Retro Game Review: Evander Holyfield's "Real Deal" Boxing

Screenshot snagged online. Long before "Eargate," Evander Holyfield was the man, and his game was 1,000 times better than the other guy who beat Tyson's video game.

Platform: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive

Released: 1992

Developer: ACME Interactive

Background: Before Knockout Kings came around, this was my all-time favorite boxing video game. So, I guess you can say it's my favorite retro boxing game. In the infancy of the Genesis/Mega Drive, boxing games were scarce, the most notably of the early titles being James "Buster" Douglas Knockout Boxing, a really bad game from all aspects (the fighters are so ripped, I'm surprised they could actually move!). Enter the "Real Deal," a game that was fun and ahead of its time from some aspects. While Evander himself is the only real fighter in the game, you have the option of creating your own fighter to lead through a 40-fight career. I used to create a guy who looked like Rocky Balboa because I thought the idea of Sly taking on Holyfield would be awesome... Give me a break, I was still young then.

Graphics: 5/5

Remember I said this game was ahead of its time? While the camera during fights always gives you a 2D perspective, the ring and crowd is in 3D. Fighters actually look like humans, you know, proportional and stuff and not overly ripped (Can you say 'roid rage?). The spectators actually have faces, and the ring girl between rounds looks like the redhead from the B-52's ("Rock Lobster," anyone?). Overall, ACME did a fantastic job with the visuals.

Sound: 3/5

First, the negative sell: Some of the music is cheese, and after a while you get tired of the gurgling sound a fighter makes when they get hit, since it never changes. But the game's speech isn't half-bad, and by pressing the A,B and C buttons together at once makes your fighter taunt your opponent by saying "Come out and fight, you wimp," which was usually followed by you getting pummeled, especially by higher-ranked fighters.

Controls: 2.5/5

The punch buttons are A and C, with a stop at B for blocking. And which direction you press on the D-pad decides what kind of punch you throw. Moving toward and away from your opponent can be slow at times, especially if you haven't acquired many speed points yet.

Gameplay: 4/5

This is about the closest thing you'll get to real boxing as far as retro video games go. The fighters aren't too cartoony and they do move around the ring 360 degrees. You can see where you're positioned by looking at the overhead cam at the top of the screen. There's also cuts, blood and TKO's for beating your opponent into submission even though they won't fall down. And with so many fighters to face and just 40 fights to beat Holyfield's $50 million mark, you won't want to stop playing any time soon. But truth be told, this game is even better when beating the tar out of a friend in two-player mode.

Overall: 3.625/5

This game is fun all-around, but it's the most fun with a friend. That is, even though you might not be speaking after beating each other to a bloody pulp. I spent countless hours playing this game, and it's still today one of my favorite Genesis/Mega Drive titles. If you don't have this one, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy if you stumble upon one.