Experience the thrill of raw combat in the best boxing games ever made!
Sometimes, we just want to release all that pent-up aggression and punch someone in the face. Of course, if you did that to someone on the street, you’d end up in jail. So we take all that repressed hostility home and unleash our inner pugilist in video games.
Thankfully, when it comes to punching faces, there are games that let you do just that. And we’re not talking about Street Fighter here, but games based on an ancient sport that makes it gentlemanly (or gentlewomanly) to knock someone else’s teeth out: boxing.
So here we rank, from good to best, from arcade games to simulators, the 11 Best Boxing Games to Play in 2015. For this list, we had to reach back more than a decade into the past, as good boxing games are few and far between. Let’s begin with our first entry…
11. FaceBreaker
Doesn't seem like a fair fight...
As its title suggests, FaceBreaker lets you reconfigure the bone structure of your opponents’ mugs, turning them into freaks only their mothers could love.
Available for consoles, and for the Wii as FaceBreaker K.O. Party, this arcade boxing game has more in common with Street Fighter than a simulation of the sport like Fight Night Round 3. Its characters are colorful, heavily stylized, and ridiculous. There’s Molotov, a musclebound Russian demolitions expert who brings his grenades to the ring; Kiriko, a petite Japanese raver with a valley girl accent; Steve, an out-of-shape uber nerd obsessed with kung fu movies and tabletop role-playing games; and Monkey… a monkey.
The fighting is furious, and you can perform techniques that you’d swear are illegal in the sport. Stomping on someone’s skull with your boot? It’s fair play in Facebreaker! The Wii version even lets you doodle on your defeated foes’ deformed faces for the ultimate humiliation. What’s not to love?
A dance, or a duel?
Meet your combatants!
10. Black & Bruised
Right in the kisser!
Black & Bruised is another arcade boxer that lets you demolish your opponents with flashy moves.
For a console game released in 2003, its cartoon visuals aren’t so bad; you can actually see the characters’ jaws dislocating every time you land a good one. Each fighter has a ton of personality, if you don’t mind obvious stereotypes like the buxom country gal, the Japanese fighter with the geisha face paint, the Irishman with the four-leaf clover tattoo, and some Mexican dude dressed up like Guacamole.
The fighting is hectic and fast. The punches sound painful, and you can even use power-ups such as armor and elemental damage. If you’ve still got a working PlayStation 2 or a GameCube, this is one of the best boxing games you can play.
Fists of fury
Missed!
9. Rocky
One match down, a few hundred more to go...
When it comes to fictional boxers, no one is more popular than Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa.
As much as possible, the Rocky game stays faithful to the movie franchise that spawned it. That means fighting against the likes of Spider Rico and Apollo Creed. It even uses footages and audio from the film.
Gameplay includes Story Mode, which has Rocky fighting opponents from the film and those created exclusively for the game. Like a real boxing match, you win by knocking an opponent out, or by landing the most punches. Between bouts, training minigames allow Rocky to improve his speed, stamina, strength, movement, and determination stats.
One of the best boxing games for consoles, especially if you’re a fan of the Rocky films!
Round 1... FIGHT!
The big, bad Russian
8. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2
Lightning fists
Released in 2000 for consoles, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 is the oldest title on this list, yet remains on of the best boxing games around.
Like the previous two entries, this arcade boxer features several colorful characters to choose from, including a robot, a meme, and the funkadelic pugilist, Afro Thunder. As players exchange flurries of punches and taunt each other, a “RUMBLE” meter builds up. Once filled, the player gains access to powerful moves and combos.
In addition to the return of ring announcer Michael Buffer with his trademark “Let’s get ready to rumble!” catchphrase, the game has some surprising additions to the roster. They include Shaquille O’Neal, US ex-President Bill Clinton (known in-game as Mr. President) and his wife Hillary Clinton (The First Lady), and Michael Jackson. The latter had his moves motion captured to make his digital avatar more authentic. So if you’ve always fantasized about trading blows with the Commander-in-chief, or socking the King of Pop in the face, this is your game.
Yiiheeee! The King of Pop wants to be the King of the Ring!
Michael Jackson vs. Overly Manly Man
7. Title Bout Championship Boxing
A blow-by-blow account
For something a little different, check out Title Bout Championship Boxing for the PC.
In this text-based simulation of the sport, you’re a promoter staging fights between top contenders. It features more than 6,000 boxers from the sport’s history, a roster than is regularly updated to include current favorites such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. This way, you can stage fantasy slugfests, such as a duel between Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
Each fighter comes with comprehensive statistics covering everything from their punching power to their defensive capabilities. Due to the accuracy of these statistics, the game has been used to predict matches between boxers.
Based on a tabletop game first released in 1979, Title Bout Championship Boxing is still one of the best boxing games today.
The action intensifies...
They're ready to take each other out...
6. Knockout Kings 2003
Hear, smell my fist...
EA Sports’ Knockout Kings console games are the precursor of the Fight Night series, with Knockout Kings 2003 serving as the swansong of the franchise.
Several modes exist to allow for a variety of experiences, such as working your way up to the championship bout, winning or defending a title, and training. The game stays true to the sport, and even features real-world arenas, such as Madison Square Gardens, Caesars Palace, and the Wembley Arena. As expected, you can also go toe-to-toe with real boxers such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, Joe Frazier, and more.
Despite having been replaced by the Fight Night series, Knockout Kings 2003 remains one of the best boxing games of our time.
The assassin is ready
Travis doesn't look like he wants to be in the ring with McLovin!
