![Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road To Glory - Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Empire Interactive) video game collectible [Barcode 5017783454499] - Main Image 1](https://www.icollecteverything.com/images/videogame/main/112/1121635_1.jpg)
Title:
Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road To Glory
Rating:
T
Genre:
Fighting
Sports
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Release Date:
1969-12-31
Date Added:
2018-07-03 13:32:06
Game Summary:
Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road to Glory, known in Japan as Hajime no Ippo: Victorious Boxers (はじめの一歩 VICTORIOUS BOXERS, lit. ”The First Step: Victorious Boxers”), is a Japanese-developed boxing video game created by New Corporation for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. It is based on the manga and anime series, Fighting Spirit. Though the original series is very popular in Japan, it is not as widely known in the United States (US). The game was released in Japan on December 14, 2000 and in North America on November 5, 2001.
The game features a mix of simulation and arcade style boxing. The storyline, which unfolds in the story mode, takes place in six linear segments that originally overlapped in the manga. The game’s fights mirrored the fights from the manga series. The beginning of the game focuses on Ippo Makunouchi’s rise to the Japanese Featherweight championship, and later switches to Ippo’s fellow gym mates’ careers.
Victorious Boxers was the first Fighting Spirit video game on the PlayStation 2 and was met with a mixed reception. It was commercially successful in Japan, but did poorly in the US. Victorious Boxers received positive review scores, though aspects of the game were both criticized and praised. The visual style and graphics were poorly received, while industry experts considered to be ”one the most technically accurate representation of the sport of boxing”.
Gameplay
The main protagonist, Ippo Makunouchi, ducks under a hook thrown by Ponchai Chuwatana
Victorious Boxers’s gameplay is a mix between simulation and arcade style boxing. It features 3D character models fighting each other within a boxing ring. The game keeps track of the fight records and saves it to the memory card, via an auto-save option. In addition, actual matches can be saved to the memory card as ”replay data” and be viewed later. Eighteen camera angles available during matches, some of which include a first person view from either character, a TV camera angle, and overhead views for various angles.
The controls were designed to give more realistic movement to characters. Characters can dash, bob and weave in all eight directions. The punches are divided into left and right jabs/hooks. When punches are used in conjunction with ”technique” and ”special” buttons, extra types of punches can be executed. Combinations and counter-punches are also possible. By combining upper body movements with punches, players can duck down and hit to the body or lean back and throw a quick punch to the head. The initial setup uses the left analog stick for all the character’s bodily movements; minor movements to the stick control the upper body movements, while larger movements control the lower body and movement within the ring.
Victorious Boxers does not use a damage or life meter. Instead, visible damage can be seen on a boxer’s face, which is most noticeable between rounds when the characters are sitting in their corners. The amount of damage taken is reflected by bruises, swelling, and black eyes on the characters’ faces. Another sign of damage is the characters’ speed of movement throughout the fight. The characters begin to move slower and the controls become less responsive to simulate fatigue. The more a boxer is hit or uses special moves, the more their stamina is affected. Distance is a factor in determining a punch’s damage. For example, a jab thrown while next to an opponent will not do as much damage as it would at arms length. Also, right hooks do not do as much damage if the character is positioned to the opponent’s left and vice versa.
Modes
The selection screen of the versus mode allows players to choose which boxer to control (Masaru Aoki is selected on the left and Katsutaka Imae on the right). As characters are defeated in the story mode, they are available to play in the versus mode.
The game has two modes, a single player story mode and a multi-player versus mode. The story mode follows the boxing careers of the main characters from the original series. All characters available to the player are from the Kamogawa Boxing Gym. Cut scenes are added in before and after matches as the main story telling device, and utilize the same character models as the fights. The game has six story arcs and begins with Makunouchi Ippo, the main protagonist from the manga series. Story mode also unlocks more options in the versus mode as a player progresses through the story. Once a character has been played or a special technique learned, they become available in the versus mode. Likewise, once an opponent has been beaten, they are playable in the versus mode.
The versus mode is a free fighting mode where multiple players can box. The number of players can range from 0–2; both fighters can be controlled by either the computer or by a player. Initially there are only two playable characters; additional characters become accessible by playing through the story mode. Although the characters are grouped by their boxing weight class, any character can be selected to fight another regardless of weight class. Players can choose from ten locations for the bout. Initially, the only available arena is the Kamogawa Boxing Gym basement. New locations become available once a fight occurs there in the story mode.
