Amstrad Computer User


Pro-Boxing Simulator

Author: Stewart Lard
Publisher: Codemasters
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Computer User #67

No pain, no gain action as you slug it out for the world championship.

Pro-Boxing Simulator

No pain, no gain action as you slug it out for the world championship.

Your gloves are wet. You don't know whether from blood or sweat, and it really doesn't matter which at this stage in the fight fourteen rounds down, one to go.

It's been hard, and even though Tyson is only a round or two ahead of you on points, the pain in your stomach and the swelling around your eye tell you that only a knockout is going to impress the judges now.

Pro Boxing Simulator

As you come out for the final round, just touching gloves with your ferocious opponent brings tears of pain to your eyes and as the lightning fast gloves start raining punches down on you again, you realise that you just don't have the strength to land that all-important punch.

Half a minute to go and the fat lady is about to start singing over your tired career when suddenly you see the referee looking over to the judges. "What if..." you think to yourself. Without thinking too hard on the subject you summon up what energy you have left to bring your forehead hard down onto the bridge of Tyson's nose. Crunch! With blood pouring from both nostrils. Tyson crumples to the deck amidst cries of "Foul!" from his corner.

You glance over to the referee. He hasn't seen it and as your strength deserts you, he hops over to lift your arm; Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Pro Boxing Simulator

Yes, cheating is the name of this game. Starting off as a junior, your aim is to take on all-comers to grab the coveted World Championship title.

At the sound of the bell, you come out fighting. Obviously, you can fight a clean fight if you want, and there are more than enough standard moves for you to make if you do. But, there are also the slightly less subtle and slightly more illegal moves, such as the head butt, groin punch, knee and kick to make sure of your opponent's fate.

In each contest, you are allowed five lives, which decreases every time you lose a round or if you are caught cheating. The number of lives remaining can be seen at the top of the screen; watch these spaces carefully, as they also indicate your chances of getting away with a foul move. If the colour is red, you stand little chance but as soon as the green light shows, do your worst.

For each punch you take, your energy is reduced, which could lead to a knockout and loss of a life. Energy is restored at the beginning of each round and whoever has most at the end of them wins the round.

Pro-Boxing Simulator will have you sharing the sweat of the fighters, if only because of the complexity of the controls. Mastering them will take some time, especially on the keyboard. This is, however, one of the only drawbacks of a game which is graphically good with some lovely sound effects. For boxing fans, this game will take some beating (if you'll excuse the pun).

Stewart Lard