Contender (PlayStation Game) - Tournament Mode Longplay - Level: Professional (Hardest)
2- Contender (PlayStation Game) - Tournament Mode Longplay - Level: Professional (Hardest) -
Contender, known as Victorious Boxers in Japan, is a 3D boxing game exclusive to the PS1, launched in 1999. This game offers players a selection of boxers, each endowed with unique fighting styles and special moves. It features a career mode, allowing players to climb the ranks toward championship glory, as well as a tournament and a quick play mode for spontaneous bouts.
While the results were not outstanding, this title deserves praise for its effort to provide a more authentic boxing simulation. Unlike its contemporaries, 'Contender' emphasizes strategic play and stamina management over typical arcade-style action, while also featuring a diverse roster of boxers.
To expand on my earlier point about the results not being outstanding, my critique arises from significant gameplay shortcomings. As illustrated in this video, exploiting the game's flaws is surprisingly straightforward. By selecting the game's quickest boxer and timing a simple combo to the face, the highest difficulty setting became manageable. This strategy, devoid of nuanced technique, defensive maneuvers, or varied attack plans, significantly undermines the gameplay depth.
Admittedly, mastering this technique isn't the simplest task, yet it becomes quite achievable with a bit of practice. Initially, I hadn't recalled this strategy, but it clicked during the second round of the first match. From that moment on, navigating through the game was a breeze.
Nevertheless, despite its merits as a decent game, its overall appeal is somewhat diminished by this flaw. Particularly because this issue isn't confined to a single character; players can exploit similar loopholes with other boxers, adopting alternative tactics that leverage their unique strengths in an unbalanced way.
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