Development
Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road to Glory was produced by Entertainment Software Publishing and was adapted from the Fighting Spirit manga series, at a time when the publishing company was focusing on its licensed comic properties rather than original titles. Development for the game was handled by New Corporation. The developers noted the capacities of the PlayStation 2 allowed them to reproduce the characters of the series accurately. The soundtrack of the game was composed by Takayuki Aihara, Shinji Hosoe and Naoki Tsuchiya. In May 2001, British video game company Empire Interactive announced it would publish the game in Europe and North America. Since Empire’s presence in the United States market was minimal, a distribution deal was passed with Vivendi Universal for them to distribute the game, along with six other titles, in North America.
Reception
In Japan, Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road to Glory was the fourth best-selling game of December 14, 2000, and sold 256,000 copies by February 18, 2001. It did not sell well in the United States however, mainly due to very little name recognition and poor marketing. Many reviews commented that the anime/manga style of characters and use of Japanese names were a turn off to US gamers who were more familiar with boxing games like Knockout Kings or Ready 2 Rumble. Despite the lack of sales, it received overall positive reviews and ratings. In 2001, GameSpot awarded it ”Best Game No One Played”. Next Generation Magazine stated, ”It’s arguably the best 3D boxing game yet” and the versus mode offered ”solid replay value”.
Many reviews commented on the graphics, citing there were other games with better graphics at the time. GamePro rated the graphics at 3.5 out of 5. Though the graphics were not well received, the character animations were very well received. The lack of audio dialog, which forced the player to read text for the story mode, was also a negative when many other games on the PS2 at the time were adding in voice overs. GamePro rated the overall sound a 3 out of 5. Other reviews rated the audio better, particularly the music and sound effects during the fights.
The gameplay received mixed reviews. Reviews stated that Victorious Boxers was one of the most technically accurate boxing games of its time. Matt Helgeson of Game Informer described it as dramatically different from the ”combo-intensive, somewhat sluggish feel” of Knockout Kings. GameSpot stated the controls gave players ”better boxer control”, and the ”AI of the computer opponents is extremely advanced”. While many critics complimented the control scheme, they also commented on its difficulty to master. A common complaint was about characters improperly positioning itself in relation to the opponent while circling the ring. GamePro rated both the controls and fun factor a 4.5 out of 5, and mentioned though the controls were very intuitive and precise, ”they require a lot of brainwork and dexterity”. Next Generation commented on the initial controls, stating they are problematic at first but can be reconfigured to suit the player.
The game features a mix of simulation and arcade style boxing. The storyline, which unfolds in the story mode, takes place in six linear segments that originally overlapped in the manga. The game’s fights mirrored the fights from the manga series. The beginning of the game focuses on Ippo Makunouchi’s rise to the Japanese Featherweight championship, and later switches to Ippo’s fellow gym mates’ careers.
Victorious Boxers was the first Fighting Spirit video game on the PlayStation 2 and was met with a mixed reception. It was commercially successful in Japan, but did poorly in the US. Victorious Boxers received positive review scores, though aspects of the game were both criticized and praised. The visual style and graphics were poorly received, while industry experts considered to be ”one the most technically accurate representation of the sport of boxing”.
Gameplay
The main protagonist, Ippo Makunouchi, ducks under a hook thrown by Ponchai Chuwatana
Victorious Boxers’s gameplay is a mix between simulation and arcade style boxing. It features 3D character models fighting each other within a boxing ring. The game keeps track of the fight records and saves it to the memory card, via an auto-save option. In addition, actual matches can be saved to the memory card as ”replay data” and be viewed later. Eighteen camera angles available during matches, some of which include a first person view from either character, a TV camera angle, and overhead views for various angles.
The controls were designed to give more realistic movement to characters. Characters can dash, bob and weave in all eight directions. The punches are divided into left and right jabs/hooks. When punches are used in conjunction with ”technique” and ”special” buttons, extra types of punches can be executed. Combinations and counter-punches are also possible. By combining upper body movements with punches, players can duck down and hit to the body or lean back and throw a quick punch to the head. The initial setup uses the left analog stick for all the character’s bodily movements; minor movements to the stick control the upper body movements, while larger movements control the lower body and movement within the ring.
