Introduction
Teleroboxer was released for the Virtual Boy in August of 1995. It is the only boxing game made for the system.
Gameplay – 7/10
Like I said, this game is Punch-Out crossed with Rock’em Sock’em Robots. The game is played from a first-person point of view. You fight seven other fighters plus a secret one to become the champ. Each fighter has its own strengths, weaknesses, and fighting styles. The controls are very responsive, though your machine-gun attacks require charging and are difficult to use in a fight.
The challenge is very uneven. When you first start playing, the game seems impossibly hard (Spokong) will beat you a LOT), but once you get the hang of it, it becomes way too easy. A boxer’s fist will flash right before punching, giving you way too much warning in advance. Every fighter has a weakness that you can exploit for a very quick and easy knockout. This game is fun, but does grow old fairly quickly.
Story – 5/10
The story is original and sets up the game well. Only some of the fighters have background stories, and why they are nice, more could have been done with them.
Graphics – 10/10
The graphics in this game are excellent. All of your opponents are very detailed and being punched at from the first person perspective is a nice touch. Getting knocked out looks very cool, you almost don’t mind the fact that you lost. The starfield at the end of the game during the credits is unbelievable, some of the best 3D on the Virtual Boy.
Sound – 5/10
The sounds are okay and very forgettable. The same goes for the in-fight music. The music outside of the fights is pretty good, high-tempo and catchy.
Playing Time/Replay Value – 2/10
This is where the game falls flat on its face. This game is a lot of fun for a short while, but gets stale quickly. People who play this game fall into two categories: those who stop playing after a short time because they get frustrated by how hard it is, and those who get bored because the game is way too easy. There is a secret fighter, but with only a total of eight fighters to face, this game is really hurting for some variety.
Buy, Borrow, or Avoid? – Borrow, maybe Buy
Unless you can find a copy for under $10, I would recommend borrowing this one. It is a lot of fun, but is too short to warrant paying more than $10.
Overall Score – 6/10
This is a fun game that would have been great if it was longer.