From the same stable that brought you the undisputed - and now retired - champion of boxing franchises that was Knockout Kings comes Fight Night 2004, a promising young heavyweight with some devastating new tricks hidden up its gloves.

Boxing games aren't exactly ones which have had a great deal of fans in the past. Not because they haven't been great, but more the niche factor of the sport and the lack of following in comparison to larger sports such as soccer and gridiron.

However with Fight Night, EA have completely ditched their old franchise Knockout Kings and started again from scratch. The difference is they have tried to appeal to a wider market with one of the most innovative control systems in years, and it has worked. Fight Night 2004 will not only please boxing fans, but casual gamers will get a kick out of it to.Fight Night 2004 contains two main game modes to keep you entertained. A career mode and the ability to play in exhibition matches. On paper that doesn't seem like much and perhaps it would have been better if EA have included something like classic matches, but to be fair you can reenact classic matches under your terms due to the vast number of boxers on offer. The career mode really is the meat of the game and can be both entertaining, but frustrating as well.In the career mode as is becoming a common occurrence in games like this, you can build your persona from scratch in terms of player model etc or choose one of the pre-defined characters such as Roy Jones Jr. If you choose to go with one of the pre-made professionals, they are started on the same level as an amateur boxer so there is no advantage in this other than you'll save time not having to create your own character.

Once this is completed you start the lengthy task of becoming the best in the world. Using a system like Amped, you begin at rank fifty and work your way up by beating fighters lower than you. You can lose rankings however so even though it is possible to get to the top in about 40-50 matches, it is highly unlikely.Between matches your character builds up their skills via training. One disappointment may be the fact that you can't knock back matches and just build your boxer up, you have to accept a match to be offered the chance to train.

Training sessions can be manual or automatic, if you select automatic you are given the opportunity to spend four skill points on the two skills the game decides your boxer has practiced. Obviously using manual gives you much more control and therefore more influence over how your boxer develops. It is possible to beat boxers three or four rankings above you, but its a big chance to take as it will take a lot of skill and the risk is losing rankings after a defeat.As mentioned before it is possible to create some classic matches from history. Boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr are available in the game but some have to be unlocked as you progress. These boxers can be selected to fight each other in a exhibition game, and it is possible to mix different weight classes. Watching a heavyweight pummel a featherweight displays the rag doll physics of the game quite well. As players drop, they drop like an anvil and make a loud thump as they hit the deck.

Should you be the one hitting the ground, one other unique feature comes into play. You are shown three blurred images of the referee. To continue you have to line them up, the more you've hit the deck and been pummeled the harder it becomes until it becomes verging on impossible.The character models of the characters are also highly impressive and the animations used are superb.

Watching different styles of punches link together seamlessly gives the player a great deal of enjoyment and the game a level of authenticity not seen in a boxing game before. The player models also feature damage and eventually you will see a fat lip, cut eye, bulging eye socket etc plus as the fight goes on the fighters show visible perspiration which doesn't add much to the game other then an aesthetic touch.The single most impressive aspect of Fight Night 2004 is the control system. To put it into perspective, the buttons are only used to taunt the player, all movements are performed with the two analogue sticks. The left one moves the boxer, whilst the right one determines which punch you throw. If you want to throw a hook, you have to move the stick in a hook movement, the same applies for uppercut and other punches. The system works really well and makes you feel that at all times you are in control of the boxer and not just butting mashing. The only downside to this system is the tutorials provided are non-interactive videos.

Also it takes a little while to learn, so frustration can ensue in the first half hour's gameplay, but stick with it because it is definitely worth it. Three difficulty levels are included, and the lowest is quite forgivable to mistakes but crank it higher and be prepared to duck and wave or get your head smashed in.Proving that EA really have left no stone unturned with this new franchise, they have also included a variety of arenas to fight in. Starting off in the local gym, you eventually work your way up to huge stadiums with fans cheering. Also to go along with the culture of boxing, you can buy new clothes for your fighter with the money earned in fights and also buy pyrotechnics for your fighters introduction etc showing the money side of the modern sport. As mentioned before the graphics and character models are great but as expected do lack in comparison to the Xbox version of the game.

