Rocky Super Action Boxing (ColecoVision)

If the ColecoVision had a fatal flaw, it was that many of the games released by Coleco looked beautiful but played awful. Rocky Super Action Boxing is one such game. The graphics were very well done for the time period but the game play left something to be desired.

Rocky Super Action Boxing was the first game based on a Rocky license and it was based on Rocky III. It was released exclusively for the ColecoVision in 1983 and was also compatible with the Coleco Adam. An Intellivision version was apparently planned but never released. The game lets you select either Rocky Balboa or Clubber Lang and you can play against the computer or another player. There are four difficulty levels that each correspond to a number of one-minute rounds. There is a point system in which you are rewarded points on where you hit your opponent so you can win based on points or via knockout. Moves consist of head shots, body shots, defensive moves for each, and ducking.

While the graphics look great, movement is slow and the control is relatively unresponsive. This makes it very hard to plan out attacks and defenses in any kind of remotely strategic manner so, like many poor fighting games, it devolves into a button mashing contest. Only die-hard ColecoVision or Rocky collector's should seek this one out.

If you do want to play this one the only way you can is on a ColecoVision system or via emulation. It hasn't been re-released in any form that I am aware of. While there is no direct sequel, there was another game based on the Rocky movies released in 1987 for the Sega Master System that was simply titled Rocky. It was also a very flawed game but better than this one.