Not fast like Ready 2 Rumble, but quick enough to make dodging punches, backing away, and throwing combos much more effective. That alone opens up a whole new level of strategy. The second, it's mighty sharp-looking. Yeah, some of the characters and referees look like zombies, but for the most part they appear close to their real-life counterparts. Unfortunately the collision detection is still a little sketchy.
Some body shots appear to pass through the front of the abdomen.
Luckily, Knockout Kings 2001 falls into the right half, with gameplay firmly at the forefront of the experience. I still find the controls a little sluggish, with a minor delay between button-press and the resulting action. Visually, the game is pretty average for the PS2. It's not Madden, but it's not as bad as Live or Nascar. The sheer number of punches, combos and fighting styles is dizzying, but the graphics are not.