K -1 Grand Prix (PSX) (Eon-Digital Entertainment) Game Review

Game review by SDJ

Right, well most of you should know what the K-1 Contest is all about. If not, then I suggest you read the fight reports on the events page and check out the events diary to get yourself along to the next one. Basically, the K-1 is a global competition, which combines many different disciplines such as Muay Thai, Karate and Kung-Fu in a single class competition. So there we go, one the most brutal ring sports around, allowing the use of a wide inventory of moves (including low kicks, knees and elbows).

This game is a direct copy of the tournament, using 32 actual K-1 fighters (such as Peter Aerts, Stan the Man, Ernesto Hoost, Andy Hug, Mike Bernardo and Masaaki Satake to name but a few). All of the moves are there, from jabs, to hooks to spinning punches to knees to grappling to every conceivable kick. The Game offers a variety of modes from arcade style one on one (1 or 2 player), K-1 Tournament mode (1 to 16 players), practice, ring side and create your own fighter. The ability to create and train your fighter is what will draw you to this game. The graphics and speed might not be up there with the likes of Tekken 2 or Soul Blade but it has realism. (No Giant Panda's and flames shooting out of peoples' parts to knock your opponent of the 100ft high podium into snake infested Larva (with spikes!)). When you create your fighter you have the choice of his name, his country of origin, where he trains and what he looks like (even down to the size of his belly and colour of his shorts). You then have to choose who you want to train you and who you want your two assistant instructors to be. I don't know if these instructors are actual people but one of them looks suspiciously like Yoda! Once you have picked your trainers, which you will find out dramatically effects what sort of a fighter you become, you can start to train. As you train you get rewarded with training points (TP's) which you use to obtain new techniques. The better the technique the more TP's you will need. You then have to work on your combination practice to be able to assign your own combinations if you want to succeed in a fight. This is a part that I really like! You can put into virtual practice all of your favourite moves and combinations and the best thing is that they actually work! You can start of with the timeless classic Jab, cross, right low kick. Simple yet effective! You will find however that opponents will grow wise to this and you must come up with something new! So the better the combination in real life the better it is in the game, something which really sets this game apart!

As the months and years go on in your training you will now and again be offered fights for ranking within an organisation or a tittle fight and eventually K-1 matches and the K-1 Grand Prix. You have in total 8 'virtual' years to realise your goal and become the K-1 Champion, so you must choose how best to train your fighter, when to change Instructors and which matches to take. The option to save game data means you can come back to your fighter and even use your very own fighter in the other gaming modes. Also, as you progress with your fighter you get rewarded with new fighters to choose from in the other gaming modes, so the better you do the more new real life fighters you have to play with.

This is a very very good game. Fans of K-1 and Muay Thai will love it due to the realism of moves and combinations. As I said it doesn't match the likes of Tekken 2 for speed and graphics but it more than makes up for this with the actual K-1 athletes that you have seen fight for real and the depth of game play. I recommend that anyone with a playstation and a love of ring fighting buy this game. The only other alternative I can suggest is ultimate Fighting Championships on the Dreamcast, which is in a world of its own. I haven't had the chance to review this yet but if any one wants to send me a copy to review it then I would be more than happy to oblige!

To buy the video online now through Amazon.co.uk click here