Victorious Boxers does not use a damage or life meter. Instead, visible damage can be seen on a boxer’s face, which is most noticeable between rounds when the characters are sitting in their corners. The amount of damage taken is reflected by bruises, swelling, and black eyes on the characters’ faces. Another sign of damage is the characters’ speed of movement throughout the fight. The characters begin to move slower and the controls become less responsive to simulate fatigue. The more a boxer is hit or uses special moves, the more their stamina is affected. Distance is a factor in determining a punch’s damage. For example, a jab thrown while next to an opponent will not do as much damage as it would at arms length. Also, right hooks do not do as much damage if the character is positioned to the opponent’s left and vice versa.
Modes
The selection screen of the versus mode allows players to choose which boxer to control (Masaru Aoki is selected on the left and Katsutaka Imae on the right). As characters are defeated in the story mode, they are available to play in the versus mode.
The game has two modes, a single player story mode and a multi-player versus mode. The story mode follows the boxing careers of the main characters from the original series. All characters available to the player are from the Kamogawa Boxing Gym. Cut scenes are added in before and after matches as the main story telling device, and utilize the same character models as the fights. The game has six story arcs and begins with Makunouchi Ippo, the main protagonist from the manga series. Story mode also unlocks more options in the versus mode as a player progresses through the story. Once a character has been played or a special technique learned, they become available in the versus mode. Likewise, once an opponent has been beaten, they are playable in the versus mode.
The versus mode is a free fighting mode where multiple players can box. The number of players can range from 0–2; both fighters can be controlled by either the computer or by a player. Initially there are only two playable characters; additional characters become accessible by playing through the story mode. Although the characters are grouped by their boxing weight class, any character can be selected to fight another regardless of weight class. Players can choose from ten locations for the bout. Initially, the only available arena is the Kamogawa Boxing Gym basement. New locations become available once a fight occurs there in the story mode.
Development
Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road to Glory was produced by Entertainment Software Publishing and was adapted from the Fighting Spirit manga series, at a time when the publishing company was focusing on its licensed comic properties rather than original titles. Development for the game was handled by New Corporation. The developers noted the capacities of the PlayStation 2 allowed them to reproduce the characters of the series accurately. The soundtrack of the game was composed by Takayuki Aihara, Shinji Hosoe and Naoki Tsuchiya. In May 2001, British video game company Empire Interactive announced it would publish the game in Europe and North America. Since Empire’s presence in the United States market was minimal, a distribution deal was passed with Vivendi Universal for them to distribute the game, along with six other titles, in North America.
Reception
In Japan, Victorious Boxers: Ippo’s Road to Glory was the fourth best-selling game of December 14, 2000, and sold 256,000 copies by February 18, 2001. It did not sell well in the United States however, mainly due to very little name recognition and poor marketing. Many reviews commented that the anime/manga style of characters and use of Japanese names were a turn off to US gamers who were more familiar with boxing games like Knockout Kings or Ready 2 Rumble. Despite the lack of sales, it received overall positive reviews and ratings. In 2001, GameSpot awarded it ”Best Game No One Played”. Next Generation Magazine stated, ”It’s arguably the best 3D boxing game yet” and the versus mode offered ”solid replay value”.
Many reviews commented on the graphics, citing there were other games with better graphics at the time. GamePro rated the graphics at 3.5 out of 5. Though the graphics were not well received, the character animations were very well received. The lack of audio dialog, which forced the player to read text for the story mode, was also a negative when many other games on the PS2 at the time were adding in voice overs. GamePro rated the overall sound a 3 out of 5. Other reviews rated the audio better, particularly the music and sound effects during the fights.
The gameplay received mixed reviews. Reviews stated that Victorious Boxers was one of the most technically accurate boxing games of its time. Matt Helgeson of Game Informer described it as dramatically different from the ”combo-intensive, somewhat sluggish feel” of Knockout Kings. GameSpot stated the controls gave players ”better boxer control”, and the ”AI of the computer opponents is extremely advanced”. While many critics complimented the control scheme, they also commented on its difficulty to master. A common complaint was about characters improperly positioning itself in relation to the opponent while circling the ring. GamePro rated both the controls and fun factor a 4.5 out of 5, and mentioned though the controls were very intuitive and precise, ”they require a lot of brainwork and dexterity”. Next Generation commented on the initial controls, stating they are problematic at first but can be reconfigured to suit the player.
Platform:
Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2)
Publisher:
Empire Interactive
Barcode:
5017783454499
Developers:
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Country of Purchase:
France
Input Devices:
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Date Added:
2018-07-03 13:32:06
