Hajime no Ippo : The Fighting!

Game Overview
Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! came out on Game Boy Advance in 2003, published by Atari. It was part of that wave of licensed anime games that tried to capture the feel of the source material, and it landed during a time when the GBA was full of solid, portable fighters. You step into the worn-down boxing gloves of Ippo Makunouchi, following his journey from a bullied kid to a professional fighter.You control Ippo through a series of boxing matches, managing his movement, punches, and defensive maneuvers. The main objective is to climb the ranks by defeating opponents, each with their own style and patterns. Key mechanics include building your spirit gauge to unleash special moves like the Dempsey Roll, and carefully balancing your offense with blocks and dodges to avoid draining stamina too quickly. The pacing is deliberate, fights can be tense and methodical rather than frantic, with a difficulty that pushes you to learn timing and patterns. It feels like a real test of patience and skill when everything clicks and you land that perfect counter.