Knockout Kings 2002 Soundtrack

Where Knockout Kings 2002 truly shines is in its graphics, thanks to the combination of boxers' well-sculpted physiques and EA Sports' face-mapping technology. The eye-catching detail of the various arenas and rings further enhances the realism, right down to the excitable fans in the seats and the blood flying from fighters' mouths. The Wash (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to DJ Pooh's 2001 comedy film The Wash. It was released on November 6, 2001 through Aftermath/Doggystyle/Interscope Records. Composed of seventeen tracks, the album featured performances from film stars Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Knockout Kings is a series of boxing video games that were produced by EA Sports for various platforms yearly between 1998 and 2003.

Before releasing the first Knockout Kings, Electronic Arts released its first 3D boxing game, Foes of Ali, for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer in 1995. While there are a few similarities between the two games, Foes of Ali was developed by a different team, Gray Matter and as such, is not regarded as a precursor.

The Knockout Kings game series gives users a chance to compete against numerous real fighters, such as Muhammad Ali, Eric Esch, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Larry Holmes, Jake LaMotta, Roberto Durán, Alexis Argüello, and Ray Mancini. Amateur boxing legends, such as Daryl ‘Hotcakes’ McGee, The Great Smokey Maggard, Boto Bondingo, and Flute Top Terry, could also be unlocked by gaining certain achievements.

The duration of a round can be adjusted to either 90 seconds or 3 minutes. In the game's 'slugfest' mode, fighters can knock each other out at any given moment of the fight, or suffer 6 or 7 knockdowns and still last for the whole fight. There are several differences between Knockout Kings, Knockout Kings 2000, and Knockout Kings 2001 in particular, the most notable being the graphics.

In Knockout Kings, the boxer sprites, although distinctive, are not facially representative of their real-life counterparts. Championship bouts can last only up to 10 rounds and not for 12 as in real life or 15 as in the past. In between rounds, all that is seen is a ring-card girl. In Career Mode, Your created fighter fights all the way up the ladder, defeating the top contenders and eventually defeating the champion. After beating the title holder, you defend the championship multiple times until retirement. A created boxer can fight in Career Mode and Slugfest Mode, but not in Exhibition mode. Although there is a training mode within Career Mode, it is extremely basic. However, 2 aspects that Knockout Kings has which the sequels lack is that the referee does a mandatory eight-count when a fighter is knocked down whereas in the sequels the referee stops the count immediately after a fighter gets up from a knockdown, and, in Career Mode, the result of a fight is afterwards seen on the screen as front-page newspaper headlines.

In Knockout Kings 2000 for the PS, the boxer sprites are for the first time facially representative of their real-life counterparts. Championship bouts can last up to 15 rounds. Sound and Music volume can also be adjusted in Option Mode. In between rounds, you may see either a ring-card girl, a replay of a part of the previous round, or your boxer sitting at his corner together with the statistics so far of the bout. Injury to the face of boxers can also be recognized, as well as his mouth-piece flying out if he is hit by a hard punch. A created boxer in Career Mode can now fight in all Modes. The training mode within Career Mode is more specific. You can now control your boxer while he is training and, in the PS version, you can also choose the location of your gym. Each boxer in the PS version can also be seen entering into the ring just before the bout takes place. There is also a new Mode where the player can see the statistics and biography of all the real-life boxers in the game, and another Mode in which the player can re-live famous classic bouts. The user-interface and intro-theme of the PS version is different to the N64 version and there are also more boxers, while the graphics on each version are similar.

Knockout Kings 2001 contains the same improvements as Knockout Kings 2000 and adds more. Whereas fighters in KO Kings and KO Kings 2000 are either 'boxer' or 'slugger' style fighters, the styles of fighters in KO Kings 2001 are either 'boxer', 'slugger', 'freestyle', or 'crab', and these differences of style are very noticeable during bouts. Commentary in KO Kings 2001 is also far more vocal than its predecessors. During Career Mode, your trainer will occasionally talk and give you advice in between rounds as you progress through the bout. A fighter in Career Mode is made to retire after winning the title and defending it for several times. KO Kings 2001 is also the first game of the series to introduce CPU vs CPU bouts and 'fantasy match-ups' between famous boxers of different eras, and the first to introduce women's boxing, which is accessible in Exhibition Mode. The PS and PS2 versions of Knockout Kings 2001 are virtually identical.

Knockout Kings 2002 changes many concepts of its predecessors, e.g. you have to progress through a number of bouts in order to unlock new fighters.

