With the iPhone’s touch screen capabilities, punching opponents in the face can be a lot of fun. It’s hardly untested waters either, with many variously priced applications allowing users to casually poke and prod their opposites all over the ring. As with the console formats, developers need to decide early if they want to go for the comedic route (anyone who has played FaceFighter will understand this), or opt for a slower paced simulation. Oddly, Touch KO strikes an accidental balance right down the middle, mixing strategic combat and an excellent control system with a fistful of in-ring mishaps.

It won’t take you long to acknowledge which of the aforementioned routes Adam and Matt Metchley (the game’s designers), were looking to follow. Touch KO has been heavily influenced by the Fight Night series, and is better for it. From the awfully generic hip-hop track that rattles away on the menu screen, to the graffiti style text and background, everything here blends together to make an unashamedly urban mood for fight fans. It’ll feel familiar, and despite all these elements being overused and boring on their own, the slick presentation works well as a whole. With two options available, it won’t be long before you’re donning your mini-gloves and heading into a one off bout or rags to riches career journey.

The former of these modes is essentially a quick play option, launching you into a brawl as hastily as possible. The latter however, is where the meat of the package shows itself, as you face the challenge of rising through the amateur ranks and into a professional career. The professional belt stands as the top prize, and unfortunately, there is little challenge stopping you from strolling right in, flicking the champion in the eye and walking out with the gold.

By far Touch KO’s biggest success is its ease to pick up and play. Controls are superb, with either glove being represented on either side of your boxer. Drop your right finger, and your fighter’s right glove will wallow towards his chest. Raise them both, and he will guard cautiously. You’ll need to master three different directional movements in order to pull of the jabs, hooks and uppercuts needed to be successful. Prod quickly and you will move forward with a jab. Sweep either left or right and a hook will be unleashed to the temple of your opponent. Move your finger heavily towards the top of the screen and you’ll launch the most powerful punch in the form of an uppercut. It’s brilliantly simple, as you’ll need to produce combinations of these movements in order to despatch your opponent.

Despite this well thought out control scheme, Touch KO begins to suffer with some laughable problems after only moments in the ring. Firstly, your ability to lean (by tipping the iPhone the way you wish) is not needed. Even in the toughest career fight, I mockingly stood tall, never opting to bob my fighter’s head from side to side, as my opponents failed to put me in significant danger that I couldn’t capitalise on. They simply don’t throw enough punches, and always retreat to a similar pattern of trying once, raising their glove for protection, and then dropping them so players can get a quick hook or combination in. To add to this, you never have to worry about your boxer’s position or movement, as the computer forces the two competitors (who are always the same height and shape) to waltz round the ring in perfect unison- resembling a romantic dance-off rather than a brutal fistfight. Although it would be tough to pull of an iPhone game that incorporates the movement, offence and defence of the boxing world successfully, it’s disappointing to see such ridiculous motion for a title that wants to mimic the sport on a smaller scale.

Other than this, there is another hugely cheap mistake that dampens Touch KO’s appeal. Despite it being as difficult as deciding who would win a fight between Mike Tyson and his wife, there’s an odd stamina and health gauge to make things worse. With a green bar representing health and red stamina, initially it seems rather simple. However, if you throw a punch and it doesn’t forcefully hurt your opponent, it’ll add fatigue to your fighter that begins to close in on the amount of health you can recover. Do this over the course of five rounds, and by the end, your opponent wouldn’t have needed to throw one fist throughout the entire bout, being able to win by landing one big punch that often results in a knockout when health is low. Although I suspect it was designed to enforce accuracy with your shots, it’s an unappealing system that means your opponents could force a victory in the style of the unorthodox Homer Simpson.

It’s a shame such decisions have been made when building Touch KO, as it is a satisfying title to play. It’s enjoyable to knock your opponent down to the floor, as their wobbly legs give way to a rag doll finish that’ll be sure to raise a grin on the victor (if the bone-crunching sound effects fail, that is). With that said, throughout the career mode, I never had to pick my boxer up from the canvas. In fact, the most I was forced to console his shamelessly unbeaten face was with a quick dabbing of the screen inbetween rounds. There’s no body shots to look out for, only the task of damaging your opponent’s mug, which can often seen to be bruised under the eyes in the slow motion replay after knocking them down. More like Fight Night, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Despite the frustrating annoyances, there is a decent amount of fun to be had with Touch KO. The career is entertaining while it lasts, as you build your statistics and earn money for better equipment or apparel. The currently robotic manner in which bouts unfold hint that more can be squeezed from this title, as there’s enough here to warrant a second round. Arenas are beautifully created and the aesthetics are spot on for such a small production, and landing a quick combo is superbly satisfying. With the ease of downloadable updates on the iPhone, Touch KO may be the beginning of something very special. For now, it doesn’t quite cut enough weight to be deemed Fight Night Junior.

Grade: B-