Computer Gamer


Fight Night
By U. S. Gold
Commodore 64

 
Published in Computer Gamer #11

Fight Night

Fight Night is the latest in a long line of boxing simulations which takes the best parts from its forerunners and builds around the theme.

The fight sequences take the more usual form of a lateral view rather than the behind-the-shoulder viewpoint of Frank Bruno's Boxing. Using the joystick to select your punch you enter a pitched battle against a series of five opponents. These can be chosen from a fixed selection of fighters or a series of constructed boxers which you have created yourself.

Constructing boxers is quite a challenge. You select the combination of legs, head and body which you think most suitable and then you can alter the colours of the shorts, gloves and skin. The final decision permits the attributes of the constructed fighter to be set. This consists of a series of balances such as jab to punch power ratios, offensive to defensive months for computer-controlled fighters, as well as brains to action ratio which determines the number of correct and incorrect moves the boxer makes.

Fight Night

Like a computerised Dr Frankenstein, your creations can turn out to be real odd-ball, misshapen monsters who can be matched against one another in sparring sessions or taken for training.

Sparring sessions allow you to call up any two boxers for a practice bout so that you can see how your constructed players have turned out before entering them into a series of bouts. On the other hand, training will teach you important sequences of punches and allow you to practise them at varying speeds.

The disk version of the game has an option which does not appear on the cassette version. This is the ability to set up a two player tournament in which a series of knockout championship bouts can be organised and fought until a champion is decided upon.

The fighters' movements are displayed in smooth cartoon graphics and the fixed set of boxers show little concern for the rules by wearing hats in the ring. The Cuban contender, Kid Kastro, even smokes a cigar throughout his fights. As far as the actual play is concerned, Fight Night appears no better or no worse than most of the currently available games but does offer one or two little extras which may give it an edge in what is rapidly becoming an overcrowded market.