The Final Round Longplay (Arcade) [4K]
618Game Info
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Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Year of Release: 1988
Longplay Requested by: @Chappers76
Game Review & Impressions
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With boxing still a major attraction in the 80s, video games based on the sport of pugilism were not uncommon. It's also a genre of some variety, with developers trying different perspectives and mechanics, with a varying degree of success. The one thing they all have in common, unsurprisingly, is two sweat-soaked muscular dudes slugging it out within the confines of the squared circle. The Final Round is no exception, and I have to say, I rather enjoyed it.
Konami's approach involves giving players the ability to move in 360 degrees of freedom around the ring. Controls involve a standard joystick and three buttons: high blow; low blow; guard. The distance between you and the opponent determines the type of punch thrown, while tapping up and down on the joystick determines whether you guard against high or low blows when activating guard mode. Although you don't have a huge amount of control over the types of punches you throw, the fighters will execute uppercuts and hooks when in close proximity, and if a boxer is sufficiently beefy, there's a chance for punches to send opponents reeling. It's a decent attempt by Konami to keep the controls simple, yet maintain some level of strategy, and keep the fighting interesting.
What I particularly liked about The Final Round, however, was the ability to customise and train your boxer. There's a basic stat system based on power, speed and stamina, all of which affect your fighter's performance in the ring. Unlike modern games with their layer-upon-layer of coefficients and confusing additive versus multiplicative modifications, these are simple to understand. Between fights, you have the ability to participate in minigames to boost a particular stat, and I now wonder whether the power training game provided the late Archer Maclean with the inspiration for the ball-reflecting bonus section in the legendary IK+ on the Commodore 64. The fact that both sections in both games feature disembodied heads makes me think this is more than just a coincidence, and Maclean was a big fan and collector of arcade coin-ops.
The main meat of the game is, of course, the fighting, which is pretty good. It's extremely fast paced, and the CPU player will make a concerted effort to close the distance and try to corner you against the ropes with lighting quick combinations. You will need to do likewise, using your reach to force the opponent back, taking care to keep one hand poised over the guard button. The speed of the punches is frighteningly quick in this game with nary any telegraphing - you won't see them coming. Getting too close is a recipe for disaster because the CPU can -- and will -- react faster than you can, and you'll generally come out of those encounters in a worse state than your foe. It is immensely satisfying, however, to press the advantage when you know the CPU is gassed and flagging, and you can risk getting into close quarters to maybe land that killer haymaker or uppercut that will end the fight in decisive victory - it's addictive stuff.
Many boxing games fail because they have overcomplicated controls or dull and unsatisfying combat, but The Final Round is definitely one of the better games in the genre. The fights are exciting, with plenty of tension, and it manages to capture the look and feel of the sport on which it's based, making this a genuine contender.
Chapters
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00:00 Attract mode
00:20 Gameplay