Big Shot Boxing is a retro-style boxing game where you start as a rookie and fight your way to becoming a champion. The pixel art graphics give it an old-school arcade feel, but the gameplay has enough depth to keep you hooked. It’s simple to pick up, hard to master, and surprisingly strategic once you get into it.
The game was created by Colin Lane and released in December 2017. It uses a four-button control system — jab, cross, uppercut, and block. That’s it. No complicated combos to memorise or buttons to mash. Every punch matters, and timing is everything. Land your shots at the right moment and you’ll stun your opponent. Miss your timing and you’ll leave yourself wide open.
Career Mode is where the real action happens. You pick a fighter, start at the bottom of the rankings, and work your way up through tougher opponents. Wins earn you coins that you can spend on upgrades like Health, Power, Chin, and Recovery. Each stat affects how you perform in the ring, so choosing where to invest matters.
There’s also an aging system that adds pressure. Your boxer gets older as you progress through fights — roughly one year for every three bouts. If you don’t climb the ranks fast enough, your stats start declining before you ever get a shot at the title. It forces you to be smart about which fights you take and when.
Quick Match mode lets you jump into random fights without affecting your career. It’s great for practising combos and getting your timing down before going back to the main grind.
How To Play Big Shot Boxing
The controls are simple. Use the arrow keys to throw punches — left arrow for a cross, right arrow for a jab. Press X for an uppercut and Z to block. That’s the whole control scheme.
Jabs are fast and help you control distance. Crosses are slower but hit harder. Uppercuts deal the most damage but leave you vulnerable if you miss. Blocking lets you absorb hits, and timing a block right before a punch lands sets you up for a counter.
Movement happens automatically based on your punches. Throwing a jab moves you forward, so you’re constantly positioning yourself through offence. You can’t just stand still and trade blows — you need to mix things up and find openings.
When you knock your opponent down, they get a countdown to recover. Same goes for you if you get dropped — tap quickly to fill your recovery meter and get back on your feet before the ref counts you out.
Matches are four one-minute rounds scored on a 10-point system. Win by knockout or by decision if it goes the distance. Upgrade your stats wisely, time your punches well, and you might just make it to the Hall of Fame.