Johnny Toetags
03-07-2005, 06:41 PM
He's tired. I know it. He knows it. He's backing off and away from me, pawing with his jab to keep me outside. He's a big guy - he tags me a couple of times with his reach. I slow my approach but step to the right, cutting him off. He's in the corner now. He's mine. I know it - he knows it. He throws up his hands to try and protect himself and it works. I land a jab, a straight and a right cross. Nothing gets through. I feint the same combination but shift at the cross and nail it hard in his side. I feel his hip crunch but his guard stays up. I
roll the punches off his exposed ribs, bam! Bam! BAM! He goes for his life saving 1-2 jab trying to get me to back off I bob and weave... wind up... BAM! Vicious haymaker to his ribs, he keels over - I go for the kill.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/13.jpg
Left uppercut, right uppercut - another razor left haymaker hook to the jaw. His head sways back in an illuminated halo of blood and sweat... the pace slows for a second and I focus and what needs to be done. His right eye is a bloody mess at this point, loose flesh hanging off the bone with massive swelling over the eyebrow. I target it with two thumping straights and he winces at the pain, staggering back further in the corner. Now. I put everything I have in a weaving overhand cross that snaps his head back like a crash test dummy. It's over. I know it - he knows it. Well, he would but at this point I don't think he's all there. His eyes are rolled back in his skull as
he hits the sweaty canvas his the dull thud of a meat-sack on a butcher shop?s floor.
Ten seconds later I?m standing in the glow of the floodlights, slick with his blood and clutching his former light heavyweight world title. 19 professional fights, 16 ko's (including a few doctor's stoppages) and a couple of wars since I turned pro and now I'm wondering to myself where do I go from here? Step up to face the big boys in the heavyweight division or pull a B-Hop and defend this belt with all I have. Hmmm... I think I'll do both - and what the hell... I'll unify 'em while I'm at it.
Such are the life and times of Seamus "The Hurricane" O?Leary, a blood and guts champion fighting out of Dublin. Of course, Seamus wouldn't have been possible without a few trial and error created fighters that let me hone my craft at EA Sport's new boxing game (more like a simulator, really) -- Fight Night Round 2.
So how is the follow up to EA's Breakout new boxing franchise? Very, very good. Read on.
Gameplay:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/9.jpg
EA Chicago surprised allot of folks a year back when they announced and then released a new boxing game. Let's face it, boxing as a sport is/was on the decline and your average boxing enthusiast doesn't spend allot of time with an Xbox controller in their hands. Copies of Knockout Kings were not flying off of store shelves and boxing games in general couldn't compete with other flashier fighting games on the market. I first sat down with the initial offering in this franchise with mixed emotions, and came away even more conflicted. Yes, it was CLEARLY the best boxing game I'd ever played - but it had some deep flaws and honestly felt very raw. I remember wishing that the franchise would pick up because the basic gameplay and graphics engine was top-notch. I must've played for close to a month before getting sick of it - and honestly - it usually doesn't take much for me to tire of a game. I retired a few fighters, won all the belts and came away feeling satisfied I hadn't bought the game. It's replay value was pretty low, once you were on top there wasn't much else left to do - and fights usually while esthetically different followed the same pattern. Win a few rounds, get your opponent in trouble and then play catch-up to him for a round or two while he circles away trying to stay alive. It got old, fast. But it was pretty, oh so pretty. And violent. Oh so violent.
A few days ago I decided to rent the sequel, and finding it nowhere in my local rental stores decided to throw caution to the wind and buy it. I'm glad I did. Almost if not all of the major issues have been addressed, the gameplay is tighter, the graphics are beyond belief and the career mode has a surprising amount of depth. Ring generalship was a major issue in the previous title - or rather lack there of. Even a fighter who was quick on his feet would have trouble catching you if you constantly backed off - which the AI was prone to do. This has been addressed in an interesting way. At first glance, the game appears slower now - an illusion provided by ESPN-like camera angles and more balanced agility ratings. This results in cornering being a much more effective tactic this time around - deadly, in fact. So what, you ask? You trade one negative game-changing tactic for another? Not so with the inclusion of clinching and the revamped KO zone. Yes, clinching has made it's first appearance in boxing games... and it's a mixed blessing. Yes, it can get you out of a bind. Yeah, when your legs are giving out and you can feel yourself slipping into unconsciousness - you can grab on and hold on for dear life.