After Knockout Kings 2003, the name of the series was replaced by Fight Night (EA video game series).

Knockout Kings 2001[edit]

Knockout Kings 2001 features many well known boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Michael Grant, Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis, and Jack Dempsey. It also features arenas such as Caesars Palace, Madison Square Gardens, Wembley Arena, and the Roman Coliseum, among others.

Knockout Kings 2001 is largely considered the best boxing game on the original PlayStation. In Japan, Famitsu gave the PS2 version a score of 30 out of 40.^[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'プレイステーション2 - ノックアウトキング2001'. Famitsu. 915: 88. June 30, 2006.

External links[edit]

• Knockout Kings / Fight Night series at MobyGames
• Knockout Kings Game Boy Color Review at AllGame
• Knockout Kings 2000 PlayStation Review at AllGame
• Knockout Kings 2000 Nintendo 64 Review at AllGame
• Knockout Kings 2002 PlayStation 2 Review at AllGame
• Knockout Kings 2002 Xbox Review at AllGame

Overview

Last year, when EA Sports ported their distinguished boxing simulation over to Sony's next-generation hardware, the level of anticipation among PS2 pugilists was extremely high' and for good reason. Like many of their other fine sports franchises, the Knockout Kings series has consistently offered gamers a compelling mix of solid graphics and high-octane action. With an impressive list of features, modes of play, and licensed fighters, it's no wonder that many gamers consider it to be the premier boxing video game.

Unfortunately, Knockout Kings 2001's debut on the PS2 was marred by extremely sluggish prizefighters and an awkward control scheme. As a result (to no one's surprise) the game received several unfavorable reviews that deemed it as a 'rent only.'? With this year's game, EA Sports attempts to redeem itself, and enters the ring with a brand new game engine. Among other things, this year's game boasts a radically new control system for faster, more- furious fighter control, all-new boxer animations including stumbles, knockdowns, and signature moves, eight different boxing venues, and of course, a sweet stable of legendary fighters from the past and present. But does it have enough to go the distance? Well, get to yer corner and sit on yer stool, fool! Round one comin' up' ding!

Gameplay, Controls, Interface

From the main menu, you can get into the ring in Play Now Mode (Quick Start), select an advanced game mode, or adjust the game's rules and options. Game modes include Exhibition, Tournament, and Career. Exhibition Mode is a one-fight affair for one or two players. In Tournament Mode, you'll take on a full slate of boxers in a single-elimination tournament. In Career Mode, you'll start fresh from the ground up and take on all comers, in an attempt to become the next great champion. The game features a total of 45 boxers'21 real fighters and 24 fictional ones'which are divided into three different weight classes. You can choose from among any boxer featured in Knockout Kings 2002, or create one of your own. At the Create-Boxer screen, you'll first select a nickname and weight class for your fighter. Next, you'll select your fighter's physical characteristics, such as height, weight, reach, and damage. You must then disperse your 'Points Reserve'? in order to delineate your fighter's skills in the attribute categories of Power, Speed, Stamina, Chin, Heart, and Cuts. In the beginning of your career, you'll start off at the bottom of the Fighter Pyramid. As you progress through a predetermined number of fighters at each level, you'll move up the pyramid, with an eventual shot at the championship. Along the way, you'll earn additional reserve points to increase your fighter's skills, but be careful! If you lose three fights in a row before you win the championship belt, your days as a boxer are history. And if you do manage to become the champion, you must defend your title'suffer three loses in a row, and you'll be forced into early retirement.

At some point, you'll inevitably find yourself standing in the middle of the ring with your opponent staring you down. It's time to don the gloves, and get to brawlin'. Lucky for you, the developers have reworked the control scheme to now offer much more responsive and fluid control of your fighter. The sluggishness from last year is a thing of the past, as this year's fighters stick and run with a whole new sense of speed and purpose. The PS2's four basic controller buttons are used to execute the basics punches, which include hooks, jabs, crosses, and overhand rights. The other controller buttons are assigned to the more advanced moves, which include uppercuts, blocks, taunts, and a multitude of special moves and illegal punches. The pressure-sensitive left analog stick is used to maneuver your boxer. With a full move of the analog stick, your boxer will move left and right, and back and forth around the ring. Attack your opponent, back away, or circle around in an effort to corner him. Once you're in tight, a slight move of the analog stick will adjust you boxer's upper body. Avoid your opponent's blows by ducking, crouching, leaning back, and bobbing left and right. Then go on the offensive and knock him out! The beauty of this control scheme is that it allows you to move and throw punches at the same time. The control mechanics work and work well, however, I do have one minor complaint in regard to the block button. A press of the block button will protect your fighter for only a split second (unlike last year's game, which allowed you to hold down the block button to cover up indefinitely). As a result, far too often blocking becomes cumbersome and ineffective, eventually forcing you to go on the offensive for almost the entire fight. Make no mistake about it; most, if not all fights are slugfests. Read on.