5. Real Boxing
Making him see stars
Real Boxing delivers one of the world’s most violent sports to PC, PlayStation Vita, and mobile devices.
The game is as fast as it is brutal. Connect a punch to someone’s face, and expect blood to fly. While you can throw your opponent off by mixing up your jabs, uppercuts, and the like, you also need to ace your defensive game by blocking and evading strikes in a timely manner. Additionally, you have to keep an eye on your stamina; throw too many punches repeatedly, and you’ll end up exhausted, slow, and weak.
Counters are particularly effective; pulling one off will bite a chunk off your opponent’s health bar as well as refill your stamina meter.
Add to this a diverse roster of characters (each with their own unique fighting style), six arenas, multiplayer, and tons of options to customize the look of your character, and this is one of the best boxing games around.
I hope his face doesn't stay that way
Good dodge!
4. Beast Boxing Turbo
Porcine pugilist
Punching people in the face is awesome, but sometimes, it’s just as fun to punch other things, too – such as skeletons, trees, ogres, and turkeys. That’s where PC indie game Beast Boxing Turbo comes in.
In this fast-paced, freestyle arcade boxer, you play as an outgunned human boxer in Beasthalla, a world populated with monsters. 12 opponents, ranging from a man-pig to a purple Cyclops, stand in your way. So how do you wallop these brutes into submission, with your puny muscles and comparatively laughable height?
For one, there’s a host of skills to learn. You can’t just throw punches willy-nilly; you’ll have to observe your opponent’s movements, and know when to use a jab, and when to use a hook. With training, you can develop your own fighting style. You can also purchase and equip armor to give you an edge in combat.
It’s a game about reflexes, precision, and combo mastery – and it looks great to boot!
Nope, definitely not Caesars Palace...
I am Groot!!!
3. Punch-Out!!
He's going to feel that tomorrow morning
Most gamers born in the 80s have fond memories of a classic Nintendo title called Punch-Out!! – a game in which you go head-to-head with a series of cartoon boxers, until Mike Tyson himself bashes your face in and puts an end to your virtual boxing dreams.
2009’s Punch-Out!! for the Wii and WiiU introduces the new generation of gamers to the franchise. You play as Little Mac once again, an unassuming boxer working his way to the top of a professional boxing circuit. Every opponent you’ll face boasts a particular style; your job is to figure out their vulnerabilities, identify openings and weak spots, and strike when the opportunity to tear them a new one presents itself. Slug them at exactly the right time and place, and you’ll stagger them and gain a star. Stars can then be used to perform a devastating Star Punch.
This arcade boxer will text your reflexes, timing, and observations skills, as well as provide a welcome nostalgia trip to older gamers. Definitely one of the best boxing games you can play!
A punch you don't come back from
Built like a tugboat!
2. Fight Night Champion
A savage sport indeed
Fight Night Champion, the fifth entry in the realistic boxing franchise Fight Night, brings out the grittiness of the sport. If the sight of blood streaming down battered faces makes you squirm, your stomach will be twisting itself in knots with this one. And oh, the swear words will burn your ears, but we can’t have a little aggression without some cussing, can we?
More than 50 boxers, categorized into 8 weight divisions, are available for play, such as Evander Holyfield, Jake LaMotta, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and Nonito Donaire. Like its predecessors, the game recreates their fighting styles for the authentic boxing experience.
In addition to the licensed boxers, the story mode focuses on fictional character Andre Bishop’s road to redemption through the sport. You can even create your own character.
A new control system, called the full-spectrum punch control, allows for a diversity of punches via the controller’s right control stick. The buttons are used for actions such as blocking and leaning. All this makes for a game that’s as exhilarating as it is strategic; it’s not enough that your boxer knows how to punch, you’ll need to know how to fight effectively to make it to the top!
Tyson's facial reconstruction special
Pacquiao giving his foe the best view of his fist
1. Fight Night Round 4
De La Hoya loosening a few teeth
Today, when it comes to professional fisticuffs, one video game franchise immediately pops into mind: Fight Night.
One of the best boxing games of our time, Fight Night Round 4 for consoles emulates the unique fighting styles of the greatest pugilists in the sport’s history. A fan of Muhammad Ali’s agile footwork, and his incredible boxing speed and reach? How about Mike Tyson’s bouncy evasiveness, and his hooks and uppercuts that leave opponents face flat on the ground? All 48 licensed boxers are authentic recreations of themselves, allowing you to stage some truly epic matches.
The revamped physics engine makes the boxing as realistic as possible. Everything you’d expect from the real thing comes into play, such as knockout blows, glancing punches, footwork, fatigue, surges of adrenaline, and more. Not to mention it features great visuals and animation, and you can thump your friends silly with multiplayer, too!
A true classic!
Miguel Cotto making Pacquaio reconsider his priorities
The fastest way to beat insomnia: a punch to the face from Carlos Monzon
So there you have it: the 11 Best Boxing Games To Play in 2015! How about you, fellow gamers? Tell us your favorite boxing games in the comments section below!
And if you’re hungry for more one-on-one violence, check out our Top 10 Best Fighting Games to Play in 2015, Ranked Best to Worst list.
If you’re up to the challenge of really tough battles, there’s 10 Video Game Bosses Who Slaughtered Millions of Noobs Worldwide to check out.
If speed is more your thing, 10 Best Car Racing Games for PC in 2015 and 10 Cool Car Games That You Must Play in 2015 discuss motorsports, and should be worth your while.
Lastly, head on to 10 Best Hunting Games for PC if you’re a fan of shooting sports and the great outdoors.
