How To Play The Hardest Boxing Game

Fight Night Round 4 developers released a custom tailored control scheme for the difficult boxing sim

eSports Boxing Club failed, and was rebranded (or abandoned, depending on how you look at it) to Undisputed. Steel City Interactive, the game’s developer, hasn’t inspired confidence that they’re developing a game comparable to their promises to boxing fans.

While the constant setbacks endured by the inexperienced, tiny group have certainly derailed their efforts to establish themselves as an authority in the boxing video game space, eSports boxing is still alive and well. Whether or not Undisputed ever actually comes out inany polished form, eSports boxing is already an established sport.

What Happened To Undisputed

Although fight fans were understandably excited for a long overdue boxing video game, the prospect of translating the subtle realism of the sweet science may hae proven too steep a challenge for Steel City Interactive. Many players complain of a counterintuitive control scheme, while others lament the strange gameplay and spammed tactics.

Although Undisputed has been in development for about five years, it’s still only available as a sloppy, lackluster beta so far. Fans have been patient, even loyal, at times; now, sentiments around Undisputed are remarkably more cool.

As Steel City Interactive has no doubt realized by now, it’s easy to point to the failures of a game developer from a spectator’s perspective. The reality of creating a good boxing game might just be too much for them to take on. After all, they are a small team compared to Electronic Arts, and it’s often pointed out that comparisons would be somehow unfair to SCI.

But if that were really the case, this one-man team wouldn’t be outperforming Steel City Interactive in terms of gameplay, mechanics, and pure enjoyability. But he is.

So, if Steel City Interactive’s failure to compare to a 15 year old boxing game isn’t related to manpower, what could be causing this? Most people think it has to do with the core playability.

The last boxing game to focus on sim controls, Fight Night Round 4, still boasts the most intricate movement system of any boxing game to date. Despite a 2009 release date, there’s stepping, leaning, weaving, pivoting, and their respective combinations in the EA boxing game. As it turned out, the problem with all those options was that the controls over all these movements were completely left up to inputs from the player.

A particular pain point was the punch system. It allows the most realistic combinations at speed of any boxing video footage we’ve seen, but it takes a while to master.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to use New Total Punch Control in Fight Night Round 4.

Boxing Sim Controls

1. Hold down the right analog stick in any direction to initiate a punch.

Initiating punch is the part you control. As the punch is being thrown, you’re no longer controlling it. Using the stick controls in this boxing game makes discerning the window of time between punch initiation and punch execution much more intuitive.

2. Move the right analog stick in different directions to perform different punches.

Each hand is controlled by one half of the right analog stick. There are many variations of each of the straight punches, hooks, and uppercuts for each hand, depending on distance and orientation.

3. Use the left analog stick to move your boxer around the ring.

This part is more difficult than you think. There’s a lot that goes into moving well in the ring. Check out this mobility guide for Fight Night Round 4.

4. Move your head to evade punches

Using L1 and the left analog stick, keep your head out of the way of incoming punches. Slip, weave, and dodge and look for offensive capabilities of your own.

5. Practice

Use the heavy bag, maize bag, and sparring ring to master your skills

6. Watch Boxing

Learn from watching boxers and try to use realistic combinations. The physics engine and precise control scheme in Fight Night Round 4 allows you to look fluid and masterful, or completely inept. It all depends on how you choose to play