Pacquiao is a martial arts hero in an iOS game
Fans of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao may have been ramping up the clamor for him to take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the ring, but it seems the “Pambansang Kamao” is busy with other things – toughing it up with natives in search of a kidnapped “friend” and exemplifying his gung-ho martial arts skills.
That is the case, at least, in the storyline of Manny Pacquiao: Pound for Pound Vol. 1, a game developed by Karkaddan Games, a subsidiary of Middle East-based Abu Dhabi Media, for the iOS platform.
In the 3D-rendered game, Pacquiao takes off his boxing gloves and fights opponents mano a manostyle as he navigates through various scenarios to rescue a woman named Maricel, whose relation to him was not disclosed (at least in the early part of the game).
The game is currently available as a universal app for the iOS platform (meaning it can be downloaded and played on the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad) for $2.99 or roughly P130. The developer said versions for Android and Facebook are underway.
Players would have to spend the time fighting minions, mini-bosses and bosses using swipe movements on the screen to unleash various kinds of combos from the world-renowned boxer. Buttons to block opponents’ attacks or dodge them altogether are also available.
Once an opponent is beaten, skills and points would be awarded to the player; the latter could be used to buy customizations for Pacquiao that include options for his Chinese-inspired gloves, his overall costume and his slippers, which tend to affect his strength and stamina during the game.
Despite the game being named after Pacquiao, however, there seems to be very little similarity of the in-game Pacquiao to the real-life Pound for Pound King, save for his swift moves and uncannily lifelike appearance.
The storyline also explores little about Pacquiao except for his world-renowned fighting skills. The game looks set in a rural village in remote Vietnam, but the action scenes resemble Hong Kong’s traditional streets or even New York’s downtown alleys.
While the game offers a lot of customization and a variety of opponents to deal with, the whole thing tends to be repetitive after one gets over the initial curiosity about how the gameplay and the story goes. Frankly, there’s very little satisfaction to be had with casual swiping unless there’s fruit or vegetables involved.
Nevertheless, the game makes good on its promise of “artistically vivid environments” as careful attention seems to have been devoted to fine-tuning the details of the look and feel of the game. The scoring is also something to be raved about, as it sets the right mood for the classic jab and punch knock-off, but this comes at the expense of the fight sound effects, or the patent lack of it.
It was not revealed if the game had Pacquiao’s blessing, although we’d imagine it as a good way for the boxing champ to extend his brand internationally and across a new set of demographic.
Karkadann Games also did not reveal if the second installment of the game would still feature Pacquiao, or another pound for pound fighter. Mayweather, perhaps?
