The Observer, March 3, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 19
Latest Fight Night indulges realistic pugilism
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Whether you are a fan of the genre or not, sports games have been a dominant force in the video gaming market since the days of the Genesis. Whether we're talking Madden, NBA Live, or even Topspin Tennis, nearly every sport is thoroughly represented on current consoles. Unfortunately, boxing is the only form of virtual athleticism that seems to be ignored. Everyone has fond memories of the Punchout!! series, but in recent years good boxing games have become a rarity. Granted, many see boxing as a savage, barbaric activity and want nothing to do with simulated pugilism. Regardless of any ill will towards the sport, I urge gamers to give Fight Night Round 3 a chance.
This game has all of the standard modes that gamers have come to expect from EA titles and little else. Exhibition matches and training are present, as well as the ESPN Classic mode in which legendary bouts such as Ali vs. Frazier are recreated. There's also a boring career mode in which one's homemade fighter proceeds through the ranks and wins several trophies along the way. While this could potentially be fun, the whole experience lacks variety. All of the fights end fairly quickly due to poor A.I., and the few training mini-games eventually become monotonous. When the developers begin work on the inevitable sequel, I hope they consult games such as NBA Street Vol. 3 and Mario Superstar Baseball as examples of how to make a captivating career mode.
While solo bouts weren't fantastic, my friends and I did enjoy several matches of multiplayer. I wish I could comment on the online component, but on-campus lag has been a problem recently for Xbox Live. Even so, fighting human opponents offline opened up layers of depth. I was surprised at how many nuances could be found in what first appeared to be a simple button-masher. Blocking and parrying punches become imperative because well-timed counters can become turning points during heated rounds. Twisting the right analog stick to control the strength of punches is surprisingly intuitive and learning when to use the devastating "haymaker" becomes crucial when trying to master the game. Fight Night Round 3 even allows players to fix their boxers' wounds between rounds, which slows down the pace of the game but is ultimately rewarding. Not all game mechanics work well, however. I disapprove of the first person fighting, in which a powerful blow prompts the camera to switch to your opponent's view; the perspective change is disorienting and doesn't make much sense. The developers could have done more with momentum; pugilists who go to take big swings can be stopped instantly by weak jabs. Still, Fight Night Round 3 is the best boxing game I have played since the debut of Super Punchout!! in the early 1990s.
I can't comment on the PS2 or Xbox versions of the game when it comes to graphics, but the Xbox 360 version's character models put even those found in Dead or Alive 4 to shame. Each athlete is photo-realistic. The ways in which boxers slump over and stagger as they become exhausted, as well as the evident pain in their expressions as big punches connect clearly show who is winning the fight. Health and stamina bars have been eliminated because the body language of the combatants is just as telling as some mathematical measurement of "life." I'd also like to mention the rippling effect that spreads through an opponent's cheeks when you land a knockdown punch. Though completely gratuitous, this technical feat is nevertheless satisfying every time it occurs.
I'm hoping that with a growing audience of Xbox 360 gamers looking for the next visually impressive, enjoyable game, Fight Night Round 3 will find its audience. While I'm not a huge supporter of publisher EA's business practices or endless sequels, their recent boxing effort deserves to be recognized as an equal to peers such as Madden.
