Nothing will ever dethrone the classic boxing game “Punch-Out!!” for the NES, including its SNES and Nintendo Wii sequels, but Glu’s Super KO Boxing 2 at least comes very close to recreating some of its inspiration’s magic.
You play the diminutive but muscular K.O. Kid through 17 bouts across three different circuits, each one pitted against a cartoonish (and occasionally racist) stereotype — like Japanese boxer Sake Bomb (with a Japanese flag tattooed on his chest), Egyptian King Tub, and the heavily blinged-out 15 Cent, whose jeans constantly fall down under the weight of his diamond belt.
Unlike “Punch-Out!!,” your boxer can bob and weave to his heart’s content: There is no energy bar to run out, just your health. That isn’t to say this game is easy, though. While the first circuit is a cakewalk, the difficulty ramps up from there. You’ll need to strategize how to dizzy your opponent with your blows, and pay close attention to pinpoint their Achilles’ heel.
Aside from the main campaign, there’s also a versus mode to face off individually against a boxer you’re previously beaten, and a challenge mode, which sets certain parameters on how to earn your victory (for instance, down a foe in one round, you can’t get hit, and charged up punches are banned). All in all, Super KO Boxing 2 packs a lot of punch and depth for a simple app.