Sometimes the fighters have a few small issues when falling to the ground as well with legs occasionally ending up in what would be very painful positions but none of this really takes the shine off what is a great looking boxing game.For the audio side of the game EA have bucked the trend and decided to not go for a respected boxing commentator. Instead they have DJ Tigger who does a fairly decent job it has to be said, but some people would have no doubt been expecting a more traditional commentary style. Tigger doesn't say much except when big hits are landed, and in reality it suits the style of the game quite well. Just before the boxer is about to hit the deck, the sound drops out, and all that can be heard is a heartbeat indicating you either have to hide, or time to get that last big hit in. Music is a mix of rap and R&B but if you're not a fan of those genres the sound effects suffice well as a substitute.Fight Night 2004 is one of the surprise packets of the year so far. The Xbox version is superior to the PS2 version but those without the choice will still get some great gameplay out of Fight Night 2004, even if they aren't the biggest fan of boxing.Last updated: Apr 7, 2020 at 12:27 pm CDT. ABOUT THE AUTHOR -Simon joined the TweakTown acquired 3DAvenue in 2003 as the senior console writer, and quickly worked his way into more managerial roles on top of his writing responsibilities, such as managing most PR contacts and organising new content for the website.

Although Simon is more acquainted with the console market, he also likes the odd crossover, and will occasionally check out the latest PC gaming has to offer. Simon, our senior gaming editor, will continue his responsibilities from the former 3DAvenue via regular reviews.

In the past, boxing games have been not much more than button-mashing contests, or timing exercises. In the original Atari 2600 Boxing, we were treated (?) to a top-down view of two men (?) with abnormally prominent noses (?) with two abnormally large gloves (?) just jockeying for position, then mashing that one fire button (Yes, kids, there was a day when joysticks had but a single button) until the other guy de-rezzed.

Intellivision had its own sad version, as did ColecoVision, and even a pitiful port for the Commodore VIC-20. “Ring King” gave it a good go in the arcades during the Reagan years, but its tiny boxers, and funnier-than-serious look didn’t quite cut it, either.Then came along “Final Bout”. This was also an arcade game, later ported to first generation consoles, shown from behind a green wireframe of your boxer, against animated, very cartoonish fighters. The biggest challenge in this game was to identify you opponent’s “signature move” and know when to launch your counter-punch.

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Most of the time, you watched for an eye to blink, then counted to three (the three being the rhythm of all the movements in this game) and hit your punch button. It was about as close to boxing as “Spyro the Dragon” is to “Microsoft Flight Simulator”. But at least, it LOOKED like boxing.Soon, “Mortal Kombat” was all the rage, (Even though I still maintain that “Eternal Champions” for the SEGA Genesis kicked its ass) and fighting games became more and more grandiose, with better, cooler moves, and deaths, and dismemberments, and blood, and blood, and bloodWhatever happened to two guys getting in the squared circle, and out-thinking each other before a single punch is thrown?

When you watch a classic fight, you don’t watch two guys just walking into the middle of the ring, and punching mindlessly until one falls. You see a subtle mind game. You see a battle of position. You see attacks, counterattacks and brilliant defenses. A seven-punch combo is, in its own way, as complicated as Luzhin’s Defense on a chessboard.

But enough of Crappy Video Boxing 101, let’s talk about a winner. EA Sports’ Fight Night 2004 is what all wannabe pugilists have been waiting for. Not only that, it’s FUN! To me, the measure of any simulation, be it flight, sport, racing, or whatever, is twofold. First, is it an acceptable simulation?

That is to say, does it require the player to assess, react, and adapt as befits the task at hand. And second, is it fun and accessible to play?

In this case, the answer is a resounding “Hell, Yes!”Continuing their successes with virtually every sports genre there is (There’s even an EA Sports’ Cricket available in the UK) the gang over at Electronic Arts have succeeded where literally everyone else has failed. They have made a game that is both a hoot and a half to play, but is indeed a very accurate simulation of the sport. Counter-punching, ring position and timing are overwhelmingly more important than just slugging away.

