Super KO Boxing 2 Review

There aren’t many fighting game titles on the iPhone/iPod Touch gaming platform – and the few that are available are mildly entertaining at best. When I saw some screenshots of Super KO Boxing 2 I was like whoa where was I when part 1 came out?! So of course I jumped right onto my iTunes and got the download started. Was it more than just pretty images? Was the gameplay and content worth the price? Read on to the review to find out.

The Game

You are the K.O. Kid and you’ve returned to the ring to face off with some of the worlds most brutal boxing opponents who will use dirty boxing, and sneaky tactics to try and take you down. Each opponent has their own style and weaknesses which you will have to discover and figure out mid fight – or get floored in the process. Be cautious of signature finisher moves or you will find yourself waking up on the mat.

There are 2 game modes to choose from – Circuit mode which puts you through 17 challenging bouts across 3 circuits to become world champ. Endurance mode – which puts you on a buffet line of opponents to see just how many you can topple over consistantly without getting knocked out. Their 12 unique and outrageous opponents you will face throughout the game – each of which has their own sinister style of brawling.

Gameplay

Fans of Nintendos Punch Out are going to really appreciate this game! The gameplay is simple yet satisfying. There are not very many game modes to work with – but that is not a damper to the gameplay. I found that instantly I was a huge fan of the game and was truly brought back to my childhood days of Mike Tysons Punchout. The game runs very smooth and is very fun to play – the unique opponent fighting styles were very entertaining as well as the very different personality traits each opponent has.

Controls

Very simplistic and responsive controls – all your functions will be from onscreen touch buttons and a touch pad to block and dodge – not really a joystick but a pad. Your attack buttons consist of 2 on the lower right of the screen. One for body shots and the other for head shots. Tapping them in quick succession will automatically alternate left and right punches, alternating between body and head quickly will give you impressive combos. Timing is key and paying attention to your opponents patterns and weakneses, just like how it was in Punch Out, is how you will gain the edge in a fight. I found the controls very easy to use and well designed as far as placement on the screen, low and out of the main field of view which makes for a better gaming experience on the iDevice.

Graphics

Screen shots don’t really do this game to much justice – although cartoony in appearance the game is truly a great work of well designed art. The characters are beautifully designed and have great detail in respect to each one different personalities. The animated backgrounds are really amazing – they remind me of recent Street Fighter games, very cool looking and original. The animations are seemless and definitely make this game a top contender in iPhone gaming.

Sound

The in game sound effects are pretty goof. The provided music is suitable to the game characters – and the sounds for conected punches are great. However there really is not all that much to the game as far as sound – that is not a bad thing nor a good thing, at least not for me, it’s just a thing – what more sound-wise, can you really add to a boxing game other than the sound of the punches? So since there is not much for the ears you can access your iPod music library and beat down your opponents to your own personal soundtrack.

Verdict

Super KO Boxing 2 was a pure delight to play and was worth my $4.99 by far. Beautifully animated graphics and well designed controls, coupled with simplistic yet very fun, and addicting gameplay make this game a must have for iPhone/iPod Touch gamers. Even though there is not much to the sound of the game – there didn’t need to be – KO Boxing provides just the right amount of sound you could ever need in the game, and if you really need to stuff your ears while playing then you can rock out to your iPod.

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Controls: 5/5
Graphics: 5/5
Sound: 4/5
Overall: 4.8/5

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-Steve