PlayStation

Knockout Kings 2000

This is a terrific game and worth buying even if you have the old one. Although Knock Out Kings 2000 has some competition out there it is still #1 for boxing sims. If they want to make as much improvement in the next version as they did here, they’re going to be hard pressed to come up with new ideas.

Electronic Arts har inte kastat in handduken när det gäller boxningsspel. Knockout Kings 2000 är ute efter revansch.

Though Midway's recently released Ready to Rumble has cornered the market on over-the-top boxing games, Knockout Kings 2000 fills a nice niche. It's not the slow paced, weak hitting game from last year. This is what boxing is all about. While some may have appreciated the deep sim that last years game was, this is the game for the mainstream boxing fans. This is a huge step up from last years pitiful attempt.

Still, with the reality of today's market, there's but a few scant choices for true boxing fans and KK2000 is still a very attractive package and the only simulator-like game in town. So while I was hampered by the complex controls and turned off by the lack of unique animation, I still enjoyed playing the game and it held my interest long enough for me work my way up to the heavyweight championship and defend it several times. So KK2000 misses the moon, but at least ends up in the stars.

Overall, Knockout Kings 2000 comes off as a more polished version of the original title. All the new fighters and ring entrances, actual arenas, boxer bios, training exercises, and improved graphics that make the fighters look more realistic partially hide the fact that Knockout Kings 2000 just looks authentic. Gameplay and AI, however, are where the game is ultimately judged, and while Knockout Kings 2000 has taken steps in the right direction, it still has a long way to go before it can be praised for its simulation qualities.

In the end, Knockout Kings 2000 is a mixed blessing. It improves over the original by offering more of everything, but still falls short of the excellence you'd expect from EA Sports. A good effort, but the title remains unclaimed.