Do it too often however and you'll be DQ'd, do it sloppy and you'll get twice the trashing you had coming. And believe me, with more realistic rag-doll physics, the most gorgeous blood effects I've ever seen and the revamping of the KO system? This game dishes out some SERIOUS punishment. If you're lucky enough to survive to the bell, you better pray your corner works up to snuff to repair the massive damage to your ugly mug. This is carried out with two brief mini-games that can actually surprisingly shift the flow of a fight.
The fight engine itself remains tight and slick. All punches are thrown and aimed with a single flick of the analog stick which adds incredible realism. The motions are smooth and crisp, defense is a synch and counter-punching truly an art form. The addition of the new Haymaker systems adds a depth of power punching and fight ending possibilities ? especially when timed with the new Haymaker meter. Basically, every power punch can now be thrown as a Haymaker ? packing it with that extra throttle needed to put your foe away. This is balanced with your stamina meter, which lowers faster with every thrown Haymaker ? though less so than with the signature punches available to each character. Your best bet is to make the Haymakers count, because if one?s parried you?re left WIDE open. Something my heavyweight prospect learned the hard way.
Gameplay Round Score: 9.
Graphics:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/bernardhop_fnround2_3.jpg
Beads of sweat pool and roll off your brow. Blood seeps from your nose and showers off your tenderized skull as your adversary lands vicious counter strikes. The environments are gorgeous (though you?d best keep your eyes on your opponent), the crowds however seem to have been toned down a tad however and it?s understandable when you realize just how jaw-dropping (Hey! Keep your hands up punk!) the character models are. A serious upgrade to the already near-perfect motion capture and texture mapping makes the fighters look almost too real.
The create-a-fighter systems is as good, if not better than the previous entry allowing for an unlimited combination of different styles and body types. The licensed fighters are a standout, of course ? most noticeably Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright. I mean it?s like watching Friday Night Fights for god?s sake! Simply amazing.
Graphics Round Score: 10.
Sound:
Now, admittedly sound is not the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks about Boxing Games. And truth be told, this is the game?s weakest link ? not to say the sound is bad, but it?s just forgettable compared to the other features. Punches whoosh when they hit nothing but air, they thump when they smack into your ribcage and they sound like a thunderclap when they smack your head around. The annoying Big Tigger has been replaced by a much better commentator that actually (gasp!) calls the action as it develops, and the ring announcer does a decent job ? though you kind of wish that EA would spring for Mr. Buffer if you know what I mean. Lastly, while there are a half dozen decent hip-hop tracks included in the game ? if that?s not your cup of tea you?re pretty much screwed. It would have been nice if EA would allow one of my favorite Xbox features ? the Custom Jukebox. I mean, having Arturo Gatti come out to anything but ?Thunderstruck? just sounds wrong.
Sound Round Score: 8.
Replay Value:
My one big beef with this title?s predecessor has been fixed and then some. You may now create (or get this: re-tool an existing fighter?s career from scratch!) a boxer and guide him through tough sparring, training sessions and a short amateur career. From there on, you can climb your way up the rankings? leading to an eventual title reign. From there, you can defend your belt, change weight classes, attempt to unify the belts ? whatever you want. This adds a ton of longevity to the game and really makes it worth the purchase. Add to this multiplayer, Xbox live compliance, mini-games, special challenges and my favorite feature ? the Record Books! Perfect for gloating over your friends.
I could go on and on, but I have a title belt to defend and Ronald Wrigth needs to be taught a lesson?
