TKO

 TKO is a boxing simulation from Mike Lorenzen and Accolade Entertainment. The
salient feature separating TKO from similar games is its first-person
perspective. Other features include eight computer-controlled fighters,
user-controlled boxing abilities, statistical records, an overhead view of the
ring, joystick control, and a 2-player option. The Commodore 64/128 version is
the basis of this review.

 TKO's first-person perspective adds the dose of realism usually missing from
boxing simulations: You're in the ring as opposed to watching from on high as a
spectator. On the down side, TKO is not at all humorous, as was FIGHT NIGHT
(also from Accolade). The bouts in TKO are as serious as Mike Tyson's mug during
a title contest.

 On starting a 1-player game, the computer randomly selects a champion and four
contenders from the eight permanent fighters. There are four unranked fighters
whose abilities you set and whose destinies you control in a quest for the
Accolade Heavyweight Championship title.

 From the Options Screen, you can begin a Title Quest, or Resume a Previous
Title Quest: The statistics, names, and abilities of your fighters, as well as
the statistics of the permanent fighters, are saved on the game disk. (All
records can be reset to zero.) Selecting Title Quest sends you to the Gym.

 In the Gym, you select one fighter from the four unranked fighters, name him,
and manipulate his abilities by way of slider bars: Give him a left- or
right-handed stance, adjust the relative power of his hands, set him for power
punches to head or body. The Strength slider sets the speed of a punch (fast but
not powerful) or the power behind it (less punches thrown, but each is highly
effective). The final slider selection is Weakness. This determines a boxer's
tendencies to either tire or suffer cuts.

 Once your fighter's abilities have been set, it's off to the ring for a
3-round, 5-round, or 10-round match. At the end of each round, a scoreboard
reveals the following information about each fighter's performance: total
punches thrown, head and body punches thrown, head and body hits taken, punches
blocked, damage caused to your opponent, and points scored.

 At the conclusion of a bout, the referee (accompanied by musical fanfare)
raises the winner's arm and announces his victory. Statistics are updated and
saved to the game disk.

 The C64 screen display consists of boxing windows; the overhead view of the
ring and its fighters; and time, round, and energy indicators. The face and
upper body of your fighter appears in the upper main window; your opponent
appears in the lower main window. Throwing a punch causes your fighter's gloved
hand to appear in your opponent's window, and connecting a punch to his face
causes his head to snap back. Of course, your opponent's fists appear in your
window, too.

 To the right of the two main windows is another window, within which the
fighters move about the ring. Their arms extend to throw punches; you can stand
toe to toe or force your opponent against the ropes.

 Each 3-minute round is ticked off on a digital clock. Each round is indicated
by a highlighted number. At the top right of the screen is the name of your
fighter and his energy bar, which shrinks as he absorbs punches.

 The Scoreboard screen features mug shots of the combatants, declares the winner
of the round, and gives the Statistics of the round along with the current
totals.

 Except for using the keyboard to enter a fighter's name, TKO is
joystick-controlled. There are five defensive hand positions, used to protect
your fighter's head, chin, throat, chest, or stomach: This is accomplished by
moving the joystick up or down. You throw punches from a defensive posture, and
the current posture will remain until you reset it in the same manner.

 The nine joystick positions correspond to nine different targets on your
opponent: both his eyes, both sides of his jaw, his nose, mouth, solar plexus,
and both sides of his body. Throwing a punch to any of these areas is
accomplished by moving the joystick to one of the designated positions, then
pushing the button.

 Although you cannot technically move your fighter around the ring, he and his
opponent shuffle about in response to the punches thrown. Forcing your opponent
against the ropes or into a corner increases the effects of your punches.

 Were it not for the first-person perspective, TKO would be (more or less) just
another boxing simulation. But from this unique perspective, you'll get to see
exactly what Rocky Balboa saw: burning eyes and very large gloved fists. If
you're not paying attention, those fists will land on your jaw, and your head
will know it instantly. What's more, the fighters in TKO really take punches:
Bruises and cuts appear, and a smart fighter will exploit these for a technical
knockout.

 The game has a smooth, logical design. Roseann Mitchell's graphics are beefy
and colorful, the music of Ed Bogas is appropriately intermittent, and the
joystick controls work without a hitch. Accolade offers a line-up of solid and
well-executed software, and TKO is no exception. If you're a boxing fan, TKO is
a great way to get in a few punches of your own.

 TKO is published and distributed by Accolade Entertainment.

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