Knockout Kings 2002 features decent AI, which will keep you on your toes throughout each fight. On the easiest difficulty setting, CPU boxers will not offer much of a test of your fighting skills. However, as you move up the difficulty ladder, the challenge becomes greater. On the hardest difficulty setting, CPU boxers tend to block and evade most of your punches and fight with a distinct level of smarts. They'll pick up on your moves in the early rounds, and adjust and counter later on in the fight.

No question, the game is not for the feint of heart. The action is always fast and furious, thus making it more of an arcade experience than a full-fledged boxing simulation. A quick look at the final stats after most fights yields an unrealistic number of punches thrown and landed. I would have preferred a game engine that offered a more realistic pace than what we have here. Nonetheless, the game is fun to play, offers a stiff challenge, and delivers a decent replay value.

Graphics

Without argument, the graphics in the game are good'very good. Fighter models are depicted with clean and detailed textures. And while the physical appearance of each boxer may be somewhat exaggerated with arms, legs, and torsos bulging with layer upon layer of muscles, the effect is cool and the message is loud and clear'these warriors mean business! For the most part, the fighters' facial features bear a reasonable likeness to their real-life counterparts. And as you progress through each fight, an assortment of damage effects, such as swollen eyes, cuts, bruises and contusions will clearly indicate when your fighter (or opponent) is takin' a beating.

The biggest improvement to this year's game comes in the form of highly impressive motion-captured animations, which bring a whole new level of interaction and realism to the ring. With the addition of all-new hand animations and motion blending techniques, the boxers exhibit extremely fluid movements. They'll punch, sway, bob, and weave with the same speed and agility of their real-life counterparts without any noticeable slowdown. Cursed treasure engineering. And when a fighter is about to take a dive, he'll wobble, stagger, and stumble before his ultimate crash to the canvas. Furthermore, you'll also find new facial animations that display a host of facial contortions brought on by a series of lethal blows and devastating combos. The game also features impressive visuals of each of the fighting venues. Ringside textures are clean, colorful, and highly detailed. The fans in the stands are reasonably detailed and offer an assortment of animated reactions to the fight at hand.

Continuing the trend in EA Sports' most recent lineup of sports software, Knockout Kings 2002 offers an impressive selection of slow-motion cinematic sequences, which go a long way in capturing the brutality of the sport of boxing. You'll witness that fierce knockout punch, up close and personal. As you lie on the canvas, you'll be treated to a hazy first person view of the referee who'll begin his count as you attempt to clear the cobwebs (Get up, fool!). Much like the game play itself, the visual effects are a bit over the top' but cool nonetheless. Although several camera views are at your disposal, the default camera offers an excellent view of the action at all times.

Audio

While the sound effects in the game are adequate, they certainly don't do anything to broaden the value of the game-play experience. The one exception is when the ringside combatants make contact. Landed punches reverberate with exaggerated whacks and thuds, making it all the more enjoyable to knock your opponent silly. Otherwise, the music and crowd effects are strictly ho-hum.

The game's commentary, handled by Larry Michael and Max Kellerman, is somewhat improved over last year's effort, but it's still a far cry from what it should be. On the whole, the announcers do a better job of keeping up with the action, but they use the same tired phrases over and over. Furthermore, during the actual fight, they don't make reference to a fighter by name as often as I would like. As a result, during several heated exchanges you'll hear, 'He's in trouble now'?. Uh, exactly 'who' is in trouble, here

Bottom Line

When all is said and done, Knockout Kings 2002 represents a substantial improvement over last year's game. The graphics and animation have been overhauled to near perfection. Subtle improvements in the audio department include ringside commentary that does a better job of callin' the action (much better than last year, anyway!). Most importantly, last year's control scheme has been reworked to now offer extremely responsive and fluid control of your fighters. Are the fights realistic? Well, not really. Let's face it folks, this game is boxing on steroids. If you're a diehard boxing fan who demands a more realistic pace to your fights, you may be a bit disappointed. However, if you like your action fast and furious, you won't find a better game in which to practice your penchant for passionate pugilism.