When boxing games aren’t Punch-Out!!, in my experience, they’re glistening, photorealistish things that you watch while sweatily stirring a thumbstick around a plastic white cauldron. Bit rubbish.
I’d say biffing simulator Title Bout Championship Boxing was about changing that, but it turns out the series has been around for absolutely yonks. Based on the boardgame of the same name, the game’s latest iteration comes from tiny Sussex outfit PISD.
TBCB is half game, half bookie’s tool – about pairing up two of the thousands of real-world boxers available for re-staged classic bouts or “What if?” scenarios.
“I am thrilled to see the release of Title Bout Championship Boxing 2013,” said PISD co-founder Paul Norman in a statement. “The game has been a labour of love for me, and I know boxing fans everywhere are excited about it. Whether players want to recreate the early days of boxing or see how modern day matches might end differently, TBCB 2013 offers something for everyone.”
I’m not sure about everyone – those “pseudo-animated” fighters and big-boned UI probably aren’t the stuff of living room gatherings. But the new TBCB certainly sounds all sorts of comprehensive. Stats, commentary, rankings and famous venues abound.
It runs on Windows, OS X and Linux. What’s more, PISD are operating under the sort of generous payment model you only see in the niche PC market: Title Bout Championship Boxing 2013 costs $19.99 for two licenses, or $9.99 if you own any previous version of the game.
Do you have previous with the TBCB series? Or are you a boxing enthusiast intrigued by the potential match-ups of a hardcore match-upperer?