Real Boxing Vita Preview

Real Boxing is a great pick-up-and-play boxing game for the Vita. Originally an iOS title, its popularity has led to a nice Vita port, taking out the in-app purchases and adding new features along the way.

At heart, it’s very much a casual boxing sim with some great graphic touches. Blood spurts in clouds from solid blows to the face while cuts and bruises will appear if you fail to block those headshots. However, the Vita version has far more depth than the iOS version. You can now control your boxer’s footwork, adding an extra tactical layer to your matches.

It’s no longer about trading uppercuts and body blows – you can retreat to regain your stamina and dodge to open up counter blows. Grab a tired opponent for a clinch minigame where you rotate the Vita left and right to maintain your grip, and a stamina bar to determine the strength of your punches. There’s also a new simple combo system – connect three punches in a row and you can break your opponent’s block.

Fans of the iOS game can switch off the extra Vita features and just trade punches in quick matches. Handy if you’re one a bus and don’t want to get involved in all that gyroscopic motion.

Local wireless and wifi access lets you challenges your friends to multiplayer matches. Train up in the gym and take your boxer through the career mode to improve skills like grappling or strength. Spend your winnings on customisation options like tattoos and clothings. It’s the perfect casual commuter game – heavily-muscled men pounding on each other until the blood sprays. Yes.

Real Boxing will be out on PS Vita in August. The iOS version is available now.