Fight Night 2004

It’s not very often that a game can start off with a bang and maintain its vitality once it becomes a series. The list of aging video game series is as long as the number of zeros at the end of Bill Gate’s paycheck. Tomb Raider, Mega Man, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Nightmare on Elm Street (Wait, scratch that last one.) etc. have all lost their edge. Nuance has given way to traditional “series staples” or “tried and true” gameplay. Unfortunately, very few game publishers are willing to tinker with their cash horses’ formulas in hopes of improving gameplay and encouraging an evolution in their respective games’ genres. Luckily there are game developers out there who are so secure in their talents (or perhaps secure enough in the money making ability of their other titles) that they are willing to scrap an original title and rebuild it to set a new standard. EA is one such company and Knockout Kings was that one lucky title.

It’s been almost three years since EA released a quality boxing title on any system. Coincidentally it’s been almost three years since I relished in a hard fought victory, waving my gloved fist at the man who ruined my name; Fernando Vargas. Just when I thought that EA had thrown the towel into the squared circle they come out, fists flying with an all new retooling of the Knockout Kings formula. EA’s Fight Night 2004 (formerly the Knockout Kings series) reinvents the boxing simulator with amazing accuracy. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the new incarnation of the beloved franchise soars way above gamers’ expectations. At least it soared above mine…

Gameplay
“Let’s get ready to rummmmble!”

What? Like you weren’t expecting that line to come up at least once in this review?! Truth be told, I was very skeptical about the new total punch control fighting system. I grew up mashing buttons, firing off quick series of combinations of “x’s”, “y’s”, “a’s” and “b’s”. The analog sticks (or “joysticks” as they were called in my day) were for moving about the ring. In fact, we didn’t have joystick control; we had to use d-pads! (Don’t even get me started on walking to school in snow.) So imagine my surprise when I first fired up the Fight Night disc and laid my hands on the controller. My thumbs quickly searched for the warm familiar sensation of a button underneath it. Much to my dismay, and the dismay of my virtual boxer, I couldn’t seem to familiarize myself with new control scheme right away.

Gone is the simplicity of pressing a single button to throw a punch. In its place is EA’s total punch control system. With it you use the right analog stick to throw all your punches ranging from the stinging jab to the hammer heavy uppercut. By pulling the analog stick down and rolling it upwards and to the right (think “dragon punch”) you throw a right uppercut. Roll the stick left and upwards and you throw a left hook. Flick it diagonally up and to the left and you throw a jab; diagonally up and to the right and it’s a straight. Follow? While at first it will prove to be very confusing, and sometimes downright frustrating, the innovative new control system changes the whole way you play the game. Forget about just quickly mashing the buttons and getting off a few lucky combos. From now on you will have to master the art of blocking, pacing and the “stick and move.”

By pressing and holding down the right shoulder button you can block while moving. The left shoulder button will allow you to lean and throw body punches while maintaining your position in the ring. What results is an amazing representation of an actual boxing match, simulating the shift of momentum between fighters. Often I found myself planning to wear down my opponent’s right eye with stiff jabs or wearing him down by increasing my blocking and making more use of bobbing and weaving. Most impressive was how I was able to lead with my jab, open with my straight and penetrate with uppercuts, often confusing my opponent with a few well placed hooks when he might have been expecting a few more jabs. Other times I found myself trying to buy time to regain my health to mount a comeback attack. No other game will offer the same amount of realism when simulating a boxing match.

Of course there are alternate control schemes that assign punches to particular buttons (Knockout King’s old control scheme) for those of you out there who are unwilling to accept change and move on (poor fools), but in the end, EA’s new total punch control system reigns supreme in the boxing simulation world. Sure there are taunts, special punches, illegal blows and all, but once you familiarize yourself with the new control scheme you will want to play it just like an actual HBO boxing match. Leave the arcadey antics to the Ready to Rumble series, this is Fight Night.

