Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit

Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit puts you in the ring to test your skills as a true boxing legend. Based on the anime and manga called Hajime no Ippo, or Fighting Spirit, this story-based boxing game is all about training to become the best in the league. Controlling the hopeful fighter Ippo, you'll run through a gamut of boxers from amateurs to champions, making your way to the very top. A few problems keep the game from being magnificent, but Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit is enjoyable boxing fun with a unique attitude.

Main Game Features

• Realistic boxing gameplay
• Based on the popular manga
• In-depth story mode

Story

Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit is based on the anime Hajime no Ippo, and follows the same story as the manga and show. You play as up and coming boxer Ippo Makunouchi, who dreams of becoming the Japanese boxing champion. At the start of the game, you compete for the Featherweight title, boxing against your fellow gym members and a few rivals. However, after some training bouts, it'll be time to tackle memorable foes from the series.

This is a good thing for fans of the original manga, as the story includes almost every character from the show. In total, there are over 70 boxers in the game, over double the amount you'd see in a normal fighting game like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. Some moments of the story even let you control other boxers, including more experienced athletes like Masaru Aoki and the main rival, Ichiro Miyata. Although the dialogue is rough and there are quite a few spelling errors, it's still cool to see the story of the manga told through boxing matches.

Gameplay

The boxing gameplay in Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit is more realistic rather than arcade style. It plays similarly to games like Fight Night Round 3, encouraging players to pick their shots. Mashing buttons will get you nowhere in this game, as opponents can quickly break down your shoddy attacks. There are no life bars to keep track of your health either, so you'll have to rely on memory and intuition to assess your opponent's stamina. Dodging is also very important, since blocking is treated more like parrying, making it hard to withstand multiple punches.

There are three modes to choose from in Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit, including Story, Exhibition, and Tournament. Exhibition lets you fight against any boxer and change the limitations of the match, while Tournament lets you set up your own bracket of 4, 8, or 16 fighters. Unfortunately, there are no training modes or gameplay tutorials, so you'll have to spend some time working out the controls on your own. However, there are three difficulty levels for Story mode, so you can start learning on the easiest level before turning it up.

Conclusion

Victorious Boxers 2 Fighting Spirit is a budget boxing game that mixes realistic gameplay with a cool anime-inspired story. The dialogue isn't great, but the crazy boxers and their explosive special moves are fun to see.

Pros

• Boxing feels realistic
• Lots of cool moments from the manga
• Good mix of boxers with different styles

Cons

• Very unbalanced boxers
• Dull music and presentation
• No training or tutorial of any kind