The Rocky film series is perhaps the most well-known and popular adaptation of boxing in cinema. Played by Sylvester Stallone, the character of Rocky Balboa faces increasingly challenging opponents and life obstacles outside the ring.

Rocky, as portrayed in the films, manages to overcome them all thanks to his enormous heart for fighting and resilience, which has earned him the audience's sympathy worldwide.

Considering the immense popularity of the Rocky movies, followed by its spin-off focusing on Adonis Creed, it's no surprise to see adaptations in the form of video games.

8 Rocky Super Action Boxing Was The First Attempt At Video Game Adaptation Of The Franchise

The Game’s Roster Featured Only Rocky And Clubber Lang

The first video game adaptation of the Rocky film series appeared on the ColecoVision console, with production and publishing handled by the device's producer, Coleco.

The single-player mode allows players to take control of either Rocky or Clubber Lang and engage in a multi-round bout. The number of rounds depended on the difficulty level, starting from two, then five, ten, and ending at fifteen rounds.

There was also a two-player mode where players could control both boxers to engage in a match. The demo mode enabled simulated matches against artificial intelligence.

The four-button controller allowed for attacking and defending against punches aimed at the boxer's torso and head. The game was praised as the best sports adaptation on the platform, but its lack of a variety of characters to choose from, and limited gameplay relegated it to the bottom of the list.

7 Rocky On The Sega Master System Was Praised For Its Graphics

It Also Was The First Game To Incorporate Training Mini-Games

The Sega production released on the Master System introduced several features that were further developed in subsequent games based on the Rocky film series.

Primarily, players engage in training sessions consisting of mini-games before each fight. To improve their chances in the ring, Rocky must perform a certain number of punches on the training bag or mitt pads held by Mickey.

The single-player mode involves defeating the film's opponents in chronological order, starting from Apollo Creed, then Clubber Lang, and finally Ivan Drago.

In the two-player mode, one player controls Rocky, while the second player can choose any of the three opponents.

Unfortunately, aside from its beautiful graphics, the game lacked anything interesting to offer, and the entire gameplay relied on rapidly pressing buttons.

6 ROCKY™ Is A Sole Mobile Game Based On The Franchise

The Game Had A Interesting Rhythm Mechanic

Like many mobile games, Rocky was geared towards multiplayer gameplay. Each player managed their own gym, training boxers known from the movies as well as fictional fighters created for the game.

True to its mobile nature, the title offered periodic challenges and packs with random contents.

What made it most interesting was the course of the matches themselves, where players, much like in real boxing, tried to find their rhythm by tapping the screen of their phones. The right rhythm ensured victory through increasingly powerful combinations of punches. This intriguing aspect of gameplay elevates this game above those released on 8-bit platforms.

5 Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions Is The Latest Vide Game Adaptation Of The Film Series

The Game Took More Arcade’y Approach

The last of the released games had a more arcade-like gameplay style. While the previous titles weren't full-fledged boxing simulations, they attempted to maintain a semblance of realism. This time, however, the focus was on spectacle and ease of play.

This has both its good and bad sides. The game is accessible even to casual players, but its purely skill-based gameplay system is too shallow, offering little in terms of depth. It all boils down to quickly pressing two buttons for regular punches and one for special strikes.

Moreover, the game doesn't offer many modes. There's an arcade mode, where the selected character defeats successive opponents, and a two-player mode.

What's worse is that in the arcade mode, no materials from the films were used, and interactions between boxers are limited to text-based screens.

All of this makes the game a one-time adventure, not something you'd want to return to after completing the arcade mode once.

4 Rocky Balboa Was The Last Game Released By MGM Interactive

It was The Third And Final Game In Their Rocky Trilogy

The game released on the PlayStation Portable didn't significantly deviate from its predecessors released on home consoles. Like there, the player took control of Rocky's actions and engaged in fights with opponents in the sequence known from the movies.

Upon completing the single-player mode, its reverse version unlocked, where the player took control of individual opponents.

A novelty was the challenge mode, where the player had to defeat a specific opponent within a set time limit. There were 90 challenges to complete.

In the two-player mode, players could control any unlocked boxers during the game.

The gameplay itself was a simplified version of what players were familiar with from previous installments. Additionally, the version for Sony's handheld console lacked any training mini-games.

3 Rocky Was The First Video Game Adaptation Since The 80’s

This Title Set A Standard For All Future Releases

The first tile in MGM Interactive’s trilogy introduced many things that will become standard in future games.

In the single-player mode, the player once again takes control of Rocky and faces opponents in the order established by the films. However, this time, Rocky's character evolves to better reflect the fighting style known from each installment of the film saga.

Between individual bouts, the player will participate in training mini-games to improve their character's statistics.

In the two-player mode, both players could matchup any boxers from the game’s roster.

Rocky from 2002 was the first game to include film material used to capture the atmosphere of the original.

The gameplay itself was a solid mix of simulation and arcade-style play, easy to pick up but challenging to master.

2 Rocky Legends Was An Updated Version Of Its Predecessor

The Main Attraction Was A Possibility To Change The Outcome Of The Events Shown In The Movies

The gameplay was almost the same as in the 2002 iteration. So it was the case of more of the same thing. But taking into consideration that it was solid it’s hard to put it as negative.

The game's main gimmick was the possibility to take control of one of Rocky’s opponents and change the outcome of the bouts seen in the movies. For the first time, fans could witness what could happen in the case of “Italian Stallion’s” defeat. And it’s such an interesting premise that everyone should check this game out.

1 Creed: Rise To Glory Took A Full Advantage Of VR Headsets

It Offers The Most Immersive Boxing Experience Of All Rocky And Creed Games

In contrast to all other games, the controller in Creed: Rise to Glory was the player themselves. The use of VR technology requires players to mimic the movements of individual punches and blocks used in boxing.

An additional factor adding realism to the game was the character fatigue mechanic, where uncontrolled arm movements translated into Creed's fatigue and a decrease in the power of his punches. This necessitated a strategic approach to each bout and the use of combinations and movements learned during training sessions.

While the creators focused on immersion and capturing the realism of boxing matches, they did not overlook what the entire Rocky series is known for - cinematic visual effects adding film-like drama to the fights.

It's precisely this blend of realism and cinematic approach that makes Creed: Rise to Glory the champion of the boxing ring.