Update: November 30, 2005
«©NCSX» The lights, the glitz and the pummeling action from the K1 World GP ring is recreated by D3P for T.K.O. laden battles where a combatant will stumble onto the floor like a sack when decked out. Recognizable fighters from the K1 World are selectable in the game or a new fighter may be created and honed from the ground up. Once borne, the new fighter needs a little customization to determine his strengths and weaknesses. In the customization screen, fighters may be adapted for for power, agility, endurance, and other attributes which will serve them in the ring. In addition to standard punches and kicks, there's an Overdrive attack that's powered by an Overdrive gauge which is similar to a desperation system. NCS Game Notes™
* In the intro to the game, bruisers are shown in live action video while funky music plays in the background. The fighters are shown strutting into the ring, posing, and then walloping each other with ferocious blows. A Japanese guy with blue hair is shown dancing a little jig. One of the ferocious blows is apparently so good that the game producers had to show it thrice. Choice kicks to the side of the head are also shown for gratuitous violence where the fallen fighter hits the floor and then attempts to rise up to no avail. After enoying the nearly 5 minutes of video footage, get ready to do a little walloping of your own. * Game modes are as follows: World Grand Prix / Arcade / Super Fight / Training / Customize / Record / Option. Selecting World Grand Prix allows a gamer to select one fighter out of 20 possible contenders as follows: Musashi / Japan
Bob Sapp / USA
Semmy Schilt / Holland
Ernesto Hoost / Holland
Gary Goodridge / Trinidad
Cyril Abidi / France
Tsuyoshi Nakasako / Japan
Peter Aerts / Holland
Glaube Feitosa / Brazil
Nobuaki Kakuda / Japan
Kaoklai Kaennorshing / Thailand
Jerokme Le Banner / France
Hiromi Amada / Japan
Hong-Man Choi / Korea
Ray Sefo / New Zealand
Alexey Ignashov / Belarus
Francois Botha / South Africa
Remy Bonjasky / Holland
Akebono / Japan
Mighty Mo / USA There's a randomizer on the bottom of the character select screen. Hit that if you're feeling lucky so the COM can pick a fighter for you. * For our career in the World Grand Prix, we chose Jerome le Banner because his nose is severely crooked from what appears to have been past beatings. After a short scene, a competition chart is shown with the next four matches. Out first bout was against Bob Sapp from the USA at the Budokon. An excited announcer with glasses announces the bout and the camera pans around to flashy lights in the background as the roar of the crowd sounds out. Too bad the crowd itself is static and consists of immobile audience members. At least their cheers sound good and the music is momentous as the combatants enter the ring. After the theatrics, the two fighters are shown prancing in their corners and getting ready for battle. We learn that Bobby Sapp is also known as the Beast. The two fighters stand face to face while a referee blesses the proceedings. * The L-analog thumbstick or D-pad may be used to make the fighter move while the four face buttons control the left/right arms and legs as follows: TRIANGLE - RIGHT JAB
SQUARE - LEFT JAB
O-BUTTON - RIGHT KICK
X-BUTTON - LEFT KICK
L1-TRIGGER - Guard * If your fighter takes too many punches to the head, he'll start wobbling and his legs will tremble like a drunk. The crowd will scream in reaction once a fighter moves in for the kill. Once down, the referee will count to 9 and declare a TKO if your man isn't making any attempts to rise. To attempt to get up, hit the trigger and face buttons quickly to regain vigor and vim. If you lose, the game ends but you'll be asked, "Revenge?" Select Yes to replay the bout again for another shot at beating your oppressor. * An announcer does the play by play accurately when a match proceeds. He'll call out the kicks, punches, and blocks with uncanny speed and detail. * Between matches, two ring card girls appear and trainers give a pep talk to their fighters during a 5 second interval. The camera will pan in on the fighters' faces to check out the cuts, bloody noses, and ruddy faces of each flushed and flustered fighter. * Replays are shown after a knockdown to show where you went wrong or right in your sparring skills. Winning a match will advance you to the next round where you meet up against a winner of his respective round. We fought Tsuyoshi Nakasako next. * Overall, we're somewhat surprised that this game is from D3 Publisher. We were expecting drek but along with the recent Sakigake!! Otokojuku which we enjoyed, we may be witnessing a gradual ascension of the company. The general foundation of K1 World GP 2005 is good but the company's designers need to add a little more variety to the moves and grappling attacks to complement the standard punches, kicks, holds, and grabs. This was also our complaint with Sakigake!! Otokojuku. View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX site.
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