some players insist works, while others can't play at all – it's time for a change, and unfortunately for 2K that change is coming just after Don King Boxing with MotionPlus. What's worse is that, while motion works to a decent extent, you can't be strategic with punches 100% of the time, and those looking for a truly technical boxing offering have no other options outside of the motion control. After an hour or so of the main game's story, I was able to hit the punches I wanted about 75% of the time, though it was far from intuitive, and uppercuts never seem to execute. Motion control just isn't there yet for a full-on "punch-tracking" experience, and the decision to have no other options leaves this game coming up short.
With that being said, 2K China has laid some decent groundwork for a potential sequel, as Don King Boxing has some pretty interesting and well-designed elements. For starters, balance board support has been included, and while simple overall, it works. You can use the pad to lean and juke, moving your body in the game like the classic arcade Mo-Cap Boxing (that game, as well as Police 911 by the same team, are the best motion offerings out there), and even if you don't have a balance board, holding A during a match will bring up your guard, with simple tilting of the two controllers affecting where you block. It's all very well done, and makes great use of the tech.
The story/career mode in Don King Boxing follows the same template as the other versions of the game as well, and while it doesn't always work, it's a fresh and unique take on gaming. Rather than going the CG route or just slapping together a simple career mode, Don King actually uses a slew of real footage, showcasing both real boxers and also actors to tell the story of a legend by the name of "The Kid" (that's you) and his rise to the top. Between each fight video plays in documentary form, with boxers and managers alike talking about The Kid's rise to the top, and all the hurdles that got in the way. When actually in each fight, these factors will come into play, so if you want a huge prizefight, you may need to "prove" to a champion that you've got what it takes to not only win, but KO an opponent in a certain round or under certain conditions. In other challenges, swayed judges will refuse to call the fight down the middle, leaving you to decide the fight yourself the only way you can; by knocking your sorry excuse for an opponent out for the 10-count. And while it's obvious the developers are trying to put in a cinematic story for players, it only half pans out on Wii, with bland interface icons and backdrops, low-quality character art for additional story moments, and a generic overall menu system. The concept is great, but the soul still isn't there.
In the ring it's a bit more of the same, as Don King Boxing attempts to offer a fresh take on the world of boxing, but still comes up short overall. For starters, the in-fight interface is like something out of a tech demo, offering nothing more than a red and blue line for each fighter (health and stamina), and tiny super-punch icons. There's no other fanfare around the screen, hardly any pomp at all, and knockdowns are handled better on DS than on Wii, with the Wii version having a poorly-executed "shake to stand" system that seems to sense your movements erratically. When fighting, punches work decently, with the expected hook, uppercut, and jab motions hitting high, and the Z and B triggers used as respective low alternatives to those punches when held. When you get into a huge slugfest, however, the experience is far from intense, with punches feeling very laid back and weak. I'm not exaggerating when I say there's more intensity and punch payoff in either Facebreaker: KO Party or the original Wii Sports Boxing, as Don King Boxing is just too tame overall. The visuals are also nothing to go crazy about, with the mentioned interface issues giving the game a cheap overall look, PS2-like fighter models in-ring, simple crowds, and very little effects animation or lighting going on.
As an added mode for the Wii version, 2K has also added in a training section that makes use of the Wii-mote, nunchuk, and balance board to do a Wii Fit inspired workout mode. Players use the board and remotes in tandem to move, step, work heavy bags, and go through all the expected "boxing-inspired" workouts out there (minus all the raw egg drinking). It's a novelty experience though, with everything earning you fitness points. Is it a real workout tool though? Not any more than it's a solid boxing game, no. Something like Dance Dance Revolution's added workout mode seems a whole lot less forced, and yields a lot more in the end. If you want workout software, you've got Wii Fit. If you want a boxing game though, you're still out of luck for the time being.
©2009-03-31, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Wii MotionPlus can't come soon enough.
