Ring King (NES) Playthrough
329A playthrough of Data East's 1987 boxing game for the NES, Ring King.
Training mode 0:09
Ranking mode 1:38:20
Tournament mode 1:57:35
Ring King for the NES is an adaptation of the popular 1985 arcade game of the same name (known as King of Boxer outside of North America), though it is probably best known for its *ahem* dubious depictions of the *ahem* interpersonal dynamics that exist between boxers and their cornermen.
The NES version of the game plays similarly to the arcade original: you circle your opponent as you fend off his advances with body counters, pepper him with jabs in search of openings, and close the distance to tear him up with hooks and uppercuts. That'll be enough to put most down for the count, but for those moments in which you find yourself needing just a little bit more, you can rear back and unleash an explosive haymaker that'll lay him out flat if it connects.
The biggest difference between the two games lies in how the home conversion expands on the structure of the original. The arcade version features a simple ladder of eight opponents to work your way through, while the NES version's single-player mode is based on a career-style progression system.
Your boxer has three stats (punch strength, speed, and stamina) that increase with practice matches fought at the training gym. Every few matches, you are awarded with a small pool of bonus points that you can distribute among your stats in whatever you see fit. As your boxer's skill grows, he'll become strong enough to compete in ranked matches, and the ultimate goal is to rise through the ranks and defeat the champion of the world circuit. It'll take a lot of time and effort to reach that level, but your stats and win record carry between game modes with a password-based saved system, so you always have the option of picking up where you left off at a later time.
This system was an innovative way of extending the long-term playability of an otherwise simple game for the home market. It forces you to consider how to develop your would-be champion, how to distribute your skill points for each specific opponent, and since you have to earn the right to take on the big dogs, you end up coming away with a real sense of ownership over your accomplishments. Move over Rocky - Spider Rico has a new nightmare to contend with.
The fighting requires little strategy beyond learning how to time special punches and counters, but the short round times and the fast-moving action keep things feeling focused and tense. It's a lot of fun, especially if you play the career over the course of a week instead of treating it as a single-sitting grindfest.
Ring King was quite a popular game. It enjoyed some time in Nintendo Power's Top 30 rankings, and it still seems to be something of an underground favorite among those who played it.
The stylized graphics look pretty good for a mid-1987 release, the gameplay loop is still as fun as it ever was, and 8-bit blowjays will never not be funny, so if you overlooked this one, why not give it a shot?
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