Replay Value Round Score: 9.
Judge?s Decision: 9 out of 10.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/246675.jpg
Feedback: jfpage@bloodyknux.com
Discuss this review on our message boards here. (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3259#post3259)
roll the punches off his exposed ribs, bam! Bam! BAM! He goes for his life saving 1-2 jab trying to get me to back off I bob and weave... wind up... BAM! Vicious haymaker to his ribs, he keels over - I go for the kill.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/13.jpg
Left uppercut, right uppercut - another razor left haymaker hook to the jaw. His head sways back in an illuminated halo of blood and sweat... the pace slows for a second and I focus and what needs to be done. His right eye is a bloody mess at this point, loose flesh hanging off the bone with massive swelling over the eyebrow. I target it with two thumping straights and he winces at the pain, staggering back further in the corner. Now. I put everything I have in a weaving overhand cross that snaps his head back like a crash test dummy. It's over. I know it - he knows it. Well, he would but at this point I don't think he's all there. His eyes are rolled back in his skull as
he hits the sweaty canvas his the dull thud of a meat-sack on a butcher shop?s floor.
Ten seconds later I?m standing in the glow of the floodlights, slick with his blood and clutching his former light heavyweight world title. 19 professional fights, 16 ko's (including a few doctor's stoppages) and a couple of wars since I turned pro and now I'm wondering to myself where do I go from here? Step up to face the big boys in the heavyweight division or pull a B-Hop and defend this belt with all I have. Hmmm... I think I'll do both - and what the hell... I'll unify 'em while I'm at it.
Such are the life and times of Seamus "The Hurricane" O?Leary, a blood and guts champion fighting out of Dublin. Of course, Seamus wouldn't have been possible without a few trial and error created fighters that let me hone my craft at EA Sport's new boxing game (more like a simulator, really) -- Fight Night Round 2.
So how is the follow up to EA's Breakout new boxing franchise? Very, very good. Read on.
Gameplay:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/9.jpg
EA Chicago surprised allot of folks a year back when they announced and then released a new boxing game. Let's face it, boxing as a sport is/was on the decline and your average boxing enthusiast doesn't spend allot of time with an Xbox controller in their hands. Copies of Knockout Kings were not flying off of store shelves and boxing games in general couldn't compete with other flashier fighting games on the market. I first sat down with the initial offering in this franchise with mixed emotions, and came away even more conflicted. Yes, it was CLEARLY the best boxing game I'd ever played - but it had some deep flaws and honestly felt very raw. I remember wishing that the franchise would pick up because the basic gameplay and graphics engine was top-notch. I must've played for close to a month before getting sick of it - and honestly - it usually doesn't take much for me to tire of a game. I retired a few fighters, won all the belts and came away feeling satisfied I hadn't bought the game. It's replay value was pretty low, once you were on top there wasn't much else left to do - and fights usually while esthetically different followed the same pattern. Win a few rounds, get your opponent in trouble and then play catch-up to him for a round or two while he circles away trying to stay alive. It got old, fast. But it was pretty, oh so pretty. And violent. Oh so violent.
A few days ago I decided to rent the sequel, and finding it nowhere in my local rental stores decided to throw caution to the wind and buy it. I'm glad I did. Almost if not all of the major issues have been addressed, the gameplay is tighter, the graphics are beyond belief and the career mode has a surprising amount of depth. Ring generalship was a major issue in the previous title - or rather lack there of. Even a fighter who was quick on his feet would have trouble catching you if you constantly backed off - which the AI was prone to do. This has been addressed in an interesting way. At first glance, the game appears slower now - an illusion provided by ESPN-like camera angles and more balanced agility ratings. This results in cornering being a much more effective tactic this time around - deadly, in fact. So what, you ask? You trade one negative game-changing tactic for another? Not so with the inclusion of clinching and the revamped KO zone. Yes, clinching has made it's first appearance in boxing games... and it's a mixed blessing. Yes, it can get you out of a bind. Yeah, when your legs are giving out and you can feel yourself slipping into unconsciousness - you can grab on and hold on for dear life.
