Ring King 1987 By: Data East

Overview:

In the Arcade Classic boxing game, hone your skills in the gym, then pummel your way through the tournament, or contend for the Title in the World Cicuit. Or power-up your fighter to challenge your friends in brutal 2-player mode.

Directions:

Wow. Let me say that again. Wow. This is one of the few sports games in my knowledge that have an RPG aspect. As you fight, you gain Power Points which can be distributed to Punch, Speed, and Stamina, so you control how your fighter improves throughout the game. Each opponent has certain strengths, so you can change your distribution before each fight (Up for Punch, Left for Speed, Right for Stamina, Down to Reset). Now I can't say much for the sound effects, but the graphics are actually pretty good for the times, and the crowd of screaming fans is composed of individual figures and faces instead of a wallpaper of blobs. But that doesn't matter at all because you're going to be busy throwing punches, bobbing and weaving, covering and dodging, and generally treating your opponent like a side of beef that needs tenderizing, while avoiding the same fate for yourself.