Warwickshire, England, UK - International game developer and publisher Codemasters will ship a realistic boxing simulation game for the PlayStation gaming console based on one of the most recognizable sports figures of all time. Heavyweight contender and former champ Mike Tyson has lent his name to the upcoming title "Mike Tyson Boxing" due in the North American market in May 2000 (SRP $39.99).
The game will include many features that promise a variety of modes of play, including a career management and training mode, as well as a highly advanced character animation system. Its unique physics-based fight engine allows much greater freedom of movement in the ring than has been found in previous boxing games, developers say. Its viewpoint and scoring system is specially designed to mimic the actual punishing physical effects of boxing.
Some 90 boxers, including Tyson, are found in the game, in three different weight classes. Twenty-four of the fighters can be controlled by the player directly, playing in any of four different play modes: Versus, Showcase, Career and Practice.
In the Versus and Showcase modes, 16 international boxers are featured, each having his own unique personality and fighting style. (Eight are immediately available to the player; an additional eight are unlocked as the player progresses.)
Each boxer has an arsenal of 12 different punches which can be thrown in combination via free-form combination attack system that allows players to find their own favorite modes of attack.
Tyson will fight next in the United Kingdom, coincidentally where Codemasters is based. The January 29 bout in Manchester, England will pit Tyson against Julius Francis in the former champ's first fight in Great Britain. Representatives of the Tyson camp fully expect the Francis bout to be a stepping-stone toward the inevitable regaining of the heavyweight crown. Only days before the fight, local oddsmakers already were putting Tyson as the 100 - 1 favorite over the British champion.
