K.O. Cruiser (NTSC)

NTSC and PAL60 versions

AtariAge released the game in two TV formats, and this site has both. This page runs the NTSC version, made for North American televisions and the safe choice if you are not sure. The PAL60 version was meant for European PAL televisions that can display a 60 Hz picture. The game itself is the same in both builds; they differ only in the video signal.

How to play K.O. Cruiser online

• Move forward and back: up and down arrow keys
• Move sideways, or dodge: left and right arrow keys. When your opponent has pulled his glove back to punch, left or right makes you dodge automatically.
• Left and right punch: hold Space and press the left or right arrow key
• Guard: hold Space and press the up or down arrow key
• Get up after a knockdown: tap Space as fast as you can
• Start a new game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
• Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0–9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0–9 loads it

Gameplay

Your goal is the Gold Belt. At the top of the screen a clock shows the round time, with a health bar for you and one for your opponent. Rounds last three minutes, and a match goes three rounds before the judges decide it. You can win earlier by knockout, or by technical knockout: knock your opponent down three times in one round. The same rule works against you. When you go down, the referee counts to ten. Your boxer shakes when he is close to getting back up, and if the fight has gone badly, getting up may be impossible. The bell does not save you, and you get one rematch per opponent.

The six opponents are Tomato Ken, K.C. Nova, Wally B., Rod Ickle, Russ Tick and Major Concussion. Each has a comic back story and one or two special attacks: Tomato Ken is a programmer who wrote a boxing game and now thinks he can box, and Wally B. hops around the ring before a heavy finishing blow.

There are three difficulty levels. Level 1 (Bronze) is the default. Level 2 (Silver) makes your opponents’ combinations twice as fast, and Level 3 (Gold) also makes their punches twice as strong.

Tips

• Counter-punch. Let your opponent throw first, then hit back while he recovers.
• Guard again after every block. Blocking a punch breaks your guard, so you must raise it again to stop the next one.
• Dodge the big ones. Most punches can be blocked, but some finishing blows cannot. Watch for the pulled-back glove and step aside.

The story behind K.O. Cruiser

K.O. Cruiser was Devin Cook’s first Atari 2600 homebrew. He announced it on the AtariAge forums in February 2008 The files used here are dated September 2009. AtariAge then released it as a boxed 32K cartridge, with cover art and manual layout by Nathan Strum. Each boxer gets his own intro music and animations.