Have you ever come across an arcade boxing machine?
It’s very simplistic. There are no analog sticks or directional buttons. There is simply a small punching bag that folds in and out; you hit it with as much power as you can muster, and a score appears on the screen. That’s the entire game. There is a compelling element to such simplicity, so it’s unsurprising that a crowd was gathered around the machine when I strolled around the WASD game event recently in London. I was at WASD to interview Ash Habib, the founder of Steel City Interactive, about his new game, Undisputed, the most promising traditional boxing game since EA’s Fight Night Champion.
UndisputedPublisher: Steel City InteractiveDeveloper: Steel City InteractivePlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out now on PC in Early Access, with console versions planned
People may have been excited over the boxing machine – and indeed, I gave it a try too, which unfortunately sent my glasses flying out of my front pocket – but actual boxing represents much more than the simplicity of hitting something as hard as possible. It requires far more strategy, footwork, polished skill, and timing, along with various other elements. Undisputed (which is now in early access via PC, with console versions planned) is trying to capture much of this complexity and break new ground in the realm of boxing games.
Ash Habib’s interest in boxing started much like mine did: Muhammad Ali. He grew up hearing about the famous heavyweight, and his first real memory of boxing was his parents showing him interviews of Ali. (He also mentions his eldest brother Asif as an influence.) But, he adds, “the real actual catalyst” was from Sheffield – Prince Naseem Hamed, the gifted and theatrical featherweight champion of the 90s. It’s no coincidence that Habib himself grew up in Sheffield. “Just kind of seeing how [Naseem] went from nothing to almost changing the face of boxing, that was a bit of an eye opener just in terms of entertainment.”