Fighting games have been a popular genre for as long as video games have been around. But their quality has sometimes been indifferent, to put it diplomatically. The arrival of the smartphone age has seen a general upturn in quality and in keeping the playing field reasonably level. Here, we have singled out five of our favorite boxing titles available on Android and iOS.
Real Boxing 2
It’s been around for 10 years now, but Real Boxing is still the benchmark of mobile boxing games. In case you’d somehow missed it, the revised version came out in 2015 and is closely linked to the Rocky franchise – it was released to coincide with Creed. As well as a story mode in which you can play as one of the movie characters, there is a career mode that echoes the original game but with even more functionality. If you were only to play one mobile boxing game, this would probably be it.
Boxing Star
Once you get beyond the cartoonish graphics, this is a challenging boxing game with multiple facets. Starting out as an unknown street fighter, you have a long way to go, but the sky is the limit. There is a good variety of side missions to keep the game interesting and prevent things from getting repetitive, too.
Fisticuffs
There are five or six boxing-themed slot games out there, included a couple of high-profile ones based on Mike Tyson and Rocky. But this retro-style treat from NetEnt gets the nod over any of those. It features two fighters is boxing gear that dates them to the early 20th century, but don’t let the nostalgic style take you in. The highly active wilds and range of other bonus features show this to be one of the new generation of mobile slot games that is about more than just spinning reels. It’s available on most online slots platforms. Check here for a list of the best online casino sites that are independently recommended.
World Boxing Challenge
This game is a little like a boxing version of Football Manager. It gives you the opportunity to develop your own boxer, find him the best fights and set him up as best you can for the win. Daily training will improve fitness, skill and endurance, so put in the hours and you’ll reap the benefits. There are a range of fight types to get involved in, and the more you play, the better your experience will become in learning which fights develop your fighter best. It’s a great game for the wannabee Don King, but be warned, it’s really addictive, too.
Real Steel Boxing Champions
Our last entry is a little tongue-in-cheek, but if you can’t have a bit of fun when playing a game on your mobile, when can you? This game is adapted from the 2011 movie of the same name and is equally overblown. The strangely proportioned robots make for some unique combat situations, and the whole game is a laugh a minute. Don’t miss it.