Animal Rights Activists Won't Be Offended By This Monkey Boxing, But Fashionistas Might Be

Monkey Boxing ($2.99) by Crescent Moon Games is a head-to-head fighting game that doesn’t require a lot of skill, but does offer a lot of fashion. Get in the ring with your buddy and find out who will tap their way to the championship.

Players start off by designing their monkey’s outfit. There are dozens of colors, patterns, and accessories to choose from. Your costume changes are practically unlimited.

Once your fighter is decked out in the latest fashion, hit the mat for your first bout. Each fight pits you against a different monkey boxer as you climb to the top of the championship WMB (World Monkey Boxing) federation. The more fights you win, the more achievements you unlock, including the coveted WMB World Cup.

To begin boxing, tap the “punch” button on the right side of the screen. The faster you tap, the better chance you have of knocking your opponent out. If the other boxer gets the jump on you and starts pummeling your face, touch and hold the “block” button on the left side of the screen. This will let your boxer “put up his dukes” and protect himself from the barrage of punches.

You can disrupt your opponent’s attack by getting in a well-timed punch while you are blocking. While holding down the block button, tap the punch button. If the other fighter pulls back and gives a hearty screech, you’ve disrupted his attack and can begin your own torrent of terror.

During a match, monkeys fight in rounds. Just before the end of the first and second round, you will be able to perform a special move that may knock your opponent out. Two stars, and possibly a power up, will appear on the screen. Tap them before it is too late to trigger the special move.

The third round is the speed competition. Monkeys throw the rules out and begin what can best be described as windmill fighting. Players spin a wheel around as fast as possible in order to get their monkey to hit the fastest. A meter at the bottom of the screen shows which fighter is winning the windmill round. The fastest fighter will perform a powerful special move at the end of the round.

As you win matches, you will unlock new items in the costume shop. None of these items are based on in-app purchases. You unlock them by playing the game. Part of the fun of playing is working hard enough to unlock those Terminator sunglasses. You will also be able to train your monkey. In the Training Arena, you will have 20 seconds to punch the most, block the hardest, or windmill the fastest. When you train, it increases your monkey’s strength, speed, and endurance.

This game is a lot of fun, but it is definitely too easy. I managed to knockout every one of my opponents by the third round. This makes the game fun, but also lowers the replay value.

Speaking of value, the price seems a bit steep for a casual tapping game. However, the mobile gaming landscape is changing and many games of this caliber may only cost $0.99 to download, but will include a bunch of in-app purchases. Monkey Boxing may cost $2.99, but you’ll never be asked to purchase a panda mask or buy gems to unlock special powers. I’d rather pay my three bucks up front, and not be bombarded with IAPs once I’ve already invested time into the game.

Overall, this game is worth the price. The graphics are great and the gameplay is simple, but entertaining. The fights are easily won, which reduces the replay value, but makes you feel like a champ. The fact that there are no in-app purchases to be seen makes the price tag seem about right for what you get.