New York, NY, USA - Heavyweight boxing has long been seen as one of the most exciting spectacles to either watch in real-time or play in a game. Let's rank some of the best heavyweight boxing video games, starting with classic arcade, all the way to modern console and PC games.

An Overview of a Heavyweight Boxing Game

A game featuring the top heavyweights focuses on boxing overall but mainly feature boxers in the heavyweight division. Heavyweight Boxing is defined by boxers over 200 pounds (or 91 kg) and you'll get to play as some of the most skilled heavyweights in the long history of boxing.

Heavyweight legends like Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, and Muhammad Ali and so many more are featured in boxing video games. These games aim to simulate the experience of a real boxing match and draw you in with all of the excitement of playing as the fighter you choose and choosing your opponent.

Here’s what makes these games so exciting:

• Realistic gameplay is an key part of what makes a boxing video game successful. Everyone playing wants to simulate moves and techniques from real-life boxing and without that the game would be completely unrealistic.

• Popular heavyweight boxing legends are what everyone wants to find in the character selection. Stepping into the shoes of Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson and facing off with other popular legends is what draws players into playing more and more.

• The in-game features are also key to our ranking. Playing a single arcade-based mode without being able to advance your career as a top heavyweight or join online matches would turn-off for most.

Now that you know how our rankings work, let's check out some of the best boxing video games!

What are the Best Boxing Video Games?

Note: We'll start from the oldest and work our way forward.

1. Punch-Out!! (1987) - NES

Our list starts with perhaps one of the oldest heavyweight boxing games out there. To play, you'll need a Nintendo Entertainment System, or “NES” for short, to simulate this 8-bit adaptation.

It features a young boxer going by the name Little Max who fights his way up through the ranks of the WVBA (World Video Boxing Association.) Throughout his career, you'll face 14 opponents in the following order:

• Three opponents in the Minor Circuit.
• Four opponents in the Major Circuit.
• Six opponents in the World Circuit.

You'll also be facing Mike Tyson or Mr. Dream depending on your career choices. You'll have the ability to customize your boxer from head to toe and engage in exciting heavyweight match-ups.

2. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing (1999) - PS, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast

Ready 2 Rumble 2 is playable on the first PlayStation version, a Nintendo 64, or on a Dreamcast. “Fight Night Champion” has taken the series to a whole new level with its “Champion Mode” story, which was something new for boxing games at the time.

The game was developed by Midway Studios San Diego and published in September 1999. The game features plenty of characters with varied appearances and personalities but unlike the previous Punch-Out!! game, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, is fully 3D. Additionally, you'll be able to choose your boxer.

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3. Fight Night Round 4 (2009) - PS3, Xbox 360

The fourth adaption of the Fight Night Round franchise is often seen as the pinnacle of boxing video games, featuring realistic physics and much more detailed boxers. Unlike arcade boxing games, Fight Night Round 4 is playable on the brand-new consoles at that time, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

The deep roster of boxers featured in the game include legendary fighters, such as Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. The accelerated developments in the game’s system have realistically improved the in-game physics and the accuracy of movement, punches and defence.

‍4. Fight Night Champion (2011) - PS3, Xbox 360

With the rapid evolution of heavyweight boxing over the next decade, Fight Night Champion hit the market in early 2011. The game without a doubt has been a solid selection, particularly on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360.

It has refined controls and physics, overtaking its predecessors and becoming one of the best overall boxing games of its time.

Conclusion:

We believe there’s much more to be expected from boxing video games in terms of gameplay and technique improvement. Nonetheless, we cannot deny that early NES boxing video games were ultimately ahead of their time and had features that other video games at that time just didn't have.