Fight Night Round 2

Fight Night Round 2
Game: Fight Night Round 2
Platform: Playstation 2
Studio: EA Sports
Rating: 8.5/10

GAME STUDIO DESCRIPTION: Get ready for the ultimate knockdown! EA SPORTS™ Fight Night Round 2 delivers the most realistic boxing title to ever grace the video game ring. The sequel to the best-selling boxing title of 2004 will knock gamers off their feet with new and exciting features including the EA SPORTS™ Haymaker, innovative gameplay inside and outside of the ring, a unique create-a-player option and an extensive career mode. EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 2 is the must-have title for fighting and boxing fans!

Unleash the most fearsome punches in video game history by adding extra power to each punch for one punch knockouts and increased damage on your opponents with the EA SPORTS Haymaker. Devastate and punish your adversaries on the way to boxing glory.

In between rounds, take command of your boxer’s corner. Use the swell and cut tools to reduce damage and bleeding around your boxer’s eyes. If your boxer can’t see, he can’t fight!

Key Features

* All-New EA SPORTS Haymaker – You’re always one punch away from flooring your opponent, but miss and you’re in trouble. Add extra power to each punch and go for the one punch KO! Haymakers cause massive destruction on your opponents but leave you open to counter shots.
* Create A Champ – Featuring an-all new and unique create-a-player option, gamers can use the analog sticks to sculpt the look of the boxer in real-time as well as train their fighters throughout the career mode. Players can create the ultimate champion by transforming their boxer’s skills and physique through rigorous workouts.
* Total Boxer Control – EA SPORTS Fight Night’s innovative analog control system gives you total control over your entire boxer’s body instead of just your fists. Stick and move, block on the move, and even do a classic “Rope a Dope” all with the analog sticks.
* EA SPORTS™ Cutman – Play an active role between bouts to help heal your boxers to keep them in the ring! With the all-new EA SPORTS Cutman, take command of your boxer’s corner, using the full bucket of cut-man tools to reduce swelling and stop the bleeding.
* Stunning Graphic Realism – From the boxers’ faces and bodies to each punch thrown, the fighters have never looked so real! Each punch pays off with stunning visuals that reflect the damage of each blow.
* Punishment Takes Its Toll – Protect your champ! Damage on your boxer will affect your fighting. Blocking will be a challenging task with a swollen eye.
* Online Gameplay – EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 2 features online play with Xbox Live™ and PlayStation 2 online. Let your opponents across the country feel the power of the punch through online play!

PLAY: When you first get to the menus you can do the arcade style where you have one fight or go career mode where you create your fighter and work your way through the ranks in any division you choose. You can practice and learn new moves and build your power, etc and become a better fighter.

There is an interesting play mode called “Hard Hits” where have 15 rounds with no time limit—the only way to score a round is a knock down. One thing that stinks is that the GameCube gets Super Punch-Out but its not available for PS2 or Xbox.

Thankfully EA has a whole lot of new and old fighters. There are certainly enough boxers to keep you busy for a long, long time; Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazer, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, Rocky Marciano, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Holyfield, Trinidad, and so many more. If those names don’t satisfy you then make your own boxer and work your way through the ranks to become a champion.

There is something missing with the actually game play. The controls would seem to work better in theory than in actual play. It takes a lot of training and fights to wrap your head around the controls. You’d like something that is much more intuitive than so difficult to get a handle on. Certainly if you were familiar with the previous release of Fight Night it’s not going to be as steep a learning curve however any newbie won’t walk in and really enjoy the controls without a few hours of game play. There have been better boxing controls in the past that outshine the controls for Fight Night.

The issue is that the right stick controls the punches and not button combinations. You have to hold the trigger and do your jabs and right to do other punching. It is rather confusing. There are times, even with a full understanding of what the controls are supposed to do, when it seems impossible to pull off an uppercut or hook.

Thankfully the defensive controls are much more intuitive. You can duck, block, weave, and move around quite fluidly. Better yet you can slip a punch and hit the opponent with the body in mostly one fluid motion. But where is the clinching? When has anyone watched a boxing game where the tired or beat up boxer doesn’t hold the other? It happens with every fight and yet it’s missing here.

A new edition to Fight Night in Round 2 is the ability to be the cutman between rounds. You don’t have to work your fighters face between rounds but it’s a lot of fun.

GRAPHICS: EA never lets us down when it comes to graphics. The fighters enter the ring with the entourage and then warm up. Michael Buffer is the announcer—and it looks like him too. The fighters are designed well and look like their real-life counterparts. The faces are phenomenal and finally a game where all the fighters don’t look like blown-up steroid monsters.

The arenas are impressive. Caeser’s Palace is amazing. The other arenas like the Staples Center and The Viceroy are perfect settings for a good beating. The crowds aren’t flat as with most football and basketball games. EA stepped up their game with Round 2.

SOUND: The absolutely terrible commentary in last year’s version by Big Tigger is gone and in his place is Joe Tessitore. That alone is enough of an upgrade to make you want Round 2. The crowd chants and the sound effects are very good.

FRANKLY: Fight Night Round 2 is a love/hate relationship. We love everything about the game however we generally hate the way the controls work. Theoretical doesn’t equal intuitive. If you can manage the controls without getting too frustrated than you’ll love the career mode.

+ Richie Wright


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