And button-mashers beware: YOU DON’T USE BUTTONS TO PUNCH! The “Total Punch Control” EA has developed makes use of the analog sticks to deal punishment. Your right stick controls jabs, hooks and uppercuts from either hand by way of pushing forward quickly for a jab, a quarter-circle for a hook and a half-circle for an uppercut. This is, admittedly a little strange at first, but trust me, after a few bouts, it becomes very intuitive. Just as it takes less time to throw a jab than a hook, and more time to throw an uppercut, so do the punches in FN2K4 require better timing and finesse to land productively. Holding the L1 button while punching, redirects those shots to the body, for a total of 12 standard punches, all by moving one little analog stick.

Each boxer also has a few “signature punches” that are very entertaining to see, and potentially deadly if timed and executed correctly.On the defensive side of the glove, the left analog stick controls your boxers’ physical movement around the ring, and when used in conjunction with the L1 button, controls his bobbing and weaving, as well. When the R1 button is held down, your fighter will bring his gloves up to block incoming shots. The standard buttons control a pair of taunts, illegal punches, (use too many times and the ref will first warn, then deduct points, and eventually disqualify your fighter) and the aforementioned “signature punch”, which can also be thrown with the R2 button.That’s it. Piece of cake. Right?(A Buzzer Sounds)Wrong! When your opponent is also bobbing, weaving, moving, and throwing 14 individual punches, the pace can get wonderfully frenetic.

But this game is so good, that even a long, close bout won on the judges’ cards can be (and usually is) remarkably exciting.The game looks amazing, as well. The venues range from seedy back-alley gyms to the illustrious Caesar’s Palace, and are rendered in fabulous detail. The spectators react to the action in the ring in a more realistic manner than I have seen in a video game. Nail a few good combos, and a handful of people get to their feet. As you continue to dominate a round, more fans stand up, and they get louder and more animated until the whole arena is chanting your praises.As far as sound is concerned, the effects of the crowd, the slap of leather on flesh, and the slam of face on canvas are realistically portrayed, but here is where one of my few complaints with FN2K4 comes in.

The announcer for every bout in the game is a hip-hop emcee who fits in with the earlier bouts in the seedy gymnasiums, but is decidedly out of place in Caesar’s Palace. He sounds like Chris Rock, which isn’t in and of itself a bad thing, but it takes away some of the seriousness and grandeur of the sport. Your corner men dispense advice between rounds, which is mostly good, but gets repetitive after a while. I know licensing is a nightmare these days, but it would have been great to see Michael Booker and hear his trademark “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” before a title bout. A small complaint, but it gets in the way of this game getting 10 out of 10.The roster of available fighters spans the generations, and the weight classes, allowing you to play as, or against, the likes of Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, and Lennox Lewis, or you can get into the detailed “Career Mode” where you can customize your boxer to look pretty much any way you like. While it’s not as powerful as the Create-a-face in Tiger Woods 2004, I managed to make my fighter (nicknamed “Straightjacket”) to look enough like me, that my wife did a double-take when she first saw him in action. The historical fighters are immediately recognizable, and great care has gone into reflecting their individual styles, strengths and weaknesses.

Career Mode starts you out as a lonely pug, ranked 50th in the world, with a long list of famous folks to beat on your way to the belt. My only complaint here is the inability to switch weight classes during a career. In reality, many fighters start out in the lower classes, and move up as their skills and bodies grow. This feature would have been greatly appreciated.Before each bout, you are allowed to better your stats in two areas by use of Training Camp. Four minigames (Combo Dummy, Target Gloves, Heavy Bag, and Sparring) let you tweak and improve your boxer’s skills, as well as honing your punching, timing, and ducking skills.I only have two other complaints about FN2K4. The first is nitpicking.

I would have liked to have seen a moving referee in the ring with the fighters. I have always been fascinated by those little men who stand between two behemoths and step right in the middle of the fray. My other nag is a little more pertinent. Where is the clinching? Over the years I have seen hundreds of bouts where holding on to your opponent could buy a much needed rest, and at other times, is a last resort defense against having your head separated from your body. Clinching is also an effective way of interrupting your opponent’s rhythm.

I hope that Fight Night 2005 will remedy this. C’mon, as good as 2K4 is, this will be a long-lived franchise by the PS2 King of Sport.All things being said, this is, without a doubt the best boxing game ever made for any platform. A few touches here and there will no doubt bring perfection. As it is, it’s a knockout!Score: 9.9/10.