Fist fighting has been around since the beginning of time, and boxing (or some form of martial pugilism) has basically been around for that long.
Celebrate ancient tradition (as well as modern advances in boxing) by taking fighters under your wing, training them, and leading them to victory (or defeat) in World Championship Boxing Manager, which you can claim right now as part of IGN Plus.
Plus members: get your key for World Championship Boxing Manager 2 here on your IGN Rewards Page. Not a Plus member? Register now. You can also follow the developers on Twitter.
Developer Interview: Creative Director Andrew Marsh
I sat down with Andrew Marsh, the creative director of WCBM2, to talk about the game’s development, its goals, and what players can expect when they jump into this retro (but accessible) management sim.
Making a sequel to a beloved retro management sim
Boxing games have been around since very early in gaming history, and the MegaCat team was interested in creating a boxing management game for a number of reasons. One of the main draws was telling a wide range of stories, from stories about up-and-coming fighters, to underground boxers, to great fighters, and depicting the seedy underbelly, the mass limelight, and everything in between.
The team also found the style of the original World Championship Boxing Manager (WCBM) appealing, so the idea of creating a sequel that would build on the (beloved) original was tempting to the retro-enthusiast team, who took this opportunity to iterate. and get better. over the original, adding new quality of life improvements and even completely new phases of the game.
Fusion of old and new
Nothing was off the table for the development team, who want to provide a classic experience for older players, while also making it easy for new players to get involved, particularly those who are new to management sims, new to boxing, or new to in retro-style gaming Playing the original game, they started by optimizing and modernizing it, then looking for new elements that they could incorporate to make it more fun for players.
Like the original, players take on the role of a boxing manager who is trying to find up-and-coming boxers and make a career for both of them, but unlike the original, there’s more interaction when it comes to actual fights. and not just an adventure game approach.
In the original game, the announcers would simply tell players how the boxing match was going, but in WCBM2, players will watch the fights unfold, watching the fighters land punches and expend their energy. Between rounds, the player will be able to restore their boxer’s health or stamina a bit, then tell him if he should stick with his current strategy or change it. All of this is unique to WCMB2, and it makes for an enticing pace of strategizing throughout the week and seeing if the training paid off when it comes time to fight on Friday night.
Representation of Sport and its Champions
I enjoyed the strategic pace of planning the training sessions for the boxers, then choosing the tournaments to enter and managing the “big picture” strategy for the boxer as they fought, round after round, and the MegaCat team saw that puzzle solving and strategizing were a key part of the sport.
Another addition was the Knowledge section, which has a ton of interesting information about boxing, including techniques, equipment, and whatnot. There are beautiful, detailed pieces of art depicting different styles of boxing gloves, and much more, which is great for someone like me who doesn’t know much about the more intricate aspects of the sport.
The development team also spoke with classic boxers (and their estates) to gain first-hand knowledge of the sport to bring a higher level of realism and create their stories, which players can enjoy in WCBM2. In story modes, you can play as more than just a random boxer. You can certainly do that, but you can also manage Sugar Ray Robinson, even before he started his career. Even if you don’t like simulation games, give it a shot and you just might find something new (and old) to enjoy.
What is IGNPlus?
IGN Plus is the paid membership program for IGN, and right now you can get a yearly membership for just $29.99, or just $4.99 per month, if you prefer to go that route. You can also try it for only $1 for 30 days.
What you get as an IGN Plus member:
- monthly game keys (Like Lil Gator Game, Kung Fury: Street Rage and more)
- Remove all ads from IGN
- Gives a 15% discount on most items in the IGN store
- Gets you a MapGenie Pro membership (for tons of game maps and collectible locations)
- Unlimited access to IGN maps and checkpoints
- & further.
Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, and more for IGN and GameSpot. You can get your dose of hijinks from him on Twitter. (@Ribnax), Delayed work (ribnax) and contraction (ribnax) or check out his fantastic video game talk show, The Platformers, at Twitch & Apple Podcasts.
