Developed by legendary Japanese developer Treasure, Hajime no Ippo is another solid boxing game based on the popular Japanese manga and anime of the same name. Unlike the two Victorious Boxer games, The Fighting was never released outside of Japan.
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Es un juego muy sencillo pero efectivo, logra engancharte cuando lograr agarrarle la mano a la jugabilidad. Lastima que no tiene un modo historia muy desarrollado, ojala hagan un juego nuevo parecido a este. Te quiero mucho Hajime no Ippo
Eleventh GOTW finished for 2024. This one absolutely clicked with me. There is no "story" in the Story Mode, which is a shame given the source material, but the gameplay alone still held up really well. The controls are relatively simple on the surface - A to dodge, B to punch, and R for special. However, the way you utilize distance and direction using the D-Pad in this game offers a lot of variety (if very poorly explained) and makes for lots of options in how you fight your opponents. Pressing opponents without a game plan can often put your ass on the mat, so identifying opponent's patterns and taking opportunities with your openings and blocking/dodging made for some surprisingly intense moments in the game. Great looking sprites as well. Great all around boxing game, very much enjoyed this one!
The gameplay is simple, you have an attack, a dodge and a special button. Each character has a short list of combos they can do and offensive and defensive special moves.
The story mode goes by very quickly, in around 30 minutes. You play through Ippo's story in an arcade-like way. Moves are locked until certain matches.
Tournament mode is much more difficult, and is where you'll spend most of your time. Trying to beat this with some of the weaker fighters (Hayami especially) is a nightmarish task. In the last 2 matches, the CPU is much more aggressive, takes a lot more hits to take down and does significantly more damage. To the point that it starts to feel unfair in my opinion.
Still, overall it's an enjoyable game, worth at least a try. The spritework is very good.
The story mode goes by very quickly, in around 30 minutes. You play through Ippo's story in an arcade-like way. Moves are locked until certain matches.
Tournament mode is much more difficult, and is where you'll spend most of your time. Trying to beat this with some of the weaker fighters (Hayami especially) is a nightmarish task. In the last 2 matches, the CPU is much more aggressive, takes a lot more hits to take down and does significantly more damage. To the point that it starts to feel unfair in my opinion.
Still, overall it's an enjoyable game, worth at least a try. The spritework is very good.
It feels unfair to call this game barebones. It's a fighting game, after all. But it's one based on Hajime no Ippo, so you'd expect a little… something when it comes to the story mode, right? Instead it's the usual affair: no story, no cutscenes. There's plenty of polish, mind, a branching ending with attached unlocks, some unique voice lines. And it's so very stylish. Beautiful sprites, great energy.
The problem, at least for someone with no access to the manual and its contents, is that the real single player mode isn't the story mode. That's perfunctory, a tutorial in all but name. The real meat is the tournament mode: pick your fighter, grind your way through. The CPU is much harder here, more relentless. There's no mashing your way through this time. Here the differences between the opponents really shine, your tactics no longer boiling down to closing the gap, four hooks and a liver blow. Range matters more here, dodging is essential, patterns critical. It's fast, punishing. It's the game proper, and should have been unlocked after story mode to emphasize just that.
Nonetheless it's hard to complain. It's Treasure, it's gorgeous, it does the source material justice while standing its own against the venerable Punch-Out. Well worth the time.
The problem, at least for someone with no access to the manual and its contents, is that the real single player mode isn't the story mode. That's perfunctory, a tutorial in all but name. The real meat is the tournament mode: pick your fighter, grind your way through. The CPU is much harder here, more relentless. There's no mashing your way through this time. Here the differences between the opponents really shine, your tactics no longer boiling down to closing the gap, four hooks and a liver blow. Range matters more here, dodging is essential, patterns critical. It's fast, punishing. It's the game proper, and should have been unlocked after story mode to emphasize just that.
Nonetheless it's hard to complain. It's Treasure, it's gorgeous, it does the source material justice while standing its own against the venerable Punch-Out. Well worth the time.
Great spritework. Didn't get the early non-canon ending but once I worked out what I was supposed to be doing it was very satisfying whaling on guys and getting KOs.
It good