Fight Night Round 3

Developer: EA Chicago
Publisher: EA Sports
Release Date: Feb. 20, 2006
Systems: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, Xbox, PSP, PS2
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Reach out and punch someone

0:00 I've somehow avoided playing this series through all three iterations until today. Will this finally be the boxing game to make me forget about Punch-Out!!?

0:01 "THE LAST FIGHT DIDN'T GO YOUR WAY" blares an on-screen message. Scenes of two generic boxers pummeling each other, featuring a slow-mo shot of a face crumpling and spewing blood. "B-HOP" (as his trunks identify him) raises a fist in triumph. "SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE." And... title. What was that?

0:03 Looking over the controls, I'm tickled by the existence of an "illegal blow" button. I'm not nearly as tickled by the persistent, relatively slow loading.

0:04 I finally found a "training" option hidden in the game modes menu. I choose the sparring mode, which promises to teach me "the basics of total punch control and advanced moves." Sounds good to me!

0:06 Right off, I'm impressed with how responsive the controls are. The left stick moves me around the ring and the right stick throws a wide variety of punches. I end up jabbing the guy 30 times in a row. Heh.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer

Don King Presents: Prizefighter

Developer: Venom Games
Publisher: 2K Sports
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Systems: Xbox 360 (reviewed), Nintendo DS, Wii
ESRB Rating: T
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Only in America.

0:00 My experience with boxing games begins and ends with the Punch-Out!! series, and I've been OK with that -- until today!

0:01 "Endurance!, Excitement! If I can do it, you can do it! They say in America anybody can do it!" Don King's voice is mixed in with a generic rap about the thrill of boxing over a red-and-black title screen. The effect is unique, to say the least.

0:02 The difficulty levels are Amateur, Contender and Champion. I could have been a Contender -- and I am. The Don King rap continues. I swear I just heard a line about a blueberry muffin.

0:04 I guess I'll start with the "Training." Boston's "Long Time" plays over the loading screen for some reason.

0:06 The jump rope training is just a glorified rhythm game with no music. I have to press the buttons that scroll under my jumper's feet. It gets tough pretty quickly, even at the Contender difficulty. "Perfect! You're training like a boxing monster," says my trainer in a voice that sounds like he's been beaten down by the world.

Read the full review at Crispy Gamer