Hands on with Animal Boxing on DS

Instead of being wrapped up in the bizarre debate over which mammal's milk ought to be used for creating ice creams, perhaps PETA ought to be concerned about interspecies fighting in Animal Boxing. The cause is worthy, no doubt, yet perhaps the cow's more serious problem lies not in being milked but in being pummeled by its animal brethren.

Humanity's furry pals turn pugilists in this touch-enabled punch-up. It's a bizarre endeavour that brings wildlife together with touch-enabled boxing, all the while holding your handheld upside-down. Animal Boxing is risky business - literally - for its unique design is undoubtedly innovative, but it is so strange that getting into its breed of boxing can be as challenging as knocking out an angry rhino.

The game has you turning your DS around to use the touchscreen for punches. Your opponent's torso and head appear on the touchscreen, which allows you to use your fingers for jabs. Tapping your competitor triggers a basic punch, whereas a slide up delivers an uppercut. Additionally, you can slide to either side of the screen for left and right swipes. Staying in the ring requires blocking incoming blows too, so you'll want to hold the X button to block.

There are around 50 animal boxers to face through the course of the tournament-style single player campaign. You don't take on the role of an animal, mind you. Instead, you create a human character that squares off against these creatures starting with a penguin. Pitting a person against a flightless bird hardly seems like an even match and that's the point. You get to beat the lights out of the little bird and move onto bigger fiends like the moose we contended with.

The boxing mechanics work sufficiently, although there's a lack of finesse due in part to the limitations of the touchscreen. Animal Boxing works well enough as a rudimentary punch-punch-jab-jab sort of game, but it feels too much like a pretty game of rock-paper-scissors. Of course, the appeal here isn't in simulation, rather it's in fighting furries and it promises to get that job done.

It's difficult for us to get enthused about the game because of its wackiness, even if that's its goal. Animal Boxing captures an intriguing visual style with its cel-shaded boxers, which is something we can appreciate. Beating up beasts is a breed of entertainment that's ultimately short-lived. The lasting value of the game - despite the wealth of characters and two-player wireless mode - is questionable. Loads of content doesn't necessarily make for a value-packed game if you're not eager to play it. Hopefully it packs more of a punch than we gathered from this initial look when it ships later this year in the US.