Graphically, as mentioned before, it doesn’t look as sharp as the early press shots. Not to say it looks bad, because actually it looks pretty good. Player models are very slick for your popular boxers, but are more zombie-like for the other clientele. The polygon count is still very high in the players, and the soft skinned models are real nice, with just the slightest notion of broken seems. Animations are also pretty good, but still not as fluid as I would expect from this next generation system. The arenas are done decently, but the lighting seems somewhat unrealistic. Other honorable mentions are accurately modeled refs and announcers, and the bruises and cuts, which are done extremely well. Load times could’ve also been less frequent. The crowd should have also been updated, as I think we are past the point of seeing cardboard cutouts. All in all, the game still looks very good and shows a nice first attempt. Hopefully next year improvements will be made in the areas that need touching up.

Audio has also been done properly, with interactive crowd sounds, respectable play-by-play, and little touches that give the feeling of watching a televised fight. What is lacking is the option to listen to your entrance music when you create your boxer. Just because the title says "Rock 1" doesn’t tell me what the heck the song sounds like. Punch and ambient sounds are great. You can really tell between a jab and a haymaker. You even have corner men who give you advice between rounds…very nice touch. I really have no complaints with the sound department at all. There is obvious room for improvement, but still the game sounds great.

Game play is the area where you separate your Ready 2 Rumble fans and your realistic boxing fans. KO Kings is all simulation. Sure, there is a slugfest/anything goes mode, but the heart of the game is real physics and the ability to learn to box. There are tons of combinations to learn, and if you’re a beginner, you can select an auto combo option till you get your feet wet. Blocking and weaving is also very important in this game, as you must play defense if you are to survive major players in the top rankings. While strategy is the key, the controls are still very precise and easy to use. Each button has a particular punch type, which gives unlimited possibilities in choosing which combo to land next. The collision detection isn’t perfect, but excels tremendously over the PS1 version by far. Finally, the game is easy to pick up and play, but tough to master. You must practice if you want to take on someone with skills. Overall, I’m extremely pleased with the way this title plays.

Options need fine tuning in my opinion. While there are plenty of modes to choose from, I still think more emphasis needs to be made on the career mode of the game. Sure, you can create your boxer, build him up by training and win the title, but that’s about all. I mean they start you off at rank 20 for goodness sakes! I want a career mode with tons of longevity. Give me the chance to start off in the amateur ranks and work my way up to the pros. The career just feels to short. Also, more attention needs to be made on the create-a-boxer as well. Not many skins are available, leaving you hoping for more variance. The game does feature a world of play modes such as Slugfest, Exhibition, Career, and Fantasy fights. You even have female boxers to choose from, even though you can’t do a career with them. All in all, good for a first generation title, but I want more next year…that’s an order!

If you’ve played the PS1 version of KO Kings year after year, you will be very familiar with this title as well, as besides graphics, not much has changed. I for one really enjoy this title, even though the reviews from other sites haven’t been as favorable. I just love boxing and enjoy playing a game that is more realistic than typical arcade blarney. If you’re a fan of the sweet science, pick up a copy of KO Kings for the PS2 you won’t regret it.