

Similarly, the individual turnbuckles have now taken a backseat to the all-encompassing pads that are more widely used in boxing (although the original style is still on hand as an alternative). For a start, there are now 4 ropes instead of 3 - and each side is bound together by a handful of vertical ties. The boxing concept has also demanded some minor adjustments to the ring area. Even shaved heads have become something to get excited about - as the default cut is now provided in sharper detail and comes in 4 different variations! Likewise, clothing is also becoming a better contributor to the graphics - as this boxing game pulls out all the stops to provide real exterior shorts and those all-important gloves. And some of the best hairstyles yet provide the icing on the cake! Not only is there more of them (46 variations in all, compared to Wrestling Encore's 33), but every single one looks better than ever thanks to a little more detail here and there - not least in the extension that makes long hair thicker and more seamlessly connected. It even moves better, thanks to a looser neck bone that allows more expression. The revolution even extends to a shapely new skull, which brings out the best in face textures with visible cheek bones, eye sockets and a protruding nose.

The more detailed textures of recent games are now fulfilling their potential via an equally detailed new character model! It calls upon more polygons to create a bulkier physical frame with visible contours on the body, arms and legs. The backbone of this latest project is a new and improved graphics engine. Now, some 5 years later, I'm on top of my game and capable of training a contender that could knock the wrestling games out cold. That's my cue to deliver the fast, responsive interpretation of the sport that fight fans truly want! Although a boxing game was the first I ever made (and had published) in Blitz 3D, it suffered from a plethora of novice flaws. As with many other genres, I had assumed that boxing games had been honed to perfection in the 21st century - but a quick glance at the competition reveals you've been putting up with slow motion-captured nonsense for the past 10 years.
