| The Final Round | |
|---|---|
The Final Round title screen |
|
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release date(s) | 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Sports/Boxing |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multi-player (2) |
The Final Round, known in Japan as Hādo Panchā - Ketsumamire no Eikō - (ハードパンチャー - 血まみれの栄光 -, "Hard Puncher - Blood Soaked Glory -") , is a boxing arcade game released by Konami in 1988.[1][2][3]
A player selects one of two different boxers, and they fight another boxer in a 3-round bout. If the player wins, he moves on to the next opponent, climbing the KBA (Konami Boxing Association) rankings along the way. If he loses, he can insert another coin for another chance (rematch). Fights can be won by either knockout, technical knockout or the judges' decision.
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When a one-player game is started, one of two different boxers can be selected by pressing the 1 or 2 player button. The player then allocates 100 points between three different skills (Speed, Power, and Stamina). A high "Speed" level makes a boxer move and punch faster. A high "Power" level makes a boxer cause more damage when punching, and a high "Stamina" level makes a boxer endure more damage and recover more energy after being knocked down. When a two-player game is started, both boxers allocate their points and fight against each other. The winner stays, while the loser may get a rematch by inserting another coin. During a normal game, a second player can buy-in and challenge at any time (except during "training sessions").
The player uses the joystick to move around the ring, as well as three buttons: face punch, body punch, and block punch. During a bout, the block punch button protects the player's fighter from enemy attacks and switches the character's guard between face and body each time it's pressed. The two punch buttons may be used alternately to pull out combinations or a special, more powerful "Super Punch".[4]
If the player is knocked down, they must shake the joystick and press the buttons repeatedly to refill a bar and get back to their feet. Failing to do so will result in a Knockout loss. If any fighter is knocked down three times in a round, a TKO (Technical Knockout) will occur. These are highlighted with a special animation of the defeated boxer crumbling to the canvas. If all 3 rounds are fought, the judges decide the winner by decision. Each opponent has his own, unique fighting style with strengths and weaknesses.
Every two bouts, players are given the choice of entering a "training session" to earn more skill points or skip these sessions entirely. The "Speed" session consists of punching green dummies appearing from 8 different positions. The "Power" session consists of punching small volleyballs tossed from both left and right, high and low. The "Stamina" session consists of jumping a spinning rod of increasing speed.
When the player defeats the World Champion, a special winning animation will play with a congratulatory message. The credits roll, and the game ends. The total fight time and final score are displayed on screen. Depending on the player's total time at the end of the game, the winning animation and message change, effectively serving as multiple endings.[5][6]
The Japanese version of the game is notably different from its American counterpart in several ways: The player's energy does not constantly drain by merely walking around the ring. The two main characters and some of the enemy boxers have been given alternate names (e.g. Gentleman Joe is called "Joe Vulcan"). Most of the voice samples have been changed from English to Japanese, and the presence of a few Easter Eggs not included in the American release. These include a flock of birds appearing in the ring at the start of a fight (damage based), an alternate head (Moai) for the referee (time based), a bonus hidden in the "Power" training session, and two different circuits (game modes) made accessible via joystick input at the beginning of a new game.
| Track # | Track name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Hard Blow (Opening Demo) | 00:25 |
| 54 | Let's Do It! (Title Demo) | 00:09 |
| 55 | Cross Counter (Coin Toss BGM) | 00:09 |
| 56 | Powermeter (Power Selection BGM) | 00:42 |
| 57 | Introduction (Player introduction BGM) | 00:10 |
| 58 | Hard Puncher (Stages 1, 5 BGM) | 01:22 |
| 59 | You Can't Get Him (Continue) | 00:43 |
| 60 | Kill Him (Stages 2, 4, 6 BGM) | 01:20 |
| 61 | Power Up (Training BGM) | 00:49 |
| 62 | Don't Quail (Stages 3, 7 BGM) | 01:12 |
| 63 | Judgement (Decision BGM) | 00:08 |
| 64 | Lost Game (Game Over) | 00:07 |
| 65 | Ranking (Ranking BGM) | 00:43 |
| 66 | The Final Round (Stage 8 BGM) | 01:10 |
| 67 | You Got Him (Winner BGM) | 00:11 |
| 68 | You Are Perfect! (Ending BGM) | 01:55 |
