''By Fair Means or Foul'' (later also released as ''Pro Boxing Simulator'') is a

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

first published for a range of

8-bit In computer architecture, 8-bit integers or other data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers or data buses of ...

home computers in 1988 by

Superior Software Superior Software Ltd (also known as Superior Interactive) is a video game publisher. It was one of the main publishers for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron computers in the 1980s and early 1990s. It currently releases games for Microsoft Window ...

. It was later reissued with the new title by

Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Octo ...

who also published conversions for

16-bit 16-bit microcomputers are microcomputers that use 16-bit microprocessors. A 16-bit register can store 216 different values. The range of integer values that can be stored in 16 bits depends on the integer representation used. With the two mos ...

computers. The game offers a variety of boxing moves including fouls. The game received mixed reviews.

Gameplay

The game can be played either as a

two-player A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...

versus game or

single-player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. A single-player game is usually a game that can only be played by one person, while "single-player mode" is usuall ...

against the computer. The objective of the one player game is to attempt to become the World Champion by defeating six opponents. The opponents become progressively more difficult to beat. The player can then continue to defend their title against difficult opponents. The game features a wide range of moves including fair moves (punches, jabs, uppercuts) and foul moves (kicks, knees, head butts, groin punches) as well as blocks and dodging moves. Foul moves can be made when the referee is not looking but lead to a loss of 'chance' (or life) if seen. Indicators on screen let the player know when the referee is likely to notice foul moves. Successful hits reduce the opponent's energy bar. When the energy bar reaches zero, the player is knocked out but this just ends the round. The player with the lowest energy at the end of the round loses a 'chance'. As the game is played, members of the audience make comments which are shown on screen as speech bubbles.

Development and release

The game was originally developed by Michael and Terry Simpson for the

BBC Micro The British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, is a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers in the 1980s for the BBC Computer Literacy Project. Designed with an empha ...

and

Acorn Electron The Acorn Electron (nicknamed the Elk inside Acorn and beyond) was a lower-cost alternative to the BBC Micro educational/home computer, also developed by Acorn Computers Ltd, to provide many of the features of that more expensive machine at a p ...

. The game was converted to Commodore 64,

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the S ...

and

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...

and launched simultaneously by Superior Software in 1988.Press advertisement
Crash, Issue 58, November 1988 The BBC and Electron versions were released under the joint Superior/

Acornsoft Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, it also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and u ...

name while the other versions were released under the Superior/

Alligata Alligata Software Ltd. was a computer games developer and publisher based in Sheffield in the UK in the 1980s. The company was founded by brothers Mike and Tim Mahony and their father J.R. Mahony in 1983. They produced games for a number of hom ...

name. All versions were released on

cassette Cassette may refer to: Technology * Cassette tape (or ''musicassette'', ''audio cassette'', ''cassette tape'', or ''tape''), a worldwide standard for analog audio recording and playback ** Cassette single (or "Cassingle"), a music single in th ...

with all versions except the Electron also released on

floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, or a diskette) is an obsolescent type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined ...

. The game was then released as a budget title by Codemasters in 1990 under the new title ''Pro Boxing Simulator'' (to fit with its long-running series). Controversially, this version had the words "New Release" on the cassette cover which led to complaints when people bought the game not realising it was the same as ''By Fair Means or Foul''. Codemasters then reissued the game with the "New Release" box changed to "Previously known as 'Fair Means or Foul'" and offered to refund anyone who had bought both versions of the game."Fair or Foul?"
Crash, Issue 82, Pages 18-19, November 1990 Codemasters also converted the game to

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore International, Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and sign ...

and Atari ST and these versions were released in 1991.''Pro Boxing Simulator''
at Atari Mania''Pro Boxing Simulator''
at Hall of Light

Reception

Reviews were mixed. ''

Electron User ''Electron User'' was a magazine targeted at owners of the Acorn Electron microcomputer. It was published by Database Publications of Stockport, starting in October 1983 and ending after 82 issues in July 1990. Initially it was included as a 1 ...

'' awarded the game 8/10, praising the fact it approaches boxing from a "different direction"."It's A Knockout"
Electron User, Issue 6.4, January 1989 ''

Amstrad Action ''Amstrad Action'' was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console. It was the first magazine published by Chris Anderson's Future Publi ...

'' gave a score of 83%.''By Fair Means or Foul'' review
, Amstrad Action, Issue 38 ''

Sinclair User ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was pub ...

'' gave a generally positive review picking out good points including "the wide variety of fighting moves, the decent sound effects and music, the comments from the crowd and the ref" but said the game was not "smooth or novel enough to make you scream with joy" awarding an overall score of 68%.''By Fair Means or Foul'' review
Sinclair User, Issue 81, December 1988 ''

Zzap!64 ''Zzap!64'' was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 (C64). It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact. The magazi ...

'' said the game "can't be faulted" as a boxing simulation but cited the "badly drawn" and "blocky" graphics, giving a score of 66%.''By Fair Means or Foul'' review
Zzap!64, Issue 45, January 1989 ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History Th ...

'' gave the game an overall score of 6/10 but complained of "poor graphics, unwieldy control, and painful speed".''By Fair Means or Foul'' review
Your Sinclair, Issue 37, January 1989 ''

Amiga Force ''Amiga Force'' was a video games magazine launched towards the end of 1992 by Europress Impact. It lasted for 16 issues before being closed by its publishers. The first issue of ''Amiga Force'' went on sale around September 1992. The magazine wou ...

'' gave a score of 58% in a Codemasters retrospective in 1994, labelling the game "engaging".''Pro Boxing Simulator'' review
Amiga Force, Issue 16, March 1994 ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...

'' (testing the Amstrad version) gave a score of only 36%, again criticising the "blocky" and "sparse" graphics but also only giving a score of 2/5 for playability.''By Fair Means or Foul'' review
C+VG, Issue 86, December 1988

References

{{Superior Software 1988 video games Alligata games Amiga games Amstrad CPC games Atari ST games BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games Boxing video games Codemasters games Commodore 64 games Multiplayer and single-player video games Superior Software games Video games developed in the United Kingdom ZX Spectrum games Acornsoft games