Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting!

Released in 2002, Treasure’s second GBA title Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting is based on the Hajime no Ippo manga written and illustrated by George Morikawa. Rather than turning it into an action-adventure game, Treasure chose to focus on the boxing aspect. It’s a straightforward one-on-one fighter that borrows a few pages from Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! titles, and the action takes place in a first-person view instead of third-person as with the PS2 and PSP Hajime no Ippo titles. Like many Treasure games, the characters boast detailed pixel artwork and top-shelf animation, staying true to the source material while also injecting the company’s unique mechanics and creativity. This Hajime no Ippo game wasn’t released outside Japan, but an English fan translation is available to check out.