Like I said before, I don’t think Don King Boxing would be a good game and I was right. Don King teaming up with 2K Sports churned out a game that I would want to play. The storyline is interesting but boxing on the Wii is still a bad concept. Technology-wise, the Wii isn’t capable yet of exciting boxing action. Maybe the gameplay would improve once Wii MotionPlus is available.

Some have thought the Don King Boxing will be the game that dethrones Wii Sports’ Boxing but it still lacks the precision controls. Punches don’t go where you want them to go. Even after an hour or two of playing it, I had a hard time hitting uppercuts. The only difference it has with Wii Sports’ Boxing is that it incorporates the Wii Balance Board into its gameplay.

The story mode lets you play as The Kid as he begins his journey towards boxing supremacy. What I like about this mode is that it features real footage in telling the story. There are clips in between fights where boxers and managers talk about The Kid and how his career is rising. To unlock big purse fight, you have to meet certain conditions, such as winning by KO in a given round or get the judges decide the match to your side. The cinematics is great but the in game graphics still have to make do with what Wii has to offer.

Controls during the match need improvement. You can execute jabs, hooks and uppercuts by moving the Wiimote to hit high punches. For its low alternative, you need to press the Z and B buttons. Like I said a while back, doing an uppercut is next to impossible. Maybe I’m doing it wrong but I simply can’t make my character do it. If you’re knocked down, you have to shake your controller to stand. There are times that no matter how I franticly move the Wiimote, there’s no response. I like how you can use the balance board to make your character bring his guard up.

There’s also a Training Mode that’s inspired by the Wii Fit. You can use the balance board and Wiimote to move, punch the boxing bags, and other routines that boxers usually do. You will earn fitness points during this session. But if you like to have some really workout then stick to Wii Fit.

Boxing is a very artful sport. It is not called the Kings’ sport for nothing. Don King Boxing has some pretty good ideas but the execution is lacking. The fights are simple but overall the game has a couple of things that need to be polished. I still hope that Punch Out! for the Wii is better than this.