Do it too often however and you'll be DQ'd, do it sloppy and you'll get twice the trashing you had coming. And believe me, with more realistic rag-doll physics, the most gorgeous blood effects I've ever seen and the revamping of the KO system? This game dishes out some SERIOUS punishment. If you're lucky enough to survive to the bell, you better pray your corner works up to snuff to repair the massive damage to your ugly mug. This is carried out with two brief mini-games that can actually surprisingly shift the flow of a fight.
The fight engine itself remains tight and slick. All punches are thrown and aimed with a single flick of the analog stick which adds incredible realism. The motions are smooth and crisp, defense is a synch and counter-punching truly an art form. The addition of the new Haymaker systems adds a depth of power punching and fight ending possibilities ? especially when timed with the new Haymaker meter. Basically, every power punch can now be thrown as a Haymaker ? packing it with that extra throttle needed to put your foe away. This is balanced with your stamina meter, which lowers faster with every thrown Haymaker ? though less so than with the signature punches available to each character. Your best bet is to make the Haymakers count, because if one?s parried you?re left WIDE open. Something my heavyweight prospect learned the hard way.
Gameplay Round Score: 9.
Graphics:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/bernardhop_fnround2_3.jpg
Beads of sweat pool and roll off your brow. Blood seeps from your nose and showers off your tenderized skull as your adversary lands vicious counter strikes. The environments are gorgeous (though you?d best keep your eyes on your opponent), the crowds however seem to have been toned down a tad however and it?s understandable when you realize just how jaw-dropping (Hey! Keep your hands up punk!) the character models are. A serious upgrade to the already near-perfect motion capture and texture mapping makes the fighters look almost too real.
The create-a-fighter systems is as good, if not better than the previous entry allowing for an unlimited combination of different styles and body types. The licensed fighters are a standout, of course ? most noticeably Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright. I mean it?s like watching Friday Night Fights for god?s sake! Simply amazing.
Graphics Round Score: 10.
Sound:
Now, admittedly sound is not the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks about Boxing Games. And truth be told, this is the game?s weakest link ? not to say the sound is bad, but it?s just forgettable compared to the other features. Punches whoosh when they hit nothing but air, they thump when they smack into your ribcage and they sound like a thunderclap when they smack your head around. The annoying Big Tigger has been replaced by a much better commentator that actually (gasp!) calls the action as it develops, and the ring announcer does a decent job ? though you kind of wish that EA would spring for Mr. Buffer if you know what I mean. Lastly, while there are a half dozen decent hip-hop tracks included in the game ? if that?s not your cup of tea you?re pretty much screwed. It would have been nice if EA would allow one of my favorite Xbox features ? the Custom Jukebox. I mean, having Arturo Gatti come out to anything but ?Thunderstruck? just sounds wrong.
Sound Round Score: 8.
Replay Value:
My one big beef with this title?s predecessor has been fixed and then some. You may now create (or get this: re-tool an existing fighter?s career from scratch!) a boxer and guide him through tough sparring, training sessions and a short amateur career. From there on, you can climb your way up the rankings? leading to an eventual title reign. From there, you can defend your belt, change weight classes, attempt to unify the belts ? whatever you want. This adds a ton of longevity to the game and really makes it worth the purchase. Add to this multiplayer, Xbox live compliance, mini-games, special challenges and my favorite feature ? the Record Books! Perfect for gloating over your friends.
I could go on and on, but I have a title belt to defend and Ronald Wrigth needs to be taught a lesson?
Replay Value Round Score: 9.
Judge?s Decision: 9 out of 10.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/BKDOTCOM/246675.jpg
Feedback: jfpage@bloodyknux.com
Discuss this review on our message boards here. (http://www.bloodyknux.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3259#post3259)