Celebrity Deathmatch – XB – Review – XB – Review

I’ll admit it…I loved watching
Celebrity Deathmatch.  The claymation carnage tied to those celebrities we have
all loved to hate made for an experience that can only be replaced by smacking
around your siblings.  When I first heard of Celebrity Deathmatch the videogame,
it was like hearing the winning lotto numbers, but then realizing you didn’t buy
a ticket.  How would it hold up considering that the show was cancelled a while
ago?  Unfortunately, beyond my naïve wishes that this game could spark up a
future remake of the series, the overall game just didn’t cut it.

Celebrity Deathmatch stars many
celebrities including the *NSYNC boys, Ms. Cleo, Carrot Top, and Anna Nicole
Smith.  The original show hosts, Nick Diamond and Johnny Gomez, are back at the
desk for commentary.  Some of their before-fight conversation is humorous, but
during the match, I found myself wanting to bash my own head in with the
cut-phrases.  Ref Mills Lane is back as well, who’s rules set each celebrity
straight.

Each celebrity has their own
unique moves.  Instead of a quick punch, Carrot Top grabs his would-be assassin
and devilishly attempts to bust CALL-ATT jabs.  Unfortunately, the number of
unique moves each celebrity has is unimpressive.  Constant button-smashing mixed
with limited attack capabilities just doesn’t give any user a reason to choose
one celebrity over another.

There are two modes available
in game:  Episode and Deathmatch.  Episode gives you a set match-up of 6
celebrities, one in which you must control.  Episode mode, despite the lack of
changing your character, really felt as if you were playing Celebrity Deathmatch.
Deathmatch mode allows users to play against the computer or a friend (though
who has the time for those?).  Though it gives you the opportunity to pick your
map and celeb, its obvious that Nick Diamond and Johnny Gomez are as useless as
a broken record.

Create-A-Celebrity allows you
to build your own celebrity to play in game.  Though almost all wrestling games
have this function, few do it as poorly as Celebrity Deathmatch.  Again, the
different set of options is limited and all characters will offer the same
moves.  On the positive side, there is nothing more comforting than creating a
character similar to you and beating on *NSYNC.

There is a good handful of
arenas available on the CD that may offer tricks for your advantage or
disadvantage, depending on how many gashes, slashes, and thrashes you have on
your body.

Graphically, the XBOX version
is naturally more appealing than the rest, but that’s not saying much.  I found
the clay-polygon hybrid to be subpar.  The saving factor, which should never be
a games saving factor, is the sound.  The voice-overs of the celebrities and
that familiar music from the show gave me the strength to continue on.

Generally, Celebrity Deathmatch
was a good premise in show and in-game, but in the end its just clay.  Pick it
up if you were a fan of the show.  If you are looking for the next step in
wrestling entertainment, change the channel.  If you have a new $20 bill and the
appreciation for Gotham Games to develop a title based on a controversial TV
show, Celebrity Deathmatch is waiting to lay the smack-down on your system.

Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 5.8
Add some
simple moves, a little combo, and repeat…constantly.  The special death move was
also a failed attempt in my book.

Graphics: 6.4
Clay +
polygons = Celebrity Deathmatch

Sound: 8
It’s the one available lifeboat on the sinking
Titanic.  If you purchase the CD, you’ll know what I mean.

Difficulty: Varies

Concept: 8
Ok…think of
your favorite celebrities…or not…make them out of clay…not really…and set them
loose on each other!

Multiplayer: 5.7

Celebrity Deathmatch allows you
to use the same move over and over again.  This does not make for a fun
experience, especially when its you who’s losing.

Overall: 5. 7
When there is
a sequel (if that ever happens), I’d like to see more substance and less hopeful
wishing on Big Ape Producutions’ part that gamers will buy Celebrity Deathmatch
simply because of its MTV brand.