Your view of Down 4 the Count will depend on what it is you’re looking for from a boxing game.

If you’re looking for a fully featured heavyweight sim then you might want to stick with the technically excellent Touch KO from Chillingo.

However, if you’re seeking something more lightweight with an arcade style to it then Down 4 the Count from Handmark might be your ideal sparring partner.

The game sets you on a career path towards becoming champion of a very crazy world.

Along the way you will come up against 10 increasingly challenging opponents with names like Banker Bob, Zed the Zombie and Cyborg 3300.

Each boxer has its own style and special skills which must be overcome to climb the next rung on the ladder.

Bouts only ever last up to three rounds, making Down 4 the Count suitable for quick blasts of boxing action while you’re on the go.

Your Local Guardian: Down 4 the Count

During bouts the emphasis is very much on fast and frenetic gameplay.

There is nothing subtle or sophisticated about it, and nothing even remotely simulation-like, but this game isn’t made to be that way, In Down 4 the Count it’s all about rapid-fire slugfests as you try to pummel your opponent before they do likewise to you.

Aside from the lack of accurate boxing physics or tactics, there are other arcade elements such as powerful ‘fire punch’ moves during which your gloves are actually on fire.

In keeping with its casual feel, controls in the game are very straightforward. A responsive package of taps and swipe gestures take care of punching, dodging and blocking. Oddly there are no tilt controls.

Your Local Guardian: Down 4 the Count

Some people will love the art style in Down 4 the Count, but it’s not for me.

The cartoony graphics are a bit cheap and tacky looking for me. I also don’t like how the boxing action only ever occupies a small proportion of the space available on the screen.

Sound in the game is very weak too.

Additionally, I find it annoying that all I see of my boxer when fighting is a floating pair of gloves.

I guess this was a design choice made after the decision to use a first-person rather than third-person perspective in the game, but the floating hands thing is just weird.

I would rather play a more realistic looking game any day, but if you’ve liked the arcade feel throughout the rest of the game then the bizarre presentation of having a boxer with no arms will sit very comfortably with you.

Your Local Guardian: Down 4 the Count

Down 4 the Count doesn’t pack enough of a punch for me to recommend it as a wholly satisfying boxing game.

However, it’s far from being the worst fighting game on the iPhone/iPod, and should you like your boxing games more comic than Queensberry then it’s still worth checking out.

Verdict: 5 out of 10 – Lacks the knockout blow (and a few other things) to get anywhere near being pugilist perfection but still fun and quirky enough to appeal to the casual gaming crowd.