K-1 is a nice change from the wrestling and tekken type fighting games. Once you learn the technique and how to pace yourself you will be knocking out opponents in no time, but by that time you really won’t want to play this game much longer either.
Along the lines of UfC and Pride there is another promotion, K-1, which is actually quite different then the other two. K-1 has more rules, and is mostly restricted to one fighting style… kick-boxing. Fighters also wear gloves, and there is no grappling, subm…ssions. K-1 Grand Prix let’s you take control of any 20 fighters and try and become the Grand-prix champion of the world.
Graphics
The graphics in K-1 do a very nice job of representing their real-life counterpart. Everything including the arenas, crowd, ring announcer is also spot on. The moves of the fighters also look very good, the motion capture is smooth, and there is no drop off at all when performing moves and combos. With that said, some may find the graphics to be plain, as there are no flashy “power” moves, but they get the job done quite well.
Audio
The in game sounds are really well done; especially the ring announcer, who announced each fighter by name, place of birth, and weight. The sounds of the actual fight are also excellent as you can hear each kick or punch land on your opponent. The crowd gets into the fight quite nicely, getting louder as you get closer to a knockout. The music could use some work, as it is mostly generic rock music. Thankfully, the music can be turned off.
Gameplay
K-1 uses real fighting techniques and therefore you have to fight like a real fighter. You won’t win any matches by just mashing buttons. Your fighters have stamina gauges which goes down with the more energy you spend. You have to time your strikes, and look for openings. Combos are easy to pull off and you can even make up your own combos. Each fighter has his own strengths and weaknesses, which can be exposed during the match. The button layout is quite simple you have right and left punch, right and left kick, taunt and defense. Of course buttons can be combined for new moves, and special knockouts.
Replay
Once you have played through all the modes in K-1 and have beaten every opponent there won’t be much left to do. There are a few hidden fighters and some mini-games that can be unlocked, but these unlockables don’t warrant playing the game over and over again. The two-player mode is nice but only exhibition matches can be had; it would have been great to have multiplayer tournaments.
K-1 is a nice change from the wrestling and tekken type fighting games. Once you learn the technique and how to pace yourself you will be knocking out opponents in no time, but by that time you really won’t want to play this game much longer either.
Screenshots
