K-1 World Grand Prix released
by Jolex Del Pilar

Thursday, July 10, 2003

One of Japan's most popular sports comes to the PS2.

Konami of America announced today that K-1 World Grand Prix (K-1 WGP) for the Sony PlayStation 2 has shipped to retail outlets nationwide.

K-1 is the world's premiere fighting sport that combines various martial arts including Karate, Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu. Konami's new videogame, K-1 WGP, merges the tactical aspects of boxing with the brutality of sport fighting, and is the only stand-up mixed martial arts game available in North America.

"With K-1 World Grand Prix we accurately captured the power, strategy and speed of the real life sport resulting in a truly fun fighting game," said Justin Kubiak, product manager, Konami of America, Inc. "Fans of fighting games and K-1 alike will appreciate what K-1 WGP has to offer."

The videogame, K-1 WGP, includes detailed representations of more than 20 of the top K-1 fighters from around the globe, including actual skin and face textures for ultra-realism. Additionally, each opponent was individually motion captured so that every on-screen punch, kick and taunt is authentic - right down to the fighters' own signature attacks.

A unique, three-tiered stamina system adds depth to the gameplay and allows for more strategic use of tactics. Gamers can take advantage of the location-specific damage feature to disable an opponent and decide where to focus the healing of their own fighter between rounds. Fighter models even display the damage they have taken, enhancing the true-to-life qualities of the game.

K-1 WGP's seven distinct modes provide an unprecedented experience for the fighting game genre. The ultimate prize can be won through Grand Prix Mode, where gamers fight their way through challenge matches on their way to entering the top tournament in K-1, the World Grand Prix. Revival Mode places competitors in the ring for some of the sport's most memorable matches, where a well-played win will reward the gamer with a clip of the actual fight!

K-1 WGP is rated T for Teen and is available for the MSRP of $39.99. Visit http://www.konami.com/k-1/ to learn more about K-1 WGP

--- Jolex Del Pilar