Ring King (Arcade)

Ring King
Also known as: King of Boxer (JP/EU) Developer: Jastec Publishers: Woodplace (JP/EU), Data East (US) Platform: Arcade (custom) Released in JP: June 1985 Released in US: December 1985 Released in EU: 1985 This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences.

One of the earliest (also one of the most comical) boxing games, which became (though unintentionally) an extreme success in the arcades and got an expanded NES port.

Regional Differences

Four versions of the arcade were released:

• kingofbj is the original Japanese version of the game. Released in 1985 by Woodplace.
• kingofb is the European version (although MAME reads it as the World version). While the text is translated into English, the game plays the same as the original Japanese version.
• ringkingw is supposed to be an earlier North American version released by Woodplace itself. Apart the title change and some minor text changes, everything is the same as the European version.

Title Screen

King of Boxer	Ring King

The only difference of the title screen is the name change.

Pre-Fight Cutscene

Japan	Europe	US

The Japanese AWB Jr. Welterweight was simply translated as Middle Weight Class for the international releases. Also Ring King changes the player's location from Japan to USA and retranslates some text to make it more accurate: Trial became Fights, Win become Wins, Lost become Losses, and KO become KO's.

High Score Table

King of Boxer	Ring King

King of Boxer has actual names written in the high score table (possibly Staff Members) and allows 10 characters. Ring King instead has random objects and animals written in the high score table and allows 3 characters.

Revisional Differences

ringking is the North American version released by Data East. Compared to the other three versions, this version has some differences in the gameplay.

Title Screen

US (earlier)	US (later)

Apart the tile screen is the same, the later US version changes the copyright from Woodplace Inc. to Data East USA, Inc.

2 Players Mode

King of Boxer/Ring King (earlier)	Ring King (later)

In King of Boxer and the earlier version of Ring King, two players can play the game by alternating with each other. In the later version of Ring King, the game offers a new versus mode where two players can play together in a new Best of 3 match. Because of this, some small things present in King of Boxer are cut in Ring King (Data East).

Player Start

King of Boxer and Ring King (earlier) shows a simple black screen where is written, PLAYER # START, whenever you start the game and win a match. Ring King (later) remove this since the alternating 2P mode was replaced with the new versus 2P mode.

Matches Order

The later version of Ring King, Blue Warker and Violence Jo switch places making the entry level fighter (Blue Warker) the champion and viceversa.

Game Over

King of Boxer/Ring King (earlier)	Ring King (later)

Whenever you lose a match in King of Boxer and earlier version of Ring King, the game over screen specify which player has lost along with the GAME OVER tagline. This wasn't the case anymore in the later version of Ring King, since the 2 players alternating mode was replaced with the 2 player versus mode leaving only the GAME OVER tagline when you lose. Also in King of Boxer and Ring King (earlier) the ring will be centred, while in Ring King (later) will remain in the same spot where you lose.

Continue?

For some reason, the continue countdown starts at 7 seconds in the later version of Ring King, compared to its former releases which starts at 10 seconds.