"A New Way to Box"

This game is one of the few boxing games out there. EA Sports came out with the Fight Night Series, and there were the Ready to Rumble games, but the victorious boxer game is in a league of its own.

Story

This game is based off of the famous Japanese anime Victorious Boxers. The game starts out with you playing as Ippo a young man who has taken up boxing. You work your way through the ranks of your rookie year to win the championship belt, and the season after.

There are several other storys that you can play through, each giving a solid background of the fighters journey to the top.

Gameplay

This game is the only boxing game that does not have the option to block, making your only defence the sway. You need to read your opponents movements in order to effectively counter punch and land crucial combos.

There is no way to boost your charactors stats, but his stamina increases with each fight. There is also no life bar, so you really have to try to predict when to keep away from your opponent to keep from getting knocked down.

When you get knocked down, there is no saying what will happen. You cannot control your fighter to get him back up on his feet. The only thing you can do is control how bad of a beating you take.

This game feature numerous boxers, they span over three weight classes, and each one has there own individual fighting style. One of the toughest opponents you face is a bear, so toughen up its tough.

Graphics

This game has pretty good graphics, along the lines of Ready to Rumble. However, there isnt really much to see other than the a few cut scenes, and when your in the ring.

Overall

This game is a great game. It makes you really put some effort into each fight. So if you are tired of button mashing, and having a fighter that pretty much cant get beat this is the game for you. Patients is a must for this game as Ippo's rival Ejie Date is one tough customer and may take a while to beat him. As I part all I have to say is "Are you tougher than a bear."

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/20/06