is a multiplatform
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
video game released in 1993. It was also released for the
Game Boy
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
and
Game Gear
The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...
consoles.
The game was released for the
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
in Mexico and, partially, in
American Southwest
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...
states, as ''Chavez'' and starred
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...
instead of
Riddick Bowe
Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1989 and 2008. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1992, and as an amateur he won a silver medal in the super heavyw ...
. It is identical except that the Spanish language is used instead of English.
Overview
''Riddick Bowe Boxing'' features gameplay that was practically identical to that featured in ''
Greatest Heavyweights
''Greatest Heavyweights'' is a boxing video game that was published by Sega in 1993. It was released for the Sega Genesis console. It is a follow-up to '' Evander Holyfield's Real Deal Boxing'', and is virtually identical in many ways, apart from ...
.'' The graphics are similar in function, but the artwork was completely redrawn. The visuals of a fight are made up of 2D
sprite-based boxers and a simple boxing ring. The game features a career mode in which the player fights their way through all the boxers in the game until facing Bowe himself. The game also features an exhibition mode in which players can play as any boxer and put them in matches against any boxer in the game.
Gameplay
During the fight
During a fight, each boxer has a healthmeter that decreases whenever the player is hit. When the health meter reaches zero and the player is punched the player suffers a
knockdown.
Large amounts of punishment to the head also result in visible cuts.
If a boxer is knocked down three times in a single round, the fight ends in a
TKO. Unlike in real-life boxing matches, a fight never stops for other reasons; a boxer can be pummeled for an entire fight without throwing one punch in return, but unless he is knocked down three times, or he fails to get up in ten seconds after being knocked down, the fight is allowed to continue until the round ends or fight scheduled goes the distance.
Career mode
During
career mode
Career mode is a video game term referring to the mode of gameplay that involves taking control of a single character and guiding the character through a structured career. The mode is normally associated with sports games, where it is referred to ...
, the player creates his own boxer.
Options to edit include name, hair color, skin color.
Each boxer in the game had three attributes: power, stamina, and chin.
Riddick Bowe
Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1989 and 2008. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1992, and as an amateur he won a silver medal in the super heavyw ...
has the highest stats, but starts losing them after losing the championship. Eventually, he retires in the course of the game's career mode, after which only resetting the internal data will bring him back.
During career mode, all of the attributes are increased by allotted training bonuses. As the boxer progresses from match to match, his statistics start to fade.
After 35 fights, his hair turns from normal to grey. After 40 fights, the boxer is forced to retire even if he has never beaten the champion.
Losing two fights in a row will also cause the player's boxer to retire.
Reception
''
Electronic Gaming Monthly
''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews.
History
The m ...
'' gave the SNES version a 7.2 out of 10 average, commenting, "Quite simply, this is the best boxing game for the SNES out there. The punches of your player are incredibly easy to do and it controls like a dream." Reviewing the SNES ''Chavez'' release, ''
GamePro
Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' noted that it has "abundant options" but deemed it a mediocre game due to the rudimentary gameplay and uninvolving graphics and sounds. They also warned prospective buyers that the game and manual are both in Spanish.
Reviewing the Game Gear version, ''GamePro'' criticized the lack of backgrounds and weak sound effects, and said of the gameplay, "Somehow, your fighter moves around and blocks punches, even if you don't press any buttons. The buttons you do press don't respond quickly or accurately enough to make you feel like a champ."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riddick Bowe Boxing
1993 video games
Boxing video games
Game Boy games
Game Gear games
Malibu Interactive games
Sports video games with career mode
Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by David Whittaker
Video games based on real people
Cultural depictions of boxers
Cultural depictions of American people
Micronet co., Ltd. games