Afro Republican
Banned
I wanted to see if I can get people interested in checking out this game and to gov over how I think it has aged in the last, let's say, 27 years.
Here's the cool original intro ost:
One thing about 4D sports boxing is there's a few versions of this game that look better or worse based on the computer platform you use, so that's something to take into the consideration. I hear the Mac version may have the best visuals but the window is smaller, and that the top-end PC with V2 is likely the one you would use. FM towns is decent as well, has the best audio but the graphics kind of blur at points.
Anyway moving on to the gameplay, while it doesn't look very complex based on its early polygon graphics, but it's a pretty ambitious title. You can:
-Customize your character
-As you win you can increase your fighters stats like Strength, Speed, and Stamina.
-Multiple camera angles for different types of play styles. Including first person
-Regular & Slow motion replay
-Female characters for those with agendas.
-Taunting
-Differing damages based on attack
There's other cool things as well, but the point is this was not just your average static fighting game with polygons models and calling it a day. This even at the time, would require powerful hardware to get the best polygon graphics, which wasn't common in 1991, though was a bit more common in V2 EA version (which came out in 1992 just in time for Alone in the Dark to come out and replace 4D boxing with not having many easy ways to get the top graphic performance without spending that chedda)
However, the game was made for weaker hardware in mind, it it was mildy decent you'd lose a few details on the models and ring but it still looked good, you'd get basically moving boxes otherwise. If it was too weak there would make everything stick figures.
The game has some good music, and has great gameplay that still stands up in many ways. These days with modern computers you don't have to worry about the PC version having top-end hardware so the animations will be fast and fluid by default. Some things are a little jerky though, and it's still a boxing game simulator so it does try to mimic real movement, so if you want a fighting style game with anime fast punches this isn't the game for you. In fact NO boxing game is for you unless it's not trying to be a sim.
For those that want to try out emulating the other computer versions, the Amiga 1200 version is a bit hard to locate, usually you end up running it on a 500 which is not ideal and is way to weak. FM towns is pretty good, and Mac is as well but it will have a smaller window.
For PC Enhanced sound cards are your friend for good audio.
It's still a pretty good game that has held up imo. I would give it a 7/10 by todays standard, a 9.5 back in the day when there was nothing quite like it .that are still some things about it that are clunky (like the menu's) and a few areas that are outdated that are just the result of being a 27 year old early 3D title, but still good enough to be a must play, and it's an interesting piece of history.
