1988 · Konami · Arcade · Boxing

The Final Round

Nintendo console exclusive

Boxing Game. You play the role of Jabbin Jim who fights his way through different opponnents each tougher than the last. Some of the opponents are recognisable from the Rocky movies. Your boxer has three attributes: strength, speed, and staminia, and these all contribute to his overall power rating. The attributes can be improved by taking part in mini games between the rounds.

Released: 1988
Platforms: Arcade Nintendo Switch
Genres: Arcade Boxing Fighting Sports
Developers: Konami
Publishers: Konami Hamster Corporation
Modes: Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Themes: Action
Country: Japan
Composers: Motoaki Furukawa

About

The Final Round, released in Japan as Hard Puncher, is a 1988 boxing video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was released in Japan in December 1988 and in North America in January 1989. Hamster Corporation released the game as part of their Arcade Archives series for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in August 2024.

Keywords

boxing

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

When a one-player game is started, one of two different boxers can be selected by pressing the one or two 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").

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed The Final Round on their February 1, 1989 issue as being the fifth most-successful table arcade unit of the month. A review in The Games Machine described The Final Round as "nothing out of the ordinary" and "despite its title, by no means the definitive boxing game" but still praised the game's graphics.