This may sound stupid, but here goes:
Heavyweight Boxing is not as much a "boxing" game as it is a "fighting" game. I know, I know. You're saying,
'Isn't boxing fighting anyways?' My response: It is, but it isn't. What I mean by all of this is that fans of the
Street Fighter and
Mortal Kombat series would enjoy this game more than a fan of
Knockout Kings. It just has more of fighting game feel than it does with boxing. Prime example: the "fists of fire," where the boxer's gloves begin to flame, and the punches hurt the opponent more. Don't get me wrong, I think getting punched by fiery fists would hurt a lot worse than a normal punch. It's just that nobody lights up their gloves to box. Then again, nobody would expect a boxer to bite an ear off their opponent or something, but that's been done before. Now who was that again?
Once you get past the fact that Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing isn't a boxing game, you'll find it isn't much of a game at all. At least with other fighting games you can jump around and drop-kick your opponent and stuff. With this game, all you can do is trade punches, and that will get old after about ten seconds. But by that time, one of you is down on the canvas. Believe me, don't get back up, the game is not worth it. The other crappy thing is that the punches are so slow, you won't even be able to hit your opponent unless you want to jab him the entire match.
There are three modes that come with Heavyweight Boxing: Exhibition, Speed Boxing, and Belt Mode. With Speed Boxing, you try to beat your fastest time in knocking down your opponent. In the Belt Mode, you begin fighting for a bronze medal, then work your way up the system for the silver, and then the gold. The funny thing is that all of the boxers on the game are guys Tyson can beat, like Tua, Holmes, and Rahman (actually I think Rahman could beat him). Don't look for guys like Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, or even Buster Douglas.
Speaking of boxers you won't find... Little Mac! I'm sorry, but I don't care if you make a game featuring Tyson 80 years from now, you better put Little Mac in the game, or it's not even worth putting in the console. Thankfully you can Create Your Own boxer, but it's just not the same.