We've seen a few attempts at boxing on Wii, and thus far none of them have really been able to capitalize on the system's motion-sensing technology. Obviously when Nintendo can only get it half-right with the original Wii Sports Boxing – a game that some players insist works, while others can't play at all – it's time for a change, and unfortunately for 2K that change is coming just after Don King Boxing with MotionPlus. What's worse is that, while motion works to a decent extent, you can't be strategic with punches 100% of the time, and those looking for a truly technical boxing offering have no other options outside of the motion control. After an hour or so of the main game's story, I was able to hit the punches I wanted about 75% of the time, though it was far from intuitive, and uppercuts never seem to execute. Motion control just isn't there yet for a full-on "punch-tracking" experience, and the decision to have no other options leaves this game coming up short.
With that being said, 2K China has laid some decent groundwork for a potential sequel, as Don King Boxing has some pretty interesting and well-designed elements. For starters, balance board support has been included, and while simple overall, it works. You can use the pad to lean and juke, moving your body in the game like the classic arcade Mo-Cap Boxing (that game, as well as Police 911 by the same team, are the best motion offerings out there), and even if you don't have a balance board, holding A during a match will bring up your guard, with simple tilting of the two controllers affecting where you block. It's all very well done, and makes great use of the tech.
The story/career mode in Don King Boxing follows the same template as the other versions of the game as well, and while it doesn't always work, it's a fresh and unique take on gaming. Rather than going the CG route or just slapping together a simple career mode, Don King actually uses a slew of real footage, showcasing both real boxers and also actors to tell the story of a legend by the name of "The Kid" (that's you) and his rise to the top. Between each fight video plays in documentary form, with boxers and managers alike talking about The Kid's rise to the top, and all the hurdles that got in the way. When actually in each fight, these factors will come into play, so if you want a huge prizefight, you may need to "prove" to a champion that you've got what it takes to not only win, but KO an opponent in a certain round or under certain conditions. In other challenges, swayed judges will refuse to call the fight down the middle, leaving you to decide the fight yourself the only way you can; by knocking your sorry excuse for an opponent out for the 10-count. And while it's obvious the developers are trying to put in a cinematic story for players, it only half pans out on Wii, with bland interface icons and backdrops, low-quality character art for additional story moments, and a generic overall menu system. The concept is great, but the soul still isn't there.
In the ring it's a bit more of the same, as Don King Boxing attempts to offer a fresh take on the world of boxing, but still comes up short overall. For starters, the in-fight interface is like something out of a tech demo, offering nothing more than a red and blue line for each fighter (health and stamina), and tiny super-punch icons. There's no other fanfare around the screen, hardly any pomp at all, and knockdowns are handled better on DS than on Wii, with the Wii version having a poorly-executed "shake to stand" system that seems to sense your movements erratically. When fighting, punches work decently, with the expected hook, uppercut, and jab motions hitting high, and the Z and B triggers used as respective low alternatives to those punches when held. When you get into a huge slugfest, however, the experience is far from intense, with punches feeling very laid back and weak. I'm not exaggerating when I say there's more intensity and punch payoff in either Facebreaker: KO Party or the original Wii Sports Boxing, as Don King Boxing is just too tame overall. The visuals are also nothing to go crazy about, with the mentioned interface issues giving the game a cheap overall look, PS2-like fighter models in-ring, simple crowds, and very little effects animation or lighting going on.
As an added mode for the Wii version, 2K has also added in a training section that makes use of the Wii-mote, nunchuk, and balance board to do a Wii Fit inspired workout mode. Players use the board and remotes in tandem to move, step, work heavy bags, and go through all the expected "boxing-inspired" workouts out there (minus all the raw egg drinking). It's a novelty experience though, with everything earning you fitness points. Is it a real workout tool though? Not any more than it's a solid boxing game, no. Something like Dance Dance Revolution's added workout mode seems a whole lot less forced, and yields a lot more in the end. If you want workout software, you've got Wii Fit. If you want a boxing game though, you're still out of luck for the time being.
©2009-03-31, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved