Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!

About

Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting! is a third-person boxing game built around the popular anime/manga series. Play as Ippo or other fighters in single-player or head-to-head multiplayer. The story mode follows the series’ arc but adds flexibility with its Best Match Mode. This feature lets you reroute key matches, like letting Ippo bypass a loss to Date Eiji, to create new paths toward a championship title. The game includes both canonical and original matchups such as Miyata vs. Itagaki, though some characters are notably absent despite their role in the source material. The game’s standout is its narrative experimentation. By skipping fights like Ippo’s bout with Ponchai Chuwatana, it opens alternate routes that diverge from the manga’s established timeline. While the PS3-exclusive release in 2014 feels dated now, the inclusion of later characters like Sawamura Ryuuhei suggests it covers a wide span of the series’ lore. Players who want to test different fight outcomes without prior knowledge of the story will find it accessible, though longtime fans may notice inconsistencies.

Storyline

In the Japanese gameplay trailer the newest character shown is Sawamura Ryuuhei, which indicates the story may cover up to Volume 55, though it also hints at a Mashiba vs. Sawamura match from Volume 72-74. It features a "Best Match Mode" which enables alternate timelines; if Ippo defeats Date Eiji in this mode, he can become the champion sooner and challenge other boxers than he would have in the manga. Other non-canon matches include Miyata vs. Itagaki and Sawamura vs. Sendou. The trailer shows Ippo skipping his match with Ponchai Chuwatana in Best Match Mode, suggesting that certain characters will not appear despite the storyline requiring them.