You coulda’ been a contendah!
EA sports games have never been about story modes. I mean who has ever played a Madden game and thought, “I wish I knew what the emotional drive is behind the San Diego Chargers this year. Maybe then I would be more inclined to play through Season Mode.” No sir. Not me. Okay, maybe once. Still, that is a football game. The only drive you need is making it to the Super Bowl with that undefeated record that the Chargers will never be capable of and your motivation is in place.

I can’t help but think of Rocky (the movies not the god awful game) when playing through a career mode in Fight Night 2004. Though deep and involving, it offers very little backdrop to the person filling the gloves. In all honesty I can’t fault the game for the omission of an actual “story”; it is after all, another sports simulation game and a damn good one at that. The career mode is deep enough to keep players playing through several weight classes (unfortunately you can’t move up in weight class) and defending championships until next years iteration. My only gripe with the career mode is its lackluster training segments. Though you will always be forced to train before a fight, the inability to practice the training segments creates somewhat of an uneven playing field when trying to level up for your next fight. Furthermore, you don’t get to choose what abilities you level up. So if you wanted to create a super strong, supremely fast character you will have to wait until the computer lets you level up those characteristics in its own time. Okay so maybe it makes for a more balanced boxer, but if I want to make powerhouse Fernando, I should be allowed to make him, right?

Luckily, if the novelty of beating down Roy Jones Jr., Ali, or Evander “the Real Deal, One Ear” Holyfield for title belts ever wears off, you always have versus mode (you and a friend on the same box) and exhibition mode for quick pick up and play bouts. Some might gripe about the Xbox version’s lack of online play and to those people I have these two things to say; A) it’s an EA game on the Xbox, what did you expect? And 2) what’s the big difference? It’s not like playing some 12 year old girl in Alaska will translate into a completely different boxing experience. It’s still a one on one fight with another virtual pugilist. On the other hand, it would be nice of EA to include a “beat your friend across the country to a bloody pulp” online mode. So if you’re looking for an online boxing title, you’re going to have to get the PS2 version (I’m sorry to say). Even in spite of Xbox Live support’s notable omission, this title will keep you coming back over and over again (think Rocky “the Italian Stallion” Balboa) for one more fight, one more title bout, one more punch; if not to better your technique, then to win enough money to hire a pyrotechnitian for your entrance. Pyrotechnics aren’t your thing? How about hiring a “dancer” (ballet trained of course) to accompany you to the ring? Customization features abound in this game and you will definitely want to fight again to buy those fire print shorts with matching boots. Oh, lets be honest, you know you will!

Graphics
A broken nose never looked so good.
Ok, let me start off by telling you this. I made myself for the first time ever in a game. No other create a player option has ever been able to accomplish that feat. Sure, some came close, most notably, Top Spin and that one game where you paste a picture of yourself on the TV, but other than that, never. Not only was I able to create a version of myself in this game that fooled my roommate into thinking I had been sucked into the television (while developing some nicely defined pectorals), but it was so near picture perfection that every time I load up my boxer, I chuckle with deep satisfaction. Furthermore, if you find yourself dissatisfied by the lack of Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando “Don’t go there” Vargas, Arnold “The Governator” Schwarzenegger or Julio Cesar Chavez you can always rely on the robust create a player option. It may take practice, but you will be able to make them.

As for the boxers that are included in the game, you will find that the new models no longer retain that shiny plastic “ken doll” look of the previous Knockout Kings series. This year’s models sport a realistic detail about them that is at times eerie to look at (in a good way). The venues range from dirty atmospheric underground rings to grand, festive arenas worthy of Vegas’ best casinos. Games like this truly reflect the Xbox’s graphical prowess. This is by far the best version of the game across all systems.

“Float like a butterfly…”
I can honestly say without hesitation that motion captured (mo-cap) animation has set a whole new standard for any simulation game. No game, particularly those coming from the EA camp, has ever been the same since its adaptation into the video game world. With that said, EA Fight Night 2004 does a beautiful job of capturing the way a boxer moves about the ring. With each punch his weight shifts to and fro (mind you this was also taken into account with the actual game mechanics). Miss with a left hook? Better watch out for that jab because the momentum of your swing will knock you off kilter leaving you open for a pummeling. That is unless you manage to bob down and under his attack. Each animation is so dead on accurate that you will be hard pressed to find a more realistic simulation game… of any kind.

Admittedly there are some animations that don’t seem to fit the mold. Take for example the situation mentioned above whereby you miss with a hook leaving you open for attack. Imagine that your opponent seizes his opportunity and lays a perfectly placed uppercut square on your chin. The impact would be destructive right? Well, apparently EA thinks it would be so destructive that it would turn your skeletal structure to jelly. I found, much to my amusement, that a well placed knockdown blow often made my opponent wiggle and shake like a huge tub of Jello struck with a baseball bat. His fall to the floor was no less amusing. Nine times out of ten, he would hit the mat with a series of resounding thuds and bounces only to land with his butt straight in the air. I’m not completely sure that EA was going for rag doll physics when they designed the laughable knockouts, but they sure succeeded in making me laugh.

Sound

“Sting like a bee….”
Rest easy, gamers, the discussion on the game’s sound will be short and sweet. Unfortunately, EA didn’t think to grace gamers with the same consideration when including commentary in the game. Fight Night’s in game announcer (Big Tigger of BET Rap City fame) is about as informative as John Madden hopped up on poppers. If you liked NBA Street Vol. 2’s Bobbito Garcia then chances are you will enjoy Tigger’s hip-hop flavored commentating… for a while. Much like any commentary though, the novelty wears thin after a few fights and you will most likely want to turn it off. Similarly, the game’s music will appeal mostly to the hip-hop community (tracks from P-Diddy, Cee-lo, and other hip-hoppers grace the arena) leaving little else for alternative or easy listening gamers. I know, it’s disappointing not having John Tesh’s newest tracks to “float” into the ring to, but after a while the game’s commentary will just “sting” your eardrums.

Judge’s Decision
“Winner, by unanimous decision… and STILL the undisputed champion of the world!!!!!”

Make no mistake about it, Fight Night 2004, is by far the best boxing game ever. Period. The new total punch control system adds an unprecedented amount of realism to the genre without sacrificing any of the fun. True, the new control scheme will take some getting used to. And some might be put off by it. However, for those of you that do stick around for it (no pun intended); you are in for a great surprise. EA has revolutionized the genre of boxing simulation and once again set a new standard for simulation games in general. Forgettable announcers aside, this game will not only draw you in, it will convince you that you are capable of taking on Holyfield mano-a-mano. All I can say is that Fernando Vargas better be happy he is not in this year’s game, because I (with the help of the amazing create a player option) would finally have been able to take my name back.

Favorite moment: Knocking my opponent against the ropes and keeping him standing with a flurry of combos. Brutal!

Forgettable moment: The first time I had to get up after a knockdown and realized that I didn’t need to press the “a” button repeatedly to get up; my first loss. (Keeping in theme with the new analog control system, your new method of recovery requires you to use both sticks to realign your blurred vision to get up.)

Gameplay
The deep career mode will keep gamers engaged well until the next iteration arrives. Try every weight class to really round out your boxing style.

Graphics
Not the best, but definitely able to maintain the level of realism present throughout the rest of the game. Not to mention, the incredibly robust create a player feature. You simply MUST try it out. If it only had more customization with piercings and tattoos, the virtual version of myself would have been worthy of a portrait.

Sound
Turn off the commentary after a few matches and pump up the volume on the rest. It’s worth it.

Control
Absolute genius control scheme make this the most innovative and revolutionary boxing title to date.

Replay
Like you could ever run out of reasons to beat down Fernando Vargas… wait..,Holyfield…yeah.

Overall
Simply the best boxing experience on the market. Buy this game.