Sierra Championship Boxing is another foray into the realm of computerized sports simulation. Traveling in the footsteps of the classic Olympic Decathalon and Micro-League Baseball, Sierra has designed an easily playable and enjoyable game.
The game very carefully maintains the exciting air of a Boxing match, from "The Tale of the Tape," a description of the boxers' characteristics, to the ring itself where the boxers pile blows on each other. The animation is excellent, screen refresh rates are fast even by Macintosh standards, and the image masking is well executed.
Though the game is quite exciting, it would quickly become boring if you didn’t have control over the boxers' play. Championship Boxing allows control over the boxers in three ways. For the stout of finger, there is "Arcade Mode." (Apologies to Fowler.) Arcade mode lets you control each move that your boxer makes, from uppercuts to cowering. It is the only real way to have complete control over the player. Admittedly, I am a klutz when it comes to arcade games, and my heavyweight boxer was willing to lose to any lightweight. This brings to mind an old maxim: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." Sierra has accomodated "The rest of us" with a coaching mode. You can
tell you fighter to go for the kill, or to hang loose and wait for the opponent to tire. Playing this mode I had better luck 25% wins against the computer-controlled opponents. Okay, so I'm not a good coach. That leaves the final hope for revenge: The Training Room. The Training Room is my favorite part of the game. You can almost smell the sweat (Oh, never mind. That's my laundry basket sitting next to the Mac.) Here you can add to Sierra's already impressive stable of fighters, past and present, by answering a series of questions on your new fighter’s career. I created a "super fighter." Rum Wertaw was a superfighter. With totally outrageous characteristics, he knocked out Rocky Marciano with one punch. I also added a few local fighters who aren't on the list, and enjoyed them getting creamed. One match between Hulk Hogan (a creation of mine constructed from Wrestling Today articles) and Cassius Clay had interesting results....
If you like sports simulation games, you'll find this game right up your alley. Some others will enjoy creating their own boxers. Highly recommended, but not for the squeamish or morally disinclined, not anyone who would read anything I’ve written, I'm sure.
Bollar, Richard. (April 1986). Sierra Championship Boxing: A Review. Washington Apple Pi Journal. (pg. 22).