Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Sports
Release date: March 2002

Ah, the noble art of boxing; two enormous men beating seven shades out of one another in a confined space for the entertainment of a paying crowd. It's a sport that EA had pretty wrapped up on PS one, and Knockout Kings is the first boxing game to get its second instalment out of the gate on PlayStation 2. However, there's a new pretender to the throne this year in the form of Mike Tyson's Heavyweight Boxing from Codemasters, so the title belt is far from assured for the series.

While the Codemasters deal has ensured that Iron Mike is conspicuously absent from Knockout Kings, EA's licensing muscle has secured an enviable line up of pugilists for your delectation. The roster reads like a Who's Who for the sport, with boxing legends past and present including Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Joe Frazier and Mohammed Ali. The boxers themselves are incredibly detailed, boasting smooth animations, even smoother pecs and some spookily realistic facial expressions. The crowds and backgrounds don't quite match the boxers' levels of detail, but frankly, when the action in the ring looks this fantastic, who cares?

The game's presented in an uncluttered TV style, with very few distractions on screen. Well, unless the bikini-clad babes parading around between rounds count as a distraction. Er, they probably do. During fights themselves though, aside from the occasional discreet round number and time display, you have a completely clear view of the action (although there's an optional health meter should you want it). This scarcity of on-screen clutter makes the whole affair more involving, and leaves you free to enjoy the deeply satisfying impact of leather on skin. No matter which side of an uppercut you're on, the visual and vibration effects are undeniably realistic, and EA has done a top job of conveying the very physical aspects of this contact sport. Particularly pleasing are the KO sequences, in which the lighting changes, the action slows to below half speed and a slightly eerie whooshing noise creeps in as the punch receiver falls slowly to the floor amidst slow-mo sprays of spittle and blood.

Gameplay-wise, KO Kings 2002 features a fairly intuitive control set; laughably easy to pick up, fiendishly difficult to fully master. Punches feature varying payoffs between speed and power, the main knack being to follow up a series of jabs with a well placed hook or uppercut for maximum combo damage. Moving your boxer around is a slightly more fiddly affair, with varying degrees of movement on the left analogue stick producing different evasive manoeuvres (ducks, leans and so forth).

There are three main gameplay modes available; Exhibition mode (which allows you to pair up any two fighters in the venue of your choosing), Tournament mode (a four or eight man competition) or Career mode. Career mode is far and away the meatiest of three; egged on by your stereotypical (and rather sleazy) manager, you work your way up from Bingo hall style venues to the big international arenas through increasingly fearsome ranks of competitors.

Whether or not all of this is enough to defend its title remains to be seen. However, while Mike Tyson's Heavyweight Boxing promises plenty of arcade style thrills, the Knockout Kings series is becoming a pretty refined affair, and this is certainly one of the best treatments of the gentlemanly art of boxing to date.