Real Steel World Robot Boxing for Android is lots of fun when it works. Unfortunately, I experienced some serious issues with it that got in the way of the play and enjoyment.

Real Steel World Robot Boxing reminds me of the old kid’s toy Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. I always wanted one as a kid, so the little boy in me was excited to play this game. The app is based on the 2011 Hugh Jackman movie, Real Steel. Neither the movie or this game burden itself with a plot, because none is really needed. Two massive and mean looking robots are dropped into a ring and the object is to beat the crap out of each other until only 1 is left standing. Work out your frustrations and anger issues without getting a single bruise, all while playing with cool robots; what could be more fun??

This game is tremendous fun when it works. The controls are relatively simple yet terribly glitchy. There are arrows on the left of the screen for movement and a series of buttons on the right that toggle between different punches and attack styles. You must use both in tandem to bob and weave your opponent’s attack while unleashing your own. There are several nuances to the controls and both the left and right sides can work together for special combinations. The problem is, the screen locked up on me several times and the game outright froze on more than one occasion. Ironically, the upgrade menus were the worst as far as glitches. The fight sequences also had issues, but ran relatively smoothly overall.

The game has beautiful, high impact graphics and the fighting can get fast and intense. Be careful with your thumb pressure on your device’s screen, because many times I caught myself poking and pressing real hard as I was trying to beat the crap out of the other guy. Some of the menus could use an overhaul. They are a little cluttered and hard to read, and the upgrades and opportunity to spend money are plentiful. There is an array of alternate robots to use in match-ups, and no shortage of mean looking opponents itching fight you next. However, I question the ability to sustain interest in this game without shelling out some real coin.

Real Steel World Robot Boxing has a lot of promise but really needs to work out the kinks before it can truly be playable. As it is, the iffy controls and constant glitches just get in the way of everything. Still, it’s fun to look at, and future versions of the game will only make it better and better. In another update or two, this one